In order to come up with viable treatment options for Acinic Cell Carcinoma,
there must be more research done, focusing specifically on this cancer.
We at the Acinic Cell Information Center are not aware of any ACC-specific
studies being undertaken at this time (7/5/2002). This is likely for the
most part due to the rarity of the cancer. By and large, more “popular”
cancers get more funding, and therefore more research. We hope to be able
to help change this reality a bit, in the future.
For now, we have listed any current research that we know about on our
“Current Research” page (see link below). That page also includes
information on Salivary Gland Cancer Research that may be applicable,
and any “other” potentially applicable research for acinic
cellcarcinoma patients. When we say “potentially applicable”,
we have tried to restrict our selections to areas that we have some reason
to believe might be specifically applicable (as opposed to any new cancer
research that might hold promise in the future).
Obviously we actively encourage any new research on acinic cell carcinoma.
And we want to help promote such ventures . If YOU are a researcher
or a physician, and want to pursue studies in this area, please
email us, and we will try and
help out in any way we can. We are hopeful that some of the databases
we have been creating here will help, as well as our gathering and disseminating
of information on the cancer. In the future we also plan to organize ways
of generating funding for this highly needed research.
ALSO: If anyone who comes to this website is interested in funding
any research on this rare and unusual cancer, please let us know. We will
strive to connect you with reputable institutions to perform this kind
of work, even if we have not set up the logistics ourselves. In the future
we hope to be able to collect donations on this website.
At the moment we are not set up for that. But if you are interested in
a possible future donation, please let us know by email.
Although there are no current research studies, there is some VERY
GOOD NEWS as of late 2001/early 2002. The Wake Forest University
Comprehensive Cancer Center has received private funding to establish
a TISSUE BANK. This bank will be used to collect Acinic
Cell Carcinoma tissue. That tissue will be made available for people who
ARE doing research in this area in the future, to access. Researchers
will have to apply for use of the tissue to a review board at Wake Forest
University. (We don’t think there’s a lot of competition at
this point!) Wake Forest University will likely also be establishing a
database with regard to any research done on Acinic Cell Carcinoma. Obviously
when that happens, we will provide a LINK from here, and let you know
about it.
If you are a patient or surgeon (or other) who might have acinic
cell carcinoma tissue to donate, please visit our Tissue Banks
page, by clicking the link below.
There are also other places where Acinic Cell Carcinoma tissue has been
“banked” or stored, either by patients, or by institutions,
with the intent of using this tissue for research in the future. As we
find out about any of these other sources, we will post the information
on our “Tissue Banks” page.
From here you can visit our two sub-pages on CURRENT
RESEARCH or TISSUE BANKS