Lab Insights

Behind every early detection method, every preventive vaccine, and every life-saving treatment lies years of intensive research conducted in laboratories around the world. At SHRO, our belief is simple but powerful: without research, prevention would not exist.

How Research Has Transformed Prevention

Scientific advances have made it possible to detect cancer earlier and more accurately than ever before:

• The Pap test has cut cervical cancer mortality rates in half since its widespread introduction.
• The discovery of BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes has enabled risk-reducing interventions, including preventive surgeries and personalized screening schedules for those with inherited risk.
• Mammography, low-dose CT scans, and fecal immunochemical tests (FIT) are all the product of years of laboratory trials and technological refinement.

Laboratory research has also led to the development of vaccines that prevent cancer entirely, such as the HPV vaccine, which protects against over 90% of cervical cancer cases.

New Discoveries

A 2023 report from the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) found that in just one year, 17 new cancer therapies and 11 new uses for existing drugs were approved thanks to research-driven clinical trials. Each of these breakthroughs began at the lab bench, with molecular biology, genetics, and biochemistry guiding the way.

Experimental drugs are now targeting previously untreatable forms of cancer. Immunotherapies and checkpoint inhibitors, once considered speculative, are now extending and saving lives.

SHRO’s Contribution

At SHRO, over 90% of our budget is directly invested in research activities. We own and operate laboratories across the United States and Italy, where molecular biologists, geneticists, and clinicians work side by side to:

• Discover new biomarkers for early detection.
• Study environmental carcinogens and their genetic impact.
• Develop less invasive, more effective diagnostic tools.

We believe that true prevention starts at the molecular level, and our work reflects that belief every day. Investing in laboratory research is not just a scientific endeavor, it is a social responsibility. Every donation, every grant, every partnership fuels the discoveries that can stop cancer before it begins.