Research Progress


The research we fund has resulted in new treatments for countless cancer patients and their families.
"Without the support of the T.J. Martell Foundation, the innovative breakthroughs that we all deserve could not have happened. The foundation takes educated risks supporting early-stage research, resulting in a new understanding of cancer, new treatments, and, ultimately, the great promise of saving lives."
Mitchell C. Benson, M.D., Herbert and Florence Irving Professor of Urology at Columbia University Irving Medical Center.


Research That Saves Lives.

  • Neuroblastoma, a deadly form of cancer attacking young children, had a survival rate of less than 20%. For over 25 years, the T.J. Martell Foundation has supported research in this field and now the cure rate is 45%. We continue to fund this effort with the expectation that we will soon have a 100% cure rate.
  • The T.J. Martell Memorial Laboratory at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai continues to explore the role of a virus as a major cause of human breast cancer. Our team has shown that 8% of unselected American women pass the virus in their milk, which offers a plausible explanation for how women acquire it in infancy. Final proof of this concept opens opportunities for prevention and special treatments that could decrease breast cancer by nearly half in the developed world.
  • The T.J. Martell Foundation supported researchers at Columbia-Presbyterian Medical Center isolated the “killer” prostate cancer gene (oncogene). Work has begun on developing targeted therapy to block or turn-off this prostate oncogene.
  • Neuropsycho-oncology investigators funded by the T.J. Martell Foundation at Memorial Sloan Kettering have discovered the gene that predisposes breast cancer patients to develop “chemo brain” and have begun to develop a better understanding of the brain changes that occur and interventions to enhance attention and memory in patients on chemotherapy. Our Psychotherapy researchers have developed novel, effective counseling interventions to reduce fear of recurrence in breast cancer patients, and reduce distress in cancer caregivers.
  • Lung cancer investigators funded by the T.J. Martell Foundation at MD Anderson Cancer Center have discovered for the first time that the immune cell populations in different regions within the same tumors are different, a phenomena termed as immune intra-tumor heterogeneity and the extent of immune intra-tumor heterogeneity is associated with risks of lung cancer recurrence after surgery, therefore, suggested different treatment strategy is needed for different patients.

By supporting the T.J. Martell Foundation, you're not just supporting one foundation; you're also supporting research at nine cancer treatment centers across the country.

  • Children’s Hospital Los Angeles 
  • City of Hope 
  • Columbia University Irving Medical Center - Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center 
  • Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai 
  • Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center 
  • The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center 
  • University of California, San Francisco 
  • Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center 
  • Winship Cancer Institute at Emory University