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Cycle for Survival 2010 Fundraiser Supports Research on Rare Cancers at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center

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A total of 400 teams of up to eight members each will cycle in January at two NYC Equinox locations, and an additional 100 teams are slated to ride on February 6 at the new Chicago location. Cyclists collect donations through team fundraising campaigns conducted via the event's Web site: www.cycleforsurvival.org.

More than $1.7 million in pledges have already been recorded for the 2010 event, surpassing the record $1.2 million raised in January 2009. Proceeds from the 2009 event have recently been allocated to fund:

    --  Two clinical trials to test drugs that block certain pathways that keep
        sarcoma cells alive, with the goal of finding new ways to destroy these
        cancer cells.
    --  A research project that focuses on a new way to treat a type of rare
        cancer by changing the pattern of genes turned on and off.
    --  A study aimed at gaining new insights into the biology of a specific
        type of rare tumor.
    --  An investigation to identify and develop drugs that block the growth of
        pancreatic cancer cells.

"By gaining a better understanding of the basic biology of these types of cancers, we hope to develop more precise treatments that focus on specific targets in the cancer cell," said Dr. Robert Maki, associate attending physician and co-director of the Adult Sarcoma Program in Memorial Sloan-Kettering's Department of Medicine. Previous Cycle for Survival events funded a clinical trial resulting in a new chemotherapy regimen more effective at shrinking certain tumors.

The event began in 2007 as a grassroots fundraiser founded by patient Jennifer Goodman Linn, and has doubled in size each year, raising a total of more than $2.7 million to date.

For more information about Cycle for Survival, visit www.cycleforsurvival.org.

About Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center:

Memorial Sloan-Kettering is the world's oldest and largest private institution dedicated to prevention, patient care, and education in cancer. Its scientists and clinicians generate innovative approaches to better understand, diagnose and treat cancer. Its specialists are leaders in biomedical research and in translating the latest research to advance the standard of care worldwide. For more information, visit www.mskcc.org.

SOURCE Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center