Mission Statement

The Kure It! Kidney Cancer Research Fund Story

The idea to establish a Kidney Cancer Research Fund came after Barry Hoeven was diagnosed with kidney cancer in 1998. Very soon after diagnosis, Barry began to compile information about his cancer. He recognized early on that there is a grave disconnect between the amount of people afflicted with kidney cancer and the amount of funding and research being conducted to find a cure for this disease.

Click to view a reprint of an article on the story and philanthropy of Barry and Cinda Hoeven.

After Barry's first nephrectomy in 1998 there was no evidence of his cancer — also referred to as "no evidence of disease" (NED) — for six years. It was in 2004 that doctors discovered that his cancer had metastasized and spread to his lung. The nodules were removed and Barry decided it was time he see a kidney cancer specialist.

He went to the UCLA Medical Center to seek counsel from a well-reputed physician whose name seemed ubiquitous with kidney cancer research. Dr. Robert Figlin, now the Associate Director of Clinical Oncology at the City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center, met with Barry for the first time in June of 2004. Dr. Figlin advised him to wait before taking any drastic steps in treatment.

In June 2005 during a routine exam Dr. Figlin discovered a second tumor, this time in Barry's right kidney. A partial nephrectomy (removal of about one-quarter of the remaining kidney) was performed. Since 2005 Barry's regular CT scans and check-ups with Dr. Figlin reveal "no evidence of disease" meaning that for now — and hopefully hereafter — he is kidney cancer-free.

In 2006, Dr. Figlin left the UCLA Medical Center to take the position of Associate Director of Clinical Oncology at the City of Hope Medical Center in Duarte, CA. It is Barry's goal to find a cure for this disease and he believes whole-heartedly that Dr. Figlin and his capable research team at the City of Hope will lead the way.