Florida International University has secured a $2 million state appropriation to expand its Functional Oncology Rapid Cancer Elimination (myFORCE) program, university officials announced Thursday.
The state investment will broaden access to personalized cancer care for both children and adults facing advanced, relapsed, or treatment-resistant cancers. Operating under the university’s Center for Advancing Personalized Cancer Treatments, myFORCE evaluates how a patient’s living cancer cells respond directly to various FDA-approved drugs to help doctors select targeted, less toxic therapies.
The initiative is led by Dr. Diana Azzam, a researcher and professor at FIU’s Robert Stempel College of Public Health and Social Work. Rather than relying solely on genetic sequencing, Azzam’s team extracts living cells from a patient’s tumor and exposes them to combinations of approved medications. The resulting data is passed to the patient’s oncologist to inform treatment choices.
The laboratory approach previously gained national attention during a joint clinical study with Nicklaus Children’s Hospital. Researchers tested pediatric tumor samples against more than 120 drugs, with findings published in Nature Medicine showing that 83% of patients who received treatment guided by the test showed clinical improvement.
State lawmakers who helped secure the funding pointed to the program’s potential for local families.
“Every family deserves hope in the fight against cancer, and I am proud to have secured this funding to support FIU’s Functional Oncology Rapid Cancer Elimination (myFORCE) Program, an initiative advancing personalized treatment options for pediatric and adult cancer patients,” said Florida state Sen. Alexis Calatayud.
Florida state Rep. Omar Blanco emphasized the broader impact on the state’s medical infrastructure. “These funds will provide personalized treatment options for pediatric and adult cancer patients across our community,” Blanco said. “This cutting-edge technology positions Florida as a global leader in precision oncology, and I’m proud to have fought for the resources that make it possible.”
According to FIU, the $2 million will fund core operations, including lab personnel, clinical teams, research supplies, and data management. The money will also help build out a wider network for clinical trials and enable larger, multi-institutional studies.
“This funding gives us the capacity to move into the next phase of our work, strengthen the infrastructure needed to serve more patients and continue building the evidence behind this approach,” Azzam said.
FIU President Jeanette M. Nuñez expressed appreciation for the legislature’s support, noting that the program provides options for families when standard treatments fail. Tomás R. Guilarte, dean of the Stempel College, added that the research aligns with the public health mission of using science to expand access to innovative care.
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