ACPMP marks 20 years of appendix cancer walks, nears $2.5 million for rare cancer research

The Appendix Cancer PMP Research Foundation is celebrating the 20th anniversary of its signature walk series this June, with events in seven U.S. locations and more across the country. The campaign has raised nearly $2.5 million and funded 49 research grants for appendix cancer and pseudomyxoma peritonei, two rare cancