Swedish Medical Center in Seattle, Washington, has announced a $20 million bequest from Paul G. Allen, the late philanthropist and Microsoft co-founder, in support of the Swedish Cancer Institute.

The gift, made shortly after his death in 2018, will establish the Paul G. Allen Research Center at Swedish Cancer Institute, which will support a multi-pronged approach to cancer care that combines advances in biomedical sciences with innovation in cancer treatment, technology, and computer science. The multi-omics program will be driven by a combination of large amounts of clinical and genomic data and various treatment responses to be centered around three pillars: the Initiative for Molecular and Genomic Evaluation of Cancer (IMGEC), which is designed to expand the medical center's collection and analysis of genetic, molecular and clinic data; the Center for Immuno-oncology (CIO), which will leverage the data collected through IMGEC to develop leading-edge therapies that use the patient's own immune system to treat their cancer; and the Initiative for Cancer Prevention and Early Detection (IPED), which aims to improve existing and develop new methods for detecting cancers early.

"For decades, oncologists everywhere have treated patients based on their type of cancer, from breast and colon to lung and liver; however, no two people are the same and neither are any two tumors," said SCI executive medical director Sara Jo Grethlein. "It's time to tailor treatments specifically to the genetic and molecular makeup of each patient and their tumor. The budding field of multi-omics is set to birth exciting targeted therapies that provide patients more hope with fewer debilitating side effects."

"Paul was grateful for the care he received at Swedish over the years," said Jody Allen, Paul Allen's sister and trustee of the Paul G. Allen estate. "His gift reflects his lifelong belief that to make transformational change to benefit others, you must invest in science and the researchers pushing the boundaries of conventional thinking to solve complex problems."