The John Estrella Foundation for Cancer Research honors John “Ace” Estrella of Beverly, Mass. He bravely fought for his country in Vietnam and later displayed similar heroism in his battle against cancer. Diagnosed with renal cell carcinoma (kidney cancer) in 1998, John succumbed to his cancer in 2004, at 57. But throughout his six-year ordeal, he remained optimistic about the potential of research to help him and others and willingly took part in clinical trials.
The foundation continues John’s positive and courageous battle. Funds from its annual John “Ace” Estrella Golf Tournament (organized by the golf committee pictured above) provide yearly research grants that have helped to expand a kidney tumor registry. Now extended to several major Boston hospitals, the registry contains tumor samples from 1,500 patients who had kidneys removed during treatment for kidney cancer. Researchers have identified a number of tumor markers, and studies are now underway to determine their potential to monitor response and resistance to therapies.
Faithful to John’s spirit, his family, friends and neighbors are providing new hope to patients with cancer through research.
