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

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.

  • This free-of-charge, high-quality information service is a wonderful resource for patients with advanced cancer.

    Hope S. Rugo, MD
    UCSF Comprehensive Cancer Center

  • My experience with Cancer Commons has been fantastic! Their support and advice have been extremely helpful. I will always be very greatful to the Cancer Commons team. They took the time to contact me by phone to learn more about my diagnosis so they could study my case and recommend options to consider. Thanks so much to all the people involved.

    Michael Goold
    Grade 4 glioblastoma patient

  • It has been extremely gratifying to see how Cancer Commons has brought clarity and greater access to this expertise through its convening and curation.

    Keith Flaherty, MD
    Cancer Commons Advisor

  • Cancer Commons helped give me peace of mind with my treatment decision. Chief scientist Emma Shtivelman’s expert, science-based opinion made such logical sense, and it also felt right in my soul.

    Ellen
    Breast cancer patient

  • Emma has been so helpful and kind to my wife.

    Husband of 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.