AACR Volunteers and Ambassadors

AACR Scientist↔Survivor Program^® Alumna Brings Hope to Survivors

When her father, Shigeo Tsuruoka, was diagnosed with stomach cancer in late 2013 and given six months to live, Aki Smith made a commitment: If her father got better, she would pay it forward. She was a fearless companion for her father—advocating for the right information after a misdiagnosis, never missing an appointment, getting him to a National Cancer Institute-designated cancer center for treatment, and enacting a wellness plan after an innovative surgery. Today, he is considered clinically cured.

In January 2016, Smith founded the nonprofit organization Hope for Stomach Cancer to promote stomach cancer awareness and give caregivers the tools they need. A vital stepping stone in helping her build the nonprofit came when she attended the AACR Annual Meeting 2017 as part of the American Association for Cancer Research^® (AACR) Scientist↔Survivor Program^®. The highly intensive program brings together cancer scientists, survivors, and patient advocates so they can learn from each other. There, she presented a poster on Hope for Stomach Cancer, which at that point was already serving 30,000 people. 

The organization has evolved to offer a range of services beyond an informational website. Among its ever-expanding offerings are Hope in a Bag, a free set of patient resource materials; a Hope Patient Empowerment Summit; a 1,300-member Facebook group; a library of YouTube videos providing guidance and stories of hope; the educational website StomachCancerBiomarkers.org; and support groups. Surgeons, oncologists, and other health care providers volunteer to participate in support groups alongside patients to help break down barriers. 

In 2018, Smith and her father were featured in Cancer Today, a magazine for patients, survivors, and caregivers published by the AACR. In 2020, she joined Stand Up To Cancer (SU2C) as the patient advocate on its gastric cancer interception research team. The AACR is SU2C’s Scientific Partner.

Smith then served as the patient advocate on the program committee for the 2023 AACR Conference on The Science of Cancer Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved and gave the conference’s keynote address, discussing the disparities her father encountered in his treatment. At the AACR Annual Meeting 2024 in April, she hosted a booth in the Advocacy Partners Pavilion and spoke during Cancer Research Night with the San Diego Padres. 

Police Officer and Cancer Survivor Runs for K-9 Companions

Delaware Capitol Police Officer Michael Murphy has been tested many times since his initial cancer diagnosis and many times before that. His relentless persistence and deep compassion have inspired many since he joined the American Association for Cancer Research^® (AACR) Runners for Research program.

An avid runner, Murphy was training for a half-marathon in early 2021 when routine blood tests and a biopsy revealed he had prostate cancer. By the time he had his prostate removed in October 2021, he found a lump on his neck. A January 2022 biopsy confirmed that he had two types of thyroid cancer, and the next month, he underwent surgery to remove half of his thyroid. His running shoes sat untouched for months, but Murphy aimed to run again.

Just over one year after his initial surgery, Murphy ran the Dietz & Watson Philadelphia Half Marathon in November 2022. Back in full swing, in April 2023, he and his wife, Joanne, braved a torrential downpour to run in Philadelphia’s iconic Independence Blue Cross Broad Street Run. At the finish line of the 10-mile race, Murphy had a fateful meeting at the AACR Runners for Research booth. Offered an opportunity to join the team and represent the cause, the Murphys have been vocal AACR supporters ever since.

Murphy recruited friends and family to join the AACR Runners for Research team. On Facebook, he shared a candid photo taken right after his prostate cancer surgery and before his thyroid cancer diagnosis. “I consider myself lucky; the cancers were caught early, and surgery was successful without the need of chemotherapy or radiation,” Murphy wrote. His story was shared via email by the AACR Philadelphia Marathon to tens of thousands. 

Murphy was previously a dog handler for the Delaware River and Bay Authority, and before his own experiences with cancer, he witnessed two of his canine partners die from cancer. The first dog was diagnosed with inoperable bone cancer at 5 years old. “I watched that horrible disease turn an amazing working dog into a shadow of what he was capable of,” Murphy said. His next canine partner died from kidney cancer at only 4 years old. “They are family, too,” he says. “I just hope that research helps find a cure that can help everyone.”

Joining AACR Runners for Research became a way for Murphy to honor everyone affected by cancer. Donations came in from friends, family, and coworkers with messages of hope and encouragement. For their fundraising efforts, Michael and Joanne Murphy received entries to the 2024 Broad Street Run. Running in the rain again, they were part of a record-breaking team of 125 AACR Runners for Research. The AACR is grateful for their efforts.