HERSHEY, Pa. — The PA Breast Cancer Coalition (PBCC) has awarded Dr. David Waning of Penn State Cancer Institute $50,000 to advance his studies of metastatic breast cancer treatment. Waning’s research focuses on new treatments by studying the effect cancer therapies have on bone mass and muscle mass and working to preserve and improve them.
“The PA Breast Cancer Coalition funding provides a tremendous opportunity for high risk/high reward research,” said Waning. “Our project is aimed at understanding the systematic effects of breast cancer bone metastases and chemotherapy. This support provides important seed funding to begin critical proof-of-principle experiments that are aimed at improving mobility and functional status, quality of life and survival in advanced cancer patients.”
To date, the PA Breast Cancer Coalition has awarded over $4 million in grants to researchers in Pennsylvania through its Refunds for Breast Cancer Research campaign, and Penn State Cancer Institute has received more than any other institution. Pennsylvania residents have the opportunity to donate all or part of their state income tax refund directly to the Refunds for Breast Cancer Research campaign on their PA-40 tax form.
“The PA Breast Cancer Coalition is proud to support cancer researchers as they work to find better treatments for breast cancer,” said Pat Halpin-Murphy, PBCC president and founder. “We are thrilled to announce that with this grant we have now awarded over $1 million to Penn State cancer researchers. Thanks to the contributions from our wonderful grassroots partners, who do fundraising events for us, these grants are possible — it’s because of them that we can give these exceptional researchers the funds they need to find breakthrough treatments and test novel theories.”