In 2025, NETRF stepped up when it mattered most by increasing research funding at a critical time and standing firmly behind the next generation of neuroendocrine cancer scientists. At our Margie & Robert E. Petersen Neuroendocrine Tumor Research Symposium, we celebrated 20 years of discoveries that have changed lives while charting the course for the breakthroughs still to come. And by truly listening to patients and families, we provided education resources that speak to real experiences, because every breakthrough we fund is ultimately measured by the lives it improves.
I first came to NETRF as a caregiver searching for trustworthy information when my mother was diagnosed. What I found was an organization that genuinely puts patients at the center of everything it does. When this grant opportunity came along, I knew I wanted to be part of that.”
2025 marked the launch of the NETRF Research Roadmap, a strategic plan that defines the next frontier of research in neuroendocrine cancer, focusing on three interconnected areas of discovery: Early Detection, New Therapeutic Development, and Precision Medicine. Together, these pillars chart a path toward earlier diagnoses, more effective treatments, and ultimately, cures.
NETRF launched an initiative to help close longstanding gaps in education and support for individuals living with neuroendocrine carcinoma and their caregivers through a grant from Boehringer Ingelheim. Expanded neuroendocrine carcinoma education was added to the NETRF Knowledge Center, the NETWise podcast, and our revised patient guide.
Last year, we launched Breakthroughs Today, Cures Tomorrow — our bold five-year, $25 million campaign to accelerate our Research Roadmap. Just one year in, the momentum is undeniable. With your support, we have already reached 31% of our goal — fueling breakthroughs that are changing lives today and bringing us closer to cures tomorrow.
In 2025, NETRF-funded research made meaningful progress across the field, from earlier detection and improved imaging to new therapies, precision medicine tools, and strategies to improve long-term patient outcomes. With a highly competitive grant cycle, 50 active research projects worldwide, and a growing global community of investigators and collaborators, NETRF continued to drive discovery toward a future where neuroendocrine cancer is found earlier, treated more effectively, and ultimately cured.
Pawel Mazur, PhD
UT MD Anderson Cancer Center
University of California, Irvine
University of Chicago
In 2025, NETRF awarded research grants totaling $3 million to fourteen investigators pursuing innovative, promising research that has the potential to improve the lives of those living with neuroendocrine cancer. These awards brought NETRF’s all-time investment in research to over $42 million.
Each year, grant recipients are selected through a rigorous, competitive scientific peer-review process and nine of this year’s awardees are first-time grant recipients of NETRF, reinforcing the researcher pipeline. This year’s grant slate included a Petersen Accelerator Award, NETRF’s largest and most prestigious grant of $800,000. The grant was awarded to Lynnette Fernandez-Cuesta, PhD, for her work to determine the characteristics of supra-carcinoids, an aggressive form of lung NETs, to identify better tools for diagnosis and treatment.
The 2025 Margie & Robert E. Petersen Neuroendocrine Tumor Research Symposium was held November 17-19 at The Hotel Commonwealth in Boston, Massachusetts. The meeting brought together over 120 leading scientists, clinicians, and stakeholders, united by the common goal of finding better treatments and, ultimately, cures for neuroendocrine cancer.
This year’s symposium was a landmark moment. In NETRF’s 20th anniversary year, keynote speaker Pamela Kunz, MD, highlighted breakthroughs in neuroendocrine cancer research and treatment over the past 20 years and celebrated the role NETRF has played in driving that progress.
Looking ahead, the meeting showcased clear momentum toward more personalized and effective treatments, with Board of Scientific Advisors member Iacovos Michael, PhD, speaking to the bright future of neuroendocrine cancer research, which promises novel immunotherapies, biomarker-guided treatments, drug repurposing, and more.
Early Detection: Tanya Stoyanova, PhD, is advancing UCHL1 as a blood-based biomarker and potential therapeutic target, work that could support earlier diagnosis and more informed treatment decisions for patients with gastroenteropancreatic NETs.
New Therapeutic Development: Xavier Keutgen, MD, translated NETRF-funded laboratory findings into a clinical trial testing a promising combination of fulvestrant and radiation-based therapy for neuroendocrine tumors.
Precision Medicine: Aatur Singhi, MD, PhD, identified BEND2 fusions and other genetic signatures linked to more aggressive pancreatic NETs, helping move the field toward more precise risk prediction and personalized care.
NETRF’s patient education efforts are rooted in a simple but powerful belief: meaningful education begins by listening to the patient's voice. In 2025, NETRF listened to and addressed the needs of neuroendocrine carcinoma patients with expanded content. We brought our NET Impact conference to Birmingham, Alabama and shared our focus on research and Thrivership with support groups and patient forums across the country.
Through the KNOW YOUR NETs Virtual Conference, the NET Guide, NETWise podcast, NET Knowledge Center, and Thrivership series, NETRF continues to expand opportunities for education, connection, and community. We remain committed to building meaningful resources that help people living with neuroendocrine cancer thrive with the support they need.
Jamie Metzl
Caregiver
“I’m a learner, and my first instinct is always just to dive in. So I immediately found the resources on the NETRF website invaluable.”
Nancy Lewis
Patient
"Attending Know Your NETs after I was diagnosed leveled up my knowledge and set me on an effective new treatment path."
A diagnosis. A loved one.
A moment that changed everything.
Our community of supporters comes together for many different reasons, but they are united by a shared belief that advancing neuroendocrine cancer research will change lives. Because of this collective commitment, real progress is happening.
Your generosity resulted in a powerful start to our five-year Breakthroughs Today, Cures Tomorrow campaign, enabling NETRF to increase research funding and expand the
community of early career researchers who will lead the next major discoveries.
At a moment when the need has never been greater, this momentum will drive the development of new treatments and eventual cures for the neuroendocrine cancer community. This is how breakthroughs happen: together with urgency, purpose, and hope.
We are deeply grateful to you for being part of this effort.
Every story is different. Every reason to give is deeply personal. And each one is helping to move this work forward.
Abby Griffin
Donor
“Matt’s 2 Miler is a special way for us to honor his passion while bringing together the people he loved most. We are proud to support NETRF and the critical neuroendocrine cancer research giving hope to patients and families in his memory.”
Wayne Firsty
Donor
“We are one step closer to a cure for this horrible disease.”
NETRF proudly recognizes our Founders Society members— visionary donors who have contributed annually for 15 years or more. Their unwavering commitment has laid the foundation for the breakthroughs we are achieving today and the cures we are working toward tomorrow. We are profoundly grateful for their enduring partnership in transforming the future of neuroendocrine cancer.
Victor Rhodes
James Beatty
Steve Kaufer and Lisa Howe
Tim Branaman
Gail Borgen
James Panagis, M.D. and Therese Panagis
Wayne Firsty
Bill and Marisa Panagis
Joseph Li, M.D.
Melissa Suman
Ted and Susan McCullough
