Our Mission

The Mission of STL Cure Sarcoma is to Fund Research for All Types of Sarcoma Cancers, Both in St. Louis and Nationwide, While Raising Awareness About the Disease. We Have Created a Patient-Focused Event That Celebrates the Lives of Survivors and Warriors, Honors the Memories of Loved Ones Lost, and Fosters a Supportive Community for Those Affected by Sarcoma.

About Us

The St. Louis Cure Sarcoma 6K fundraiser was established by a group of individuals directly impacted by sarcoma. We are sarcoma warriors, survivors, loved ones of those lost, and relatives of those still fighting. Despite our different journeys with this disease, we share a common challenge: the lack of sarcoma research and limited treatment options. With the guidance of our oncologist, Dr. Brian Van Tine, M.D., Ph.D., we created this group to fund research through our Annual STL Cure Sarcoma 6K Run/Walk. We started in a small restaurant near Siteman Cancer Center with the hope of making a difference, we have now raised over $1.7 million. We had immense faith in Dr. Van Tine's research and will continue to honor his legacy by allocating funds to the research lab at Washington University in St. Louis, who will continue their search for better treatments and one day a cure of sarcoma. The remaining proceeds support sarcoma research nationwide.

Benefitting Organizations

Siteman Cancer Center:

Siteman Cancer Center is one of only a few cancer centers to receive the highest rating of the National Cancer Institute (NCI) – “exceptional.” Comprising the cancer research, prevention and treatment programs of Barnes-Jewish Hospital and WashU Medicine in St. Louis, Siteman treats adults at six locations, including the new Gary C. Werths Building for outpatient care and an inpatient hospital on the Washington University Medical Campus, and partners with St. Louis Children’s Hospital in the treatment of pediatric patients at Siteman Kids. All locations offer patient-focused, multidisciplinary care driven by scientific breakthroughs and powered by WashU Medicine physicians.

Siteman is Missouri and southern Illinois’ only NCI-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center and only member of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network. Through the Siteman Cancer Network, Siteman Cancer Center works with regional health systems and hospitals to improve access to highly specialized cancer care and reduce the incidence of cancer through initiatives in cancer prevention, treatment and research.

QUICK FACTS:

Established in 1999, Siteman is recognized as a leading cancer center by its peers and the NCI.
Every year, 75,000+ people are treated at Siteman, including 12,000+ who are newly diagnosed.
Siteman is powered by 600+ WashU Medicine physicians and scientists focused on the latest in cancer treatment and research.
With 9,000+ patients enrolled every year in 1,600+ clinical research studies, including 600+ therapeutic clinical trials, Siteman offers access to investigational therapies not generally available to the public.
Siteman has held NCI’s highest rating – “exceptional” – since 2015, based on a rigorous review of its research programs.
In 2024, WashU faculty at Siteman filed for 198 patents.
WashU Medicine has the second-largest research funding portfolio from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) among U.S. medical schools.

You can find out more about Siteman Cancer Center on their website: siteman.wustl.edu/

Dr. Brian Van Tine’s Sarcoma Research at Siteman:

Dr. Van Tine’s laboratory studies how to take advantage of molecular weaknesses in cancer cells and use drugs that target those weaknesses. For example, they identified a genetic mutation in sarcoma cells that leads to a deficiency in a key amino acid that the cells depend on for survival. By using a special chemical screening process called global metabolomics, they can identify targeted drugs that block those amino acids from being made or used, therefore killing the cancer cells. These same chemical pathways can be used to help deliver chemotherapy drugs more effectively. By understanding the metabolism of tumor cells, Dr. Van Tine’s team takes bench-level findings to clinical trials, strategically developing combination drug therapies that will transform how sarcomas are treated. READ MORE

Sarcoma Strong:

Sarcoma Strong is an organization founded by, Matthew R. DiCaprio, M.D., a practicing Musculoskeletal Oncologist in New York, who wanted to do more for his local sarcoma family. Through his organization, he has raised sarcoma research funds that are distributed nationally through the Sarcoma Strong/MSTS (Musculoskeletal Tumor Society) Research Grant. In an effort to expand his reach, he recruited Dr. David D. Greenberg, M.D., from St. Louis University Hospital to start a race in the St. Louis, Missouri area. Dr. Greenburg found STL Cure Sarcoma while researching local events and reached out to us to discuss a collaboration. After realizing how similar our organizations are, and that Sarcoma Strong could offer an avenue to National Sarcoma Research that follows NIH guidelines, our partnership was born. This partnership allows us to continue to support promising sarcoma research efforts nationally, while also supporting the local sarcoma research efforts of Dr. Brian Van Tine, M.D., PH.D. at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri.