Outreach – FCRE

FCRE was founded in 2002 by Charles E. "Snuffy" Myers, MD, a noted prostate cancer physician, scientist, and author, and Rose Sgarlat Myers, PT, PhD. Dr. Snuffy Myers began to focus on prostate cancer in 1989 after spending many years developing agents for cancer and HIV treatments at NIH. His research and clinical practice prompted him to develop novel ways of treating patients. In 1999, Dr. Myers was diagnosed with prostate cancer himself; this experience has directly affected how he treats patients and how he views prostate cancer education. Both Snuffy and Rose's professional and personal experiences led to a renewed commitment to serving people with cancer in a way that serves both the patient’s overall health and emotional well-being. The FCRE represents the focused culmination of these experiences from both sides of the examination table and seeks to deliver the latest information, research, and, most importantly, hope to patients and professionals worldwide.

FCRE believes its not-for-profit goals are best served through focused efforts that advance its core message of maximizing patient care with pioneering education and research protocols. Its research efforts focus on improving survival and quality of life for prostate cancer patients through its cutting edge clinical trials. In 2008 FCRE began its first clinical trial to test the impact and efficacy of vitamin D on prostate cancer treatment—this landmark study is to demonstrate that we can control some slow growing prostate cancers simply by reversing a vitamin D deficiency. With several studies to follow, FCRE wants to be the first not-for-profit organization to create an overall strategy for approaching prostate cancer treatment with the least amount of side effects possible.

FCRE's educational goals are to acquaint the general public, cancer patients, and health care professionals with recent advances in cancer prevention, diagnosis, and treatment. FCRE is also dedicated to promoting a synergistic approach to prostate cancer treatment. This involves combining all available tools to prolong survival and quality of life for men with low, mid and high risk prostate cancers, whether that means undergoing second line hormonal therapy or chemotherapy or making simple lifestyle changes like eating a Mediterranean diet or taking Vitamin D supplements. FCRE believes that a comprehensive cancer treatment program also involves evaluating and treating cardiovascular disease, obesity, diabetes, or any other disease that affects overall health.

The FCRE partners with other organizations to host and participate in educational conferences, distributes educational materials worldwide, and is developing cutting edge clinical trials with an ultimate goal of helping decrease prostate cancer death rates in this generation and beyond. With large foundations taking on numerous projects and programs that can often dilute its original intentions, we believe that the purpose of our smaller, streamlined organization is to keep our eyes focused on the prize.