THANC FOUNDATION INC
10 UNION SQUARE EAST, NEW YORK, NY 10003 www.thancfoundation.org

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Organizations Filed Purposes: THANC FOUNDATION IS COMMITTED TO THE RESEARCH AND EDUCATION IN EARLY DETECTION AND TREATMENT OF THYROID, HEAD AND NECK CANCER AND TO ADVANCE NEW THERAPEUTIC APPROACHES, AND TO ALLEVIATE THE SUFFERING AND IMPAIRMENT OF PATIENTS WHO UNDERGO TREATMENT.

SUPPORT RESEARCH AND EDUCATION IN EARLY DETECTION AND TREATMENT OF THYROID, HEAD AND NECK CANCER.

The THANC Foundation carries out research related to head and neck and thyroid cancer; provides education for both the physicians who treat these patients as well as patients and their caregivers, and also provides patient support materials via online resources. The various programs which the organization focused on in 2019 are the Thyroid Care Collaborative, the THANC (Thyroid, Head and Neck Cancer) Guide (renamed from prior designation as the HNCG - Head and Neck Cancer Guide), and a mentoring and clinical research initiative led by a team of Research Associates under the direction of Medical Advisor Dr. Mark Urken. Additionally, the foundation is a member of the HNRN (Head and Neck Research Network), a multi institutional collaborative focused on head and neck cancer research. The research conducted within the various programs of the THANC Foundation is designed to collaborate with other large treatment centers in order to pool patient data which will result in studies with statistical significance. It is the foundation's goal to acquire critical information regarding the effect of cancer therapies so treatments can be tailored to improve outcomes for patients to enhance quality of life. Since 2009 nearly 2150 functional assessments of voice, speech, tongue function, swallowing and quality of life have been conducted. Patients are seen pre and post treatment and participants have typically undergone radiation or chemoradiation and/or surgery. Seventy-two people were enrolled in THANC research studies in 2019. A complete list of research studies for 2019 is listed below:2019 THANC Foundation Studies: 1.Functional outcomes and quality of life following head and neck cancer treatment2. Voice outcomes in laryngectomy patients primary pharyngeal closure versus anterior tissue patch repair3. Functional Outcomes in Patients undergoing Microvascular Reconstruction for Osteoradionecrosis of the Mandible A Prospective Study 4.Functional Outcomes after Pharyngo-Esophageal (PE) Reconstructive Reconstruction A Prospective Study5. Functional Outcomes and QOL following Transoral Robotic Surgery (TORS) for Head and Neck Cancer Treatment6. Intraoperative frozen section and papillary thyroid cancer management7. Sensation Restoration in the Lower Lip Post-Mandibulectomy8. Effects of Thyroid Transfer to Reduce Hypothyroidism Post-Radiotherapy in Head and Neck Cancer Patients9. The Predictive Value Of Tumor Pattern Of Invasion For Intra-Oral Carcinoma (WPOI-5)10. Psychological Adjustment to Initial Treatment for Low-risk Thyroid Cancer11. Determining the role of a prophylactic coronoidectomy to prevent post-radiation trismusIn addition to the foundation's research initiatives - the areas of programming that the foundation has focused on for the past 8 years include the development of the TCC (Thyroid Care Collaborative). The TCC is a tool to record and monitor individual patient records. Through a variety of unique features, it enhances the quality of thyroid care that can be offered to individuals. The TCC's vision has been to advance the quality of care of thyroid nodules and thyroid cancer to its highest level through the development of an internet based system for reporting and accumulating information about each patient in a HIPAA compliant manner. The goal is to provide the most comprehensive and personalized treatment to patients over the course of their lifetime. The THANC Foundation has also developed a comprehensive website to help head and neck cancer patients and their caregivers and family members to deal with the early stages following the diagnosis of head and neck cancer as well as thyroid cancer. This initial diagnosis period is typically fraught with tremendous anxiety and uncertainty. The website is in the process of being updated and revamped and expanded to include extensive content on the thyroid cancer journey in addition to simplifying and updating the language of the head and neck cancer content. The website currently contains over 2000 pages of expert written content in laymans terms. Information is provided related to treatment, side effects and after care. It also provides suggestions for how to manage the emotional and psychological aspects of a cancer diagnosis and treatment. This revamp and re-design will continue into 2020. This website has been historically used by over 50,000 visitors per month worldwide. It also contains videos of patients sharing their stories. This gives a keen awareness of the upheaval these diseases have on the family unit and provides much needed support so patients realize they are not alone - and that others before them have successfully navigated this difficult journey. The website also includes information for children and teens, with stories and games to reach this younger audience. THANC also offers head and neck and oral cancer screenings one time per year in the month of April for oral cancer awareness month. This screening typically sees between 50--100 individuals and refers them for additional care if a concern is noted. Awareness campaigns are held twice per year in which 30 stories are shared in the 30 days of April (oral/head and neck cancer) and September (thyroid cancer) for the designated awareness months. These stories are shared on social media and bring new users to find our resources. Finally, the education portion of our mission serves to train one head and neck oncologic and reconstructive head and neck and thyroid cancer surgeon each year and a myriad of observers from the US and abroad who observe surgery and our multidisciplinary approach to patient care from one day to one year in duration. The team of Research Associates employed by the foundation are instrumental in carrying out the programmatic initiatives THANC accomplishes each year while also providing invaluable education to these recent college graduates prior to their application to and acceptance to medical school.

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