#  Bertarelli Rare Cancer Initiative 

 



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While all cancer diagnoses raise concerns and difficult questions for patients, their families, and their health care professionals, rare cancers present disproportionately large and serious challenges. Definitive reliable knowledge is often missing, access to human tumor samples and relevant models for study is more limited, and commercial incentives to develop new therapeutics and/or diagnostics are frequently lacking because of the perceived miniscule size of the addressable market of patient need. Thanks to a generous gift from the [Bertarelli Foundation](https://www.fondation-bertarelli.org/), the Bertarelli Rare Cancer Initiative (BRCI) was established to provide new resources, collaborative structures, and a deep-seated commitment to bring the best science to address patient needs of patients with rare cancers by leveraging the expertise and convening power of the Harvard Medical School with its network of affiliated hospitals and research institutions as a base for global interactions.

The BRCI is focused on understanding the unique biology and pathophysiology of rare cancers to improve early detection, diagnosis, treatment, monitoring and eventually prevention of rare cancers. Since rare cancers represent a hugely diverse universe of different diseases and mechanisms, the initial focus of the BRCI has been chosen to be cancers harboring *EWSR1* gene fusions and related oncogenic mechanisms. Our vision is to build a world-class, highly interactive and collaborative hub for rare cancer research, clinical care advancement, advocacy and training, building upon the extensive and vibrant clinical and research communities across Harvard Medical School.