About the MRF’s CURE OM Initiative Ocular melanoma (OM) develops in the eye and is the most common form of eye cancer in adults and the second most common type of melanoma. Approximately 2,000 Americans and more than 5,000 people globally are diagnosed each year, with thousands more living with the disease. In about half of all OM cases, the disease will spread to other parts of the body. When this occurs, it is almost always fatal. CURE OM (Community United for Research and Education of Ocular Melanoma) was established under the umbrella of the MRF by an OM patient and caregiver in 2011 to accelerate research, find new and effective treatment options and to increase awareness, education and support of patients, clinicians and researchers. To date, CURE OM has funded over $2.1 million in ocular melanoma research and pioneered international collaborations, innovative patient support resources and patient-powered scientific initiatives like VISION.
“ The FDA increasingly looks to patients to understand how patients describe their health status, because patients are the experts in living with their disease or condition. ” US FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION (FDA)
“ Empowering patients in research means recognizing them as full and equal partners, developers and funders of research in Rare Diseases. ” EURORDIS, RARE DISEASES EUROPE “THE VOICE OF RARE DISEASE PATIENTS IN EUROPE”
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