Your dollars at work

Champion the Cure Challenge is the only event in the northern two-thirds of Maine that funds local cancer research and supports patients’ care and experience fighting cancer. The Challenge benefits individuals and families from all over Maine who turn to Northern Light Cancer Care for treatment, support, and hope.

Bringing more clinical trials to Maine

Supported by Champion the Cure Challenge, child, adolescent, and adult cancer patients are contributing to tomorrow’s cures by participating in clinical trials right here in Maine. Since The Challenge began 13 years ago, close to 1,000 adults and nearly 300 children and adolescents have enrolled in clinical trials that are bringing new treatments, and new hope, to Maine.

Fueling research partnerships

Champion the Cure Challenge supports our partnership with Dana-Farber, which provides patients with faster, easier access to second opinions and facilitates collaboration between our doctors and Dana-Farber doctors.

Reducing the symptoms of cancer treatment

Champion the Cure Challenge recently supported the drive to bring scalp cooling technology to Northern Light Cancer Care. Hair loss is common during chemotherapy, and this new technology helps patients feel more like themselves and reduces their stress and anxiety. Funds cover the equipment lease and offset the cost of silicone caps for each patient, which are not covered by insurance.

Supporting cancer care for children and adolescents

Champion the Cure Challenge funds have recently been used to purchase equipment to test the vision of pediatric patients who are participating in brain tumor clinical trials.

Providing World-Class Radiation Oncology Treatment

If you know someone who has had radiation cancer treatments at Northern Light Cancer Care, you know someone who has benefitted from our linear accelerators. Linear accelerators are the machines used to provide these life-saving radiation treatments. In fact, Northern Light Cancer Care’s linear accelerators provide an average of 18,000 treatments annually and see 915 new patients each year.

As we look to upgrade existing equipment to the latest technology, a portion of this year’s Champion the Cure Challenge proceeds will go toward the purchase of a new linear accelerator that will further aid us in providing world-class cancer care close to home.