In 1998, I was diagnosed with metastatic melanoma and given months to live. I consulted more than a dozen leading oncologists and got conflicting recommendations. No one could tell me: ‘Which treatment is best for me?’

A clinical trial saved my life—despite itself being unsuccessful—only raising more questions. Why did this therapy work for me but not for others? Could my experience help similar patients? It was life-saving knowledge I wanted to share with all cancer patients.

Welcome to Cancer Commons.

Marty Tenenbaum, PhD Founder of Cancer Commons

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Our Services

We provide patients and their care teams with the actionable information and data they need to make informed decisions. We help identify and access individualized regimen of therapies that specifically target the molecular drivers of their disease and refer patients to a myriad of precision oncology services to help them navigate the cancer maze and minimize trial and error.

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Always Learning

What makes Cancer Commons unique is our continuous learning health system.

As we help patients identify and access novel tests, treatments, and trials, we learn continuously from every patient's experience—and share that knowledge with the world.

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Support Us

We've been helping cancer patients for more than a decade—and our services are free, supported by generous donations/philanthropy.

Please help us continue our work serving patients and changing the field of oncology with tax-deductible donation in any amount, and learn about other ways to support our mission.

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Since our founding in 2011, we have delivered personalized, evidence-based guidance at no charge to more than 10,000 patients and caregivers, supported entirely by philanthropy.

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  • I learned more about my trial options from Emma in a week than I did in 3 years of previous care. Every metastatic patient should know about Cancer Commons. And I love how they use the data to speed up the N-of-1 success stories.

    Michelle Kendall
    Cancer Patient

  • My contact was prompt, professional, and kind. Cancer Commons helped me review my options going forward.

    Cancer patient

  • Emma Shtivelman is the best—bar none.

    Linda King-Byrnes

  • I am grateful for the concise and accurate summary of my treatment options. I have been waiting 3 years for this. Your goal to close the gap between metastatic trials and patients holds great promise to speed up success.

    Michelle Kendall
    Cancer patient

  • Cancer Commons is extremely engaged and proactive. Its professionals have directed us towards interesting avenues to explore in our search for additional treatment options.

    Mark Bezner
    Husband of stage IV ovarian cancer patient

Cancer Commons is staffed by accomplished researchers with PhDs in the molecular biology and pharmacology of cancer and in Artificial Intelligence. They have joined the Commons to apply their knowledge and expertise to help patients research their options in real time using the latest tools of precision oncology.

Meet the Team
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