Florida International University has secured a $2 million state appropriation to expand its Functional Oncology Rapid Cancer Elimination (myFORCE) program, university officials announced Thursday. The state investment will broaden access to personalized cancer care for both children and adults facing advanced, relapsed, or treatment-resistant cancers.
Personalized Cancer Care
The initiative is led by Dr. Diana Azzam, a researcher and professor at FIU’s Robert Stempel College of Public Health and Social Work. Rather than relying solely on genetic sequencing, Azzam’s team extracts living cells from a patient’s tumor and exposes them to combinations of approved medications. The resulting data is passed to the patient’s oncologist to inform treatment choices.
State lawmakers who helped secure the funding pointed to the program’s potential for local families. “Every family deserves hope in the fight against cancer, and I am proud to have secured this funding to support FIU’s Functional Oncology Rapid Cancer Elimination (myFORCE) Program, an initiative advancing personalized treatment options for pediatric and adult cancer patients,” said Florida state Sen. Alexis Calatayud.
Original reporting: Tampa Free Press — read the source article.
