The Fifth District AHEPA Family Cancer Research Foundation awarded $55,500 to three cancer research institutions during its 38th annual Evening of Celebration on Saturday, November 7, at Pines Manor in Edison, New Jersey.
Fox Chase Cancer Center in Philadelphia, Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, and Weill Medical College of Cornell University/Children’s Blood Foundation each received $18,500.
The foundation has previously supported research led by Dr. Edna Cukierman at Fox Chase, whose team is investigating ways to prevent pancreatic cancer by targeting the tissue surrounding developing tumors. In an April 2026 progress report, Cukierman reported approximately a 40 percent reduction in high-grade precancerous lesions in mice treated with experimental antibodies. The findings remain preliminary and have not been demonstrated in humans.
At Rutgers, Dr. Coral Omene is studying how obesity and GLP-1 weight-loss medications may relate to treatment outcomes in early-stage triple-negative breast cancer. Her 2026 research update describes a study involving approximately 770 patients, examining treatment response, recurrence and survival. The investigation has not established that GLP-1 medications improve cancer treatment.
Dr. David C. Lyden, of Weill Cornell Medicine, studies how tumors release particles that prepare distant organs for the spread of cancer. In research published in August 2026, his team identified a protein that makes blood vessels in the lungs more permeable, potentially helping cancer cells spread. The experimental study acknowledged support from the AHEPA foundation.
The gala also included a Chairman’s Tribute to Tom Sulich, recognizing his years of leadership and service. Ahead of the event, Delaware Valley Purchasing Group contributed $10,000, described by Sammy J. Thomas as the largest single donation in the foundation’s history.
Established in 1988 by the Fifth District Order of AHEPA, with the Daughters of Penelope joining shortly afterward, the volunteer-run foundation awarded its first research grant in 1990: $5,000 to Fox Chase Cancer Center.
According to the foundation, it has awarded approximately $1.5 million toward cancer research since its founding.