Jeffrey Nix, M.D., (L) accepts a check on behalf of the UAB Comprehensive Cancer for $150,000 from Mike Slive and his family.
The Mike Slive Foundation for Prostate Cancer Research presented $150,000 — its first donation ever to the UAB Comprehensive Cancer Center — on March 3 at the UAB Men’s Basketball game in Bartow Arena.
Prostate cancer is the second most common cancer among men, after skin cancer, and is the second leading cause of death from cancer in men. Alabama is one of the top 10 states in the nation for prostate cancer diagnosis, with more than 3,000 estimated cases diagnosed each year.
The contribution from the Mike Slive Foundation will provide essential grants for Cancer Center faculty to advance cutting-edge research in prostate cancer. The three projects that were funded include one that examines whether gradual low-intensity physical activity will benefit prostate cancer patients. Another project studies the role of TET2, a protein that very little is known about, which is lost in prostate cancer. Another particularly innovative project looks at how metabolism and mitochondria/nucleus cross-talk is altered in prostate cancer.
Established in 2017 and named for prostate cancer survivor and former Conference USA and SEC Commissioner Mike Slive, the foundation has a mission to save lives by funding research and raising awareness of prostate cancer. UAB Athletics and the UAB Men’s Basketball team partnered this year with the foundation to ‘block’ prostate cancer. The team donated money for each blocked shot during the season, leading to a $3,815 contribution to the Mike Slive Foundation.