Research
Meet the Researchers

These researchers dedicate their careers to finding new treatments and cures for people with cancer.

Mark Dickson
Transforming Rare Cancer Care: Dr. Mark Dickson’s Pursuit of Targeted Treatment
For Dr. Mark Dickson, the challenge of treating sarcoma is defined as much by complexity as it is by rarity.
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“It’s a big field, but also a really small one,” he explains. In the United States, there are roughly 13,900 cases of soft tissue sarcoma each year—accounting for less than 1% of all cancer diagnoses. Yet within that small percentage there are more than 100 distinct subtypes, each dictated by its own biology and behavior.1

As a medical oncologist and researcher, Dr. Dickson has dedicated his career to understanding and treating that exact complexity. Working to merge everyday patient care with the creation of new treatments, he leads efforts for patients with complex diseases that have historically lacked effective treatment options.

His objective is clear: developing newer, more effective therapies that are easier for patients to tolerate.

Taking on a Complex Diseases

Sarcomas present a unique challenge. Unlike more common cancers, they are rarely linked to lifestyle or environmental factors. Instead, they are often what Dr. Dickson describes as “bad luck” cancers: unpredictable and deeply intricate at a cellular level.

For patients, that complexity can make even basic questions difficult to answer. Why did this happen? What comes next?

For clinicians and researchers, it makes developing universal treatments nearly impossible; each distinct subtype responds differently to therapy, and progress requires immense patience and precision.

The Predictable Pattern of Supporting Promising Science

Dr. Dickson’s research centers on developing new, smart treatments designed to interrupt the specific pathways that tell tumors to grow. Much of his work focuses on rare fatty tumors called liposarcomas and other underserved, hard-to-treat variations of the disease.  

This evolution from early research concepts to global clinical milestones underscores the long-term value of the Conquer Cancer selection model, which focuses rigorously on evaluating the scientific potential of early-career proposals.

Recognizing exceptional, out-of-the-box scientific thinking early, Conquer Cancer sequentially backed Dr. Dickson's research concepts at two pivotal career stages: awarding him a Young Investigator Award (YIA) in 2009, followed by a Career Development Award (CDA) in 2011.

Remarkably, that 2011 award was granted to support his proposal for the very first early-phase clinical trial targeting a specific growth gene in liposarcoma. This consecutive early-career funding provided him with the critical runway, mentorship, and security needed to stay in academic research, deepen his scientific inquiries, and establish the independent research program.

Progress with Perspective

“We are making progress, and new treatments are coming along. So many that are available today weren’t 10 years ago,” he says. “We’re cautiously optimistic that we’ll find better options for patients, understanding that it’s still a long road ahead.”

Sustaining that progress in rare diseases requires a selection model that systematically identifies and funds promising scientific proposals at the very beginning.  

By prioritizing the most promising scientific proposals early on, Conquer Cancer predictably accelerates the discoveries that change the future of medicine and offer patients a path toward personalized care.

Your support provides the critical funding needed to identify and back high-potential scientific ideas—turning rare genetic mysteries into lifesaving realities for patients. Donate today.

 

Source: 

1National Cancer Institute: https://seer.cancer.gov/statfacts/html/pancreas.html  

Last Updated: 5/26/26