Thesis+Based+Research+Assignment

a) Why did you go down this research path? I chose this research path because my family has been affected by cancer know for the second time. The treatment that my mom is receiving now is new and was not around 8 years ago when she first developed cancer. The medicine that she is currently on is like chemotherapy but instead of poising her whole body the medicine goes right to the tumor on her spine. The advancement in treatment has been amazing that my mom is able to continue to work while under going the treatment. b) What driving question guided your research? What companies and foundations support cancer? What does the money go toward? c) What more specific questions had to be answered before finally answering this driving question? What are new treatments available today? What are the biggest foundations? What some companies involved? How is the money spread around? A) //The Breast Cancer 3-Day Report Card://. Breast Cancer 3 Day, 2008. Web. 30 Sept. 2009. . 1.72% of funds raised, was invested in breast cancer research, education and community health programs. That would $79,837,095. 2. 85% of the net proceeds from the Breast Cancer 3-Day benefit Susan G. Komen for the Cure, and 15% benefit the National Philanthropic Trust Breast Cancer Fund for breast cancer research, education and community health programs. 3.Komen funded a large multi-project $7.5 million Promise Grant to fund ways to identify IBC at an earlier stage and to fund more effective treatments. 4.molecular breast imaging – a method that has already shown promise in detecting three times as many cancers in women whose mammograms show dense breast patterns and are at increased risk for breast cancer. (research Funds from Susan G. Komen for the cure) 5.The 72% return to charity exceeds the Better Business Bureau Wise Giving Standards for Charity Accountability. B)//Research Program and Funding//. American Cancer Society, 2009. Web. 21 Sept. 2009. . 1. Joseph Nevins, PhD, of Duke University Medical Center, several unique signatures were found in several different types of cancer, and could be used to determine clinical outcomes and select specific therapies for cancer treatment. 2.Scott Armstrong, MD, PhD, of the Children’s Hospital of Boston, used gene signatures to identify a drug that may help children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia. He found that rifampicin was able to overcome drug-resistance to prednisone-like drug therapy, a common treatment for ALL. 3. A urine test capable of predicting prostate cancer may be possible, Arul M. Chinnaiyan, MD, PhD, of the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, identified four different markers that when present together specifically identify prostate cancer. 4.Anil Potti, MD, of Duke University Medical Center, applied gene signature profiles to breast cancer in women and identified six clusters of gene profiles that are linked to the risk of cancer recurrence,and able to predict patient prognosis. 5. Molecular signatures appear to be able to aid in the in development of drugs that will be specific to a cancer based on gene and protein activities within the cell. C)"Cancer Reasearch Funding." //Cancer Research Funding-National Cancer Institute//. National Cancer Institute, 2008. Web. 21 Sept. 2009. . 1.The cancer research program coordinated by NCI investigates the causes, prevention, detection, diagnosis, and treatment of cancer through various research projects and clinical trials. 2.NCI’s budget for FY 2008 was $4.83 billion. For FY 2007, it was $4.79 billion, and, for FY 2006, it was $4.75 billion. 3.In the National Cancer Act of 1971, NCI was given the authority to prepare and submit an annual budget proposal directly to the President for review and transmittal to Congress. This authority is unique to NCI and allows it to “bypass” the traditional approvals 4.NCI Bypass Budget proposals describe in detail the optimal amount of funding needed to make the most rapid progress against cancer and to provide NCI with the resources necessary to lead the National Cancer Program. 5.NCI’s Bypass Budget proposal for Fiscal Year 2009 recommended a budget of $5.26 billion to maintain research activities at the same level as in FY 2008. It also recommended an additional $768 million to help accelerate progress in cancer research. NCI’s final FY 2009 Bypass Budget proposal was for $6.03 billion. The President’s Budget proposal for FY 2009 recommended $4.81 billion for NCI. 6. (in millions) || 2007 Spending (in millions) || 2008 Spending (in millions) || Lymphoma || 114.1 || 113.0 || 122.6 ||
 * Rationale for Research/ Introduction**
 * Research**
 * Cancer Type || 2006 Spending
 * Lung || $242.9 || $226.9 || $247.6 ||
 * Prostate || 293.2 || 296.1 || 285.4 ||
 * Breast || 584.7 || 572.4 || 572.6 ||
 * Colorectal || 244.1 || 258.4 || 273.7 ||
 * Bladder || 24.4 || 19.8 || 24.1 ||
 * Non-Hodgkin
 * Melanoma || 108.0 || 97.7 || 110.8 ||
 * Kidney || 33.0 || 31.4 || 43.4 ||
 * Leukemia || 223.5 || 205.5 || 216.4 ||
 * Uterine || 19.4 || 16.6 || 17.1 ||

