The Answer to Cancer run was founded by Adrian Elkins, a 20-year old student at Southern Oregon University who was diagnosed with liver cancer in October 2002. Adrian passed away only eight days after the first annual Answer to Cancer Race on August 11, 2003.

Had he known during his childhood that his ethnicity and underlying medical condition increased his chance of developing liver cancer by 100%, he would have had regular liver screenings each year. He had no idea that Hepatitis B – a disease he contracted at birth in Calcutta , India – is one of the world’s leading pre-indicators for liver cancer.

Adrian battled his disease for ten months. Without some of the most current medication, treatment and clinical trials available today – including those offered at MD Anderson in Houston , Texas and Oregon Health Sciences University in Portland , Oregon – Adrian could have been one of the many that lose their fight against this incurable disease much earlier. Adrian saw the first-ever Answer to Cancer run take place on August 8, 2003. Thanks to the generous support of friends, families and numerous companies, the 2003 Answer to Cancer Race was able to raise more than $20,000 for three charities. More than 240 runners and walkers attended the first-time event. We now look forward to future Answer to Cancer events!

Our Mission Statement
The Answer to Cancer Foundation was created to
1) provide funding and assistance to research-based cancer programs and institutions as well as educationally-focused cancer programs, associations and organizations; 2) garner awareness and public focus on the necessity for cancer research, trials and experiments in developing treatments and an eventually finding a cure for cancer; and, 3) educate the public about screening, high-risk factors and potential preventable measures associated with primary liver cancer.