Four years ago, patient Mary Gooze learned that her breast cancer had spread to her bones. Undeterred, the 67-year-old retired teacher from the village of Oregon started an effort named One Woman Many Lakes, swimming more than 50 miles in 38 lakes, rivers, bays and oceans to raise awareness and funding for oncology institutions including the UW Carbone Cancer Center. 

She has raised more than $700,000. 

Joshua Lang, MD, MS (pictured at upper right), assistant professor, Hematology, Medical Oncology and Palliative Care, is among researchers supported by the funding to investigate the use of blood sample assays as liquid biopsies to understand why metastatic breast cancers become resistant to therapies. The seed money "allows us to get that data we need to help us get that next (federal) grant," said Dr. Lang.

Kari Wisinski, MD, associate professor (CHS), Hematology, Medical Oncology and Palliative Care, described other research enabled by this effort. "We are working together to find projects that we think will improve outcomes for people with metastatic breast cancer, and that can be anything from research in the laboratory...to helping support clinical trials in which we are testing new drugs in people to see whether they benefit," said Dr. Wisinski. 

Resources:

• "Metastatic breast cancer patient swims, raises money for UW research," Wisconsin State Journal, June 19, 2018
• "Area woman works to educate, raise money for cancer research," WKOW, July 24, 2018

Photo (top): Lake Mendota and Picnic Point on the University of Wisconsin-Madison campus are pictured in a sunset aerial view during autumn on Oct. 13, 2016. The photograph was made from a helicopter looking west. Photo credit: Jeff Miller/UW-Madison