CANCER TYPES
The Moon Shots Program has a focus - several specific cancers that we're tackling first. Once we've conquered those, we'll keep moving forward.
We're starting here
The lessons we learn along the way will help strengthen the Moon Shots Program®. As we work to end these cancers we'll better understand how to end all cancer. And then we'll do it.
B-cell Lymphoma
Lymphoma is the most common form of hematological malignancy, or blood cancer, in the developed world. The two main types of lymphoma are Hodgkin Lymphoma and Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma. About 85% of Non-Hodgkin Lymphomas form from B-cells, which are an important part of the body’s immune system.
Learn more about how MD Anderson’s experts are treating Non-Hodgkin Lymphomas.
B-CELL LYMPHOMA MOON SHOT
Colorectal
Colonoscopy technology has made early detection and treatment possible and has saved many lives. But this screening test is invasive, unpleasant and expensive and does not always find the less common types of colon cancer. Through the Colorectal Cancer Moon Shot®, MD Anderson scientists are focused on developing a blood test that will spot the earliest signs of the disease. So far they have identified two promising markers in the bloodstream that warn about precancerous changes in the colon. They are working to identify others.
Colorectal Cancer Moon Shot
Glioblastoma
Current treatments for glioblastoma and other brain and central nervous system tumors are low in number and short on effectiveness. The Glioblastoma Moon Shot® aims to quadruple the five-year survival rate through investigation of existing and experimental immunotherapeutic drugs and customized immune cells designed to attack specific targets within tumors. Other projects include further clinical development of an engineered, cancer-killing virus invented at MD Anderson, identification of new targeted therapies and exploration of how such advances could be combined with immunotherapy.
GLIOBLASTOMA MOON SHOT
HPV-Related Cancers
HPV is a group of more than 150 related viruses. The lifetime risk of acquiring an HPV infection is 75–80%. While certain forms of the virus cause common skin warts (papillomas), others can lead to cancer. Each year hundreds of thousands of men and women around the globe are diagnosed with HPV-related cancers, and in many areas more than half of those patients will die.
HPV-Related Cancers Moon ShotLeukemia - CLL
CLL develops slowly, creating defective white blood cells that can’t produce antibodies against infection. The average age of patients at diagnosis is 72. As more people age, more will develop CLL.
We’re leading the attack against CLL by using new, targeted therapies to combat relapsed or resistant disease. We’re launching innovative combination clinical trials and applying immunotherapy to find and kill cells that survive initial treatment.
LEUKEMIA - CLL MOON SHOTLeukemia - MDS & AML
MDS and AML are among the most tragic leukemias in terms of prognosis. There’s no cure for MDS, and AML has a cure rate of less than 30%. But MD Anderson physicians and scientists give patients hope.
LEUKEMIA - MDS & AML MOON SHOTLung
The Lung Cancer Moon Shot® is developing new integrated approaches to change the way we prevent, detect and treat lung cancer. The lung cancer prevention project is focused on developing new approaches to prevent youth smoking and to enhance adult smoking cessation strategies through novel, personalized clinical trials. The early detection project is working to identify predictive blood-based biomarkers to detect lung cancer at an early stage when it is most curable. The GEMINI project is aimed at changing the paradigm for treating lung cancer by performing molecular profiling on lung cancer patients and then using the information to personalize treatments and develop new targeted / immunotherapy regimens.
LUNG CANCER MOON SHOT
Melanoma
MD Anderson is home to one of the largest melanoma and skin cancer clinics in the world. This has led to a nearly unrivaled level of expertise. Learn more about how MD Anderson’s Melanoma Moon Shot® is Making Cancer History®.
MELANOMA MOON SHOT
Multiple Myeloma
Multiple myeloma is the second most common blood cancer, with 27,000 new diagnoses in the U.S. annually. Prevalence is steadily increasing. The disease is caused by rogue plasma cells that accumulate in the bone marrow and interfere with the normal production of other blood cells. Symptoms include bone lesions, anemia and kidney failure.
MD Anderson’s High-Risk Multiple Myeloma Moon Shot® is consolidating resources across MD Anderson and aiming to delay and ultimately prevent progression of the disease, especially for high-risk patients who have had few answers until now.
MULTIPLE MYELOMA MOON SHOT
Ovarian
High-grade serous ovarian cancer (HGSOC) is an aggressive subtype which causes nearly 90% of ovarian cancer deaths.
MD Anderson works every day to advance leading-edge care and research aimed at saving more lives.
OVARIAN MOON SHOTPancreatic
From ultrasensitive detection technologies to catch this cancer early, to new treatment, including immunotherapy, the efforts of the Pancreatic Cancer Moon Shot® bring hope for those diagnosed with this deadly type of cancer.
Pancreatic cancer is the most deadly cancer, taking the majority of lives it impacts. The five-year survival rate is a dismal 5%, and advances remain stagnated. But there is hope. MD Anderson leaders in pancreatic cancer have designed a framework for the exciting Pancreatic Cancer Moon Shot that they expect will significantly improve survival within the next 10 years.
PANCREATIC CANCER MOON SHOT
Prostate
Researchers at MD Anderson are working hard to develop a deeper understanding of the biology of prostate cancer and a new array of therapies that can control the disease and preserve patients’ quality of life.
PROSTATE MOON SHOT