Someone, somewhere, is running out of time.

Five-year survival rates are less than 10% for patients diagnosed with the most aggressive forms of brain cancer. These statistics are unacceptably low and have not changed in decades.
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Purpose

At Flip The Hourglass, we are on a mission to change the prognoses of these most severe brain tumors. Our projects aim to raise both the awareness and funds needed to support the world’s most gifted brain cancer researchers as they seek to meaningfully increase the long-term survivability of this dreaded disease.
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Events

Hourglass Gala

Hourglass Gala

Coming in 2024

Jamie Chapin Classic

Jamie Chapin Classic

Coming in 2024

Facts

Cancer Survival Rates

Compared to other well-known cancer types like prostate cancer, breast cancer, Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma, colon cancer, and leukemia  the average five-year survival rate in the U.S.A. across all forms of brain cancer is exceptionally low. For the most aggressive forms of brain cancer, this statistic is even lower.

Additionally, since the 1970s, improvements in the five-year survival rate of brain cancer (8.1% improvement) are below average as compared to the average improvements in five-year survival rates across all cancer types (16.7% improvement).

Based on data by Journal of the National Cancer Institute; Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results Program.

Prostate Cancer
98.6%
Breast Cancer
89.7%
Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma
71.0%
Colon Cancer
64.1%
Leukemia
60.6%
All Forms of Brain Cancer
30.5%

Brain tumors are the leading cause of cancer deaths in children and adolescents

Ostrom Q.T., Cioffi G., Waite K., Kruchko C., Barnholtz-Sloan J.S. CBTRUS Statistical Report: Primary Brain and Other Central Nervous System Tumors Diagnosed in the United States in 2014–2018. Neuro Oncol. 2021; 23: iii1–iii105.

Research into brain tumors is underfunded compared with other cancers, which, despite causing the deaths of fewer young patients, often receive a much greater share of research funding.

​Glioblastoma, the most common primary brain tumor, remains incurable with a bleak prognosis despite aggressive treatment including chemo and radiation therapy

Stupp R, Mason WP, van den Bent MJ, Weller M, Fisher B, Taphoorn MJ, et al. Radiotherapy plus concomitant and adjuvant temozolomide for glioblastoma. The New England journal of medicine. 2005; 352: 987-96. Osuka S, Van Meir EG. Overcoming therapeutic resistance in glioblastoma: the way forward. J Clin Invest. 2017; 127: 415-26.

Although immunotherapies have dramatically improved treatment and therapeutic outcomes for many solid and hematological malignancies, immunotherapies for brain tumors lack efficacy.

Majd NK, Dasgupta PR, de Groot JF. Immunotherapy for neuro-oncology. Adv Exp Med Biol. 2021; 1342: 233-258.

People

Deborah Allegro Chapin

Deborah is an advocate for the fight against brain cancer. She has been actively involved in raising awareness and connecting people to support the fight against this devastating disease since the loss of her son, Jamie Chapin, in 2011. Jamie passed away at just 25 years old after a courageous battle with glioblastoma.

In Deb’s words, “Flip The Hourglass represents our collective, urgent appeal to the doctors, research scientists, and affiliated entities to find a way to buy some time for brain cancer patients until a breakthrough treatment is discovered.”

Randy Hill

Randy Hill is a brain tumor survivor living in Gainesville, Florida with Mari, his wife of 38 years. He is a fundraiser, speaker, organizer, and advocate for brain tumor research.

Randy is retired from a 35 year career in international corporate banking in Manhattan. He is a fitness enthusiast who particularly enjoys swimming and golf. He has completed several marathon swims, both competitively and as a fundraiser.

Garrett Hanrahan

Garrett Hanrahan is the head coach of the University of Florida men’s lacrosse team. He initially joined the fight against brain cancer as the lead organizer for the Jamie Chapin Classic, a charity golf tournament that raised funds for brain cancer research in honor of Jamie Chapin, a Gator Lacrosse alumnus and team captain. In 2020, the battle against brain cancer became even more personal for Garrett and his family when his father-in-law, Bill Baer, was diagnosed with glioblastoma. Bill passed away in 2022 after a courageous battle against the disease.