D)//About Us: Our Work//. Susan G. Komen for the Cure, 2009. Web. 30 Sept. 2009. . 1.Komen for the Cure is the world’s largest grassroots network of breast cancer survivors and activists fighting to save lives, empower people, ensure quality care for all and energize science to find the cures. 2. more than $1.2 billion have been invested, becoming the largest source of nonprofit funds dedicated to the fight against breast cancer in the world. 3.nearly 75 percent of women over 40 years old now receive regular mammograms, the single most effective tool for detecting breast cancer early (in 1982, less than 30 percent received a clinical exam). 4.the five-year survival rate for breast cancer, when caught early before it spreads beyond the breast, is now 98 percent (compared to 74 percent in 1982). 5.the federal government now devotes more than $900 million each year to breast cancer research, treatment and prevention (compared to $30 million in 1982). 6. America’s 2.5 million breast cancers survivors, the largest group of cancer survivors in the U.S. E)//How Your Donations Help//. Alex'z Lemonade Stand Foundation, 2009. Web. 30 Sept. 2009. . 1.Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation has funded over 100 research projects at nearly 50 institutions across the country 2.identify the specific challenges they face in bringing new treatments to and caring for children with cancer. Grants distributed are designed to overcome these challenges by filling gaps in funding. F)//Vera Bradley Foundation For Breast Cancer//. Vera Bradley, 2009. Web. 21 Sept. 2009. . 1.ended 2008 fiscal year with a $1.75 million contribution toward our $10 million commitment to the Indiana University Simon Cancer Center. 2.Dr. Linda Malkas, the Vera Bradley Chair in Oncology at the Indiana University School of Medicine in Indianapolis, started the company CS-Keys to translate her biomarker discoveries into a cancer blood test kit that will be available in doctors' offices. 3.Tickled Pink and the Vera Bradley Classic Golf and Tennis Tournament raised $1,072,000. 4.Vera Bradley continues to give 10% of the net proceeds of breast cancer awareness patterns to the Foundation and other breast cancer programs and services. 5.Nearly $8.5 million has been raised since efforts began. two major endowments to the IU School of Medicine to support the Vera Bradley Chair in Oncology and to establish the Vera Bradley Center for Breast Cancer Research. 6.Dr. Linda Malkas, and her team focuses on revolutionary biomarker technology that reveals crucial genetic information. This data could lead to earlier breast cancer diagnosis and more effective treatments and therapies. G)//Sharpie Fine Pink Permenant Marker//. Sharpie, 2009. Web. 21 Sept. 2009. . 1.Sharpie donates to //City of Hope// cancer research center 2.Sharpie will donate ten cents from the sale of each special Pink Ribbon Sharpie marker to City of Hope for breast cancer research, treatment and education. 3.Up to $50,000. Ends Dec. 31st 2008. 4.City of Hope is a government agency that provides grants and paient care for cancer treatment. 5.independent medical and research institution, from being one of the few National Cancer Institue-designated Comprehensive Cancer Centers H) Halpern, Ilisa M. "ONS Raises Voice to Increase Funding for Cancer Research, Application." //ONS News// June 2001: 8. //EBSCO Host//. Web. 12 Oct. 2009. . 1.In 2000, ONS joined a group of atleast 40 other cancer releated companies to petion the NHI,NCI and CDC for more funding for cancer research. 2. OVAC asks for $23.7billion for the NIH, to countiue on the path of doubling the NIH buget by 2003 3. OVAC asks for $5 million for NCI 4.$315 million for five cancer related studies at the CDC 5. in 2002 the senate amended the budget to add $700 million to the fiscal year budget for health targeted at the NIH Based on this research what is your specific stance on this topic? My specific stance on the topic is that the funding from the government is not enough to make the strided in treatment of cancers. With out the funding of foundations treatments would not be be where they are today. What is your intial thesis? Without the countributions from foundations there would not be the advancements in treatments of cancers that there is today. 1) Finding #1: There are mutliple ways for the funding to be split up. a. Supprot: A3, B1-5, C6 2)Finding #2: The Goverenment helps to fund cancer research. a. Support:C2, C5-6, D5, H1-5 3)Finding #3: The money is spread far and wide to different doctors. a. support:B1-5, F2, F5-6 4)Finding #4: Many different companies help to support cancer research. a. support: F1, F3-4, G1-3 5)Finding #5: There are numerous numbers of foundations that provide fundings grants. a. support: A3, B1-5, G4-5 What did you learn from conducting this research? I learned that there is alot of ways that companies found different types of research. I also learned that there are many ways to donate to the cause not just sending checks but buying certain products and participating in different event. What higher-order thinking skills did you employ? I used critical thinking and analysis while doing this paper. The critical thinking and analysis was important in trying to determine what was important information with in the research. What research skills do you still need to improve? I am still having trouble finding scholary sources. Also I need to improve my ability to find sources that are connected but not directly linked with my topic because they sometimes have usefull information. What information did you think you knew before researching that turned out to be either incorrect or imcomplete knowledge of your topic? I thought that the Breast Cancer 3 day had its own foundation tha the money from the walk goes into, that was incorrect most of the money goes to Susan G. Koman for the Cure. So what? How do your findings fit back into the big picture of your project? The money that is raised through different ways includeing fundraisers and the sale of items. That money is then divided into grants for cancer paients families and doctor that are specializing in the cancer research. How will this research help you move forward with your project? My project will involve donating money raised at the Dance Marathon to a foundations. The research will help me to determine what foundation to give the money to and what will happen to the money once it is in the foundations control.
 * Thesis**
 * Findings & Supporting Findings**
 * Process Reflection**
 * Connections to the Overall Project**