Where Science Brings Hope for Hard-to-Treat Cancers
Expanding Access to Functional Precision Medicine for Patients
Every cancer is unique. So is every patient. At Cure First, our mission is to make functional precision medicine accessible to patients with hard-to-treat cancers that have exhausted standard options and to oncologists who need clearer guidance on possible treatment options. To turn this mission into action, we study each patient’s cancer with the PARIS Test, a revolutionary functional precision medicine platform that reveals which treatments are most likely to work next.
The PARIS Test uses a patient’s live tumor cells to evaluate how their cancer responds to a broad range of potential treatments in vitro. By pairing test results with molecular profiling, clinicians gain a personalized view of which therapies may offer the greatest benefit for each patient.
Our goal is simple: Give patients and their care teams more insight, more clarity, and more possibilities.
Support Cure First
Your gift ensures that the PARIS Test remains available for patients with hard-to-treat cancers. Contributions sustain our lab, scientific team, and partnerships with oncologists and help pave the way for broader insurance coverage so more patients can access functional precision medicine.
As a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit, Cure First relies on philanthropic support to sustain and expand this work. Together, we can help ensure that more patients—especially those facing the most difficult cancers—have access to the insights that could change their path forward.
About Cure First
A nonprofit founded to put patients first
Cure First was founded by Carla Grandori, MD, PhD, a physician-scientist with more than two decades of experience advancing functional genomics and precision oncology. She launched Cure First to ensure that cutting-edge, functional precision medicine is accessible to patients with hard-to-treat cancers.
Cure First’s work is recognized and supported by leaders in cancer research, including Nobel laureates and the current director of the National Cancer Institute, Anthony Letai, as well as a broad network of oncology experts who have participated in our Cancer Think Tanks. This network reflects the credibility and impact of our mission: to translate scientific breakthroughs into actionable insights for patients and clinicians.
As a nonprofit, our work centers on:
Expanding access to functional precision medicine
Supporting clinicians with education and scientific resources
Partnering with leading researchers and institutions
Advocating for payer adoption and broader affordability
We envision a future where every patient and care team—regardless of income, geography, or cancer type—can access the latest tools in functional precision oncology.
Cure First maintains the scientific expertise, lab infrastructure, and partnerships that allow oncologists to access actionable insights for patients with late-stage or hard-to-treat cancers. Our approach is informed by high-throughput functional genomics, patient-derived models, and a multidisciplinary scientific and clinical team working to advance safer, targeted, and personalized cancer treatments.
Rooted in Rigorous Science.
Informed by Real-World Impact.
The PARIS Test builds on years of functional genomics research and has been used across a wide range of cancers to help identify personalized treatment strategies. This work has been published in peer-reviewed journals and carried out by a highly skilled team of biologists, engineers, and clinical leaders.
A few examples of documented patient benefit include:
An ovarian cancer patient who experienced meaningful recovery and extended quality of life after the PARIS Test revealed an unexpected targeted therapy. Read her story as a full case report published in Nature Precision Oncology.
A patient with advanced pancreatic cancer who achieved a durable complete remission after PARIS identified HER2-directed treatment as a promising option. Read the full case report in ASCO’s JCO Precision Oncology.
“Cancer is unique to everyone. As a person with Stage 4 ovarian cancer and limited treatment options, The Paris Test provided me personalized options for cancer treatments that were specific to my cancer. It’s time we moved past the standard of care. The PARIS Test is the Precision Medicine we have been waiting for.”
These cases reflect a wider pattern: when a patient’s cancer cells are tested directly against many potential therapies ex vivo, surprising and actionable insights can emerge to inform treatment options to extend quality of life.
Cure First maintains the scientific expertise and partnerships necessary to keep this work moving forward and equip oncologists with actionable insights for patients with late-stage and hard-to-treat cancers.
Information for Patients & Providers
A personalized look at what may work next.
The PARIS Test is at the center of our mission at Cure First. This functional drug sensitivity assay evaluates how a patient’s live tumor cells respond to many different therapeutic options, including FDA-approved and investigational agents for trial matching. Results are combined with molecular profiling to help physicians make more informed treatment decisions.
The test may be helpful for patients and their care teams who:
Have rare, recurrent, or treatment-resistant cancers
Are considering next-line therapies
Want deeper insight into which treatments may offer benefit
Seek additional data beyond genetic sequencing alone
Cure First supports both patients and providers by:
Offering accessible explanations of functional precision medicine
Helping clinicians understand how PARIS results can support clinical decision-making
Sharing scientific updates and best practices
Building partnerships with cancer centers and research groups to grow our impact
As we expand access and partnerships, more information on the PARIS Test, eligibility, and provider resources will be available.