Castaways Against Cancer Announces Five-Year Commitment to Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center

On February 4, World Cancer Day, the non-profit group Castaways Against Cancer announced at their annual kickoff celebration a new, five-year partnership with Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, a part of UHealth – the University of Miami Health System, to raise $1.5 million.

“Never, ever underestimate the power of hope,” said Steve O’Brien, founder of Castaways Against Cancer. “To the one out of three people who will have a cancer event in their lifetime, you are not alone. We will be with you, and we will be victorious. Because nothing can defeat hope.”

Castaways Against Cancer began in 2000 with a small group of kayakers paddling a yearly journey from Miami to Key West in honor of O’Brien’s mother who passed away from cancer. The group has since grown into a formidable fundraising organization that has raised $1.5 million since its inception.

The Castaways joined efforts with Sylvester three years ago and have since had an impact of $300,000 in research dollars, which has gone to support research into pediatric brain tumors and liquid tumors, and novel approaches to cancer screenings.

Funding Cutting-Edge Therapies

The funds from last year’s expedition have helped Sylvester physician-scientist, Jonathan Schatz, M.D., with his research on cellular immune therapies to better use a patient’s own cells to attack and treat deadly blood cancers.

“Being a cancer researcher requires hard work, dedication, and persistence, not unlike kayaking from Key Biscayne to Key West,” said Dr. Schatz, who is a member of the cancer center and an assistant professor of medicine in the Division of Hematology at the Miller School of Medicine. “The support from the Castaways organization is tremendously appreciated, and together we will continue to make progress towards curing cancer in our community.”

In addition to developing cutting-edge therapies to improve the lives of patients affected by cancer, Sylvester’s aim is to stop cancer before it starts. That is the focus of work of hematologist/oncologist Namrata S. Chandhok’s, M.D., which was also funded by the Castaways’ 2020 Blackjack Tour.

As a physician and assistant professor of medicine in the Division of Hematology at the Miller school, Dr. Chandhok is passionate about early cancer detection. She is using the funds to establish a clonal hematopoiesis of indeterminate potential (CHIP) clinic, which she believes will transform the way we treat patients moving forward.

Dr. Chandhok explained that increasing age, certain exposures and common illnesses can lead to genetic mutations in the stem cells that produce blood. These mutations can lead to the development of abnormal blood cell populations known as “clonal hematopoiesis,” which have been linked to serious health problems, like heart disease and the development of blood cancers, such as myelodysplastic syndrome and acute myeloid leukemia.

“The Castaways’ generous contribution will help us establish a clinic to screen patients at high risk for these abnormal blood cell populations, employ known risk reduction strategies to prevent life threatening illness in these patients, and develop new cancer prevention strategies,” Dr. Chandhok said. “It will help us save more lives for many years to come.”

The pledge from the Castaways is part of the University’s Ever Brighter: The Campaign for Our Next Century. The most ambitious in the University’s history, the $2.5 billion campaign is set to conclude in 2025, when the University will celebrate its centennial.

The Carry On Tour

This year’s event will kick off on Saturday, June 11, as the group of kayakers embark on a 160-mile, seven-day journey. A week later, on Friday, June 17, a group of cyclists will travel 170 miles to Key West in one day to meet the kayakers for a celebration at the finish line. Each year, the passage stays the same, but the tour gets a new name. This year’s journey has been dubbed the Carry On Tour.

“The theme of Carry On, was inspired by a Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young song and represents the fact that when you get a diagnosis you have to carry on,” said Eric Pino, captain of Castaways Against Cancer and a teacher at Christopher Columbus High School, where the organization was founded. “You have to keep fighting. It takes all of your supporters carrying on with you. You wake up continue to fight and keep moving forward.”

Sylvester is the only National Cancer Institute (NCI)-designated cancer center in south Florida, thanks in large part to community support.

“We at Sylvester are incredibly grateful for our partnership with Castaways Against Cancer,” said Stephen D. Nimer, M.D., director of Sylvester, the Oscar de la Renta Endowed Chair in Cancer Research, executive dean for research and professor of medicine, biochemistry and molecular biology at the Miller School. “Your hard work and dedication helps support our mission to save lives, and find new cures and better treatment options for our patients. Resources raised directly support pioneering cancer research and lifesaving clinical trials.”

For more on the Castaways Against Cancer, visit https://castawaysagainstcancer.org/.

Tags: Castaways Against Cancer, Dr. Jonathan Schatz, Dr. Stephen Nimer, fundraising, Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center