Fondation A.R.CA.D. was founded in France in 2006 by Pr Aimery de Gramont and granted the legal status of “publicly recognized foundation” by the French government in December of the same year. While there are a number of major organizations in France similar to the Foundation in the advocacy of cancer research, A.R.CA.D. stands out as the one organization that deals specifically with digestive cancers. With digestive cancers accounting for 25% of all deaths from cancer, A.R.CA.D.’s founders push for digestive cancers to be given their proper recognition among cancer research.
Upon its founding in 2006, Fondation A.R.CA.D. stands by three major goals:
- To make the general public and health workers sensitive to the need for prevention and early screening of digestive cancers.
- To promote improvement of patient care and clinical research in the area of digestive cancers.
- To provide better information and support to patients suffering from digestive cancers.
They work to accomplish these goals by eliciting discussion between medical specialists, coordinating action programs associating both public and private partners active in the area of digestive cancer research, conducting informational campaigns for the general public, and supporting large-scale screening for digestive cancers — all to help spread awareness and allow for more options in the area of digestive cancers.
Their founder, Pr Aimery de Gramont, says, “One of my objectives in creating this foundation is to reduce the fear of the unknown and to explain that, despite some degree of uncertainty associated with any research, participating in a clinical trial does not mean being used as a guinea-pig. Substantial progress is being made in therapy but the most promising drugs are often only available under research protocols.”
To read more about Fondation A.R.CA.D. on their English website, click here.
To read more about Fondation A.R.CA.D. on their French website, click here.
