Our Mission
The Rare Cancer Research Foundation is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization dedicated to curing rare cancers through strategic investments and innovative collaborations that facilitate effective research and accelerate deployment of promising therapies.
We’re Building the Infrastructure to Save Lives
Together with our 300+ patient advocacy and research partners, we are building the ecosystem that will lead to cures for rare cancers. Researchers have limited access to rare cancer samples while patients struggle to find information for the treatments they need. RCRF's indication-agnostic approach allows us to build scale and efficiencies across cancer communities and act as a force multiplier in the search for cures.
We Are Fiercely Patient Centric
The Rare Cancer Research Foundation (RCRF) has helped patients donate their tissue directly to researchers from over 115 hospitals, resulting in 58+ research models for rare cancers that have already provided countless research opportunities, scientific discoveries, and urgent hope. Whether we are supporting infrastructure for the benefit of every rare cancer patient, or ensuring a single patient gets access to a life-saving treatment, RCRF is fiercely patient-centric.
Meet Mark Laabs, RCRF Founder, and Chairman
From the experience of a pioneering rare cancer patient, Mark Laabs, the Rare Cancer Research Foundation has grown into an interdisciplinary team of experts from across the field of oncology, who refuse to accept the status quo and are building a future where rare cancers have proven treatment options and cures.