Cancer Commons is a nonprofit that provides hope to advanced cancer patients by helping them identify and access their best possible treatment. We offer a highly customized experience, connecting patients with our collaborative network of nurse navigators, PhD scientists, and national experts. We learn from every patient we serve, so we can help many more.

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1-on-1 support, free of charge, to find the best treatment for your advanced cancer.

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Cancer Commons

It Started Back in 1998…

“In 1998, I was diagnosed with metastatic melanoma, a disease with a dire prognosis. Leading oncologists’ recommendations varied widely, so I set forth on a desperate quest for the treatment that would work best for me. Ultimately, an experimental treatment saved my life.” —Marty Tenenbaum, PhD, founder of Cancer Commons

While that treatment ultimately failed clinical testing, Marty was among the fortunate few who responded and survived. But that only raised more questions: Why did it work for him and not for others? Could his experience help similar patients find their best-possible treatments?

Known for his work in technology development and artificial intelligence, Marty saw that countless other patients could benefit from a better way to capture and share the world’s collective cancer knowledge. So, he created Cancer Commons—a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that provides personalized treatment option reports to metastatic cancer patients, while learning from every patient to help others urgently seeking answers.
Get Access to the Best Treatment for You

When you have advanced or metastatic cancer, navigating the healthcare system is often overwhelming. You may wonder whether you’re on the right path, and if your best option may lie beyond standard treatments. Cancer Commons can help you identify personalized treatment options. We help you:

Discover clinical trials that provide access to the latest treatments

Identify and access promising off-label treatments

Find and access treatments that are available only through expanded-access or compassionate-use programs

Access molecular diagnostic testing to guide treatment

Stay on top of the latest developments in cancer research

We’ll do everything we can to facilitate access to the right treatment for you or your loved one. And we’ll apply what we learn from you to help future patients identify and access their own best options.

Our virtual, distributed approach enables us to reach anyone with internet access, so we can help patients of diverse backgrounds find cutting-edge treatments close to home.

Personal Tumor Boards

If your situation is particularly challenging, we will present it to national expertsand possibly assemble a virtual tumor board—a select group of oncologists, researchers, and other professionals dedicated to collectively reasoning around your specific case.

You will receive a report of their conclusions on your best-possible treatment plan, as well as the reasoning behind it, which you can use to inform your treatment decisions.

Perpetual Clinical Trial

We also invite you to enroll in XCELSIOR, a “perpetual clinical trial" we're running in partnership with xCures. This perpetual trial, which is open to patients receiving care in the U.S., allows us to learn from each patient in order to help similar patients—and eventually, all future patients.

XCELSIOR is a powerful new approach to learn from people with advanced cancer who receive novel treatments, such as drugs originally developed for other conditions (“off-label” drugs) or new combinations of existing drugs. Typically, the results of these individualized, “N-of-1” experiments are uncoordinated, and little is learned, or it is learned very slowly. XCELSIOR shifts the clinical trials paradigm from approving drugs to curing patients—truly putting patients first.

Cancer Commons

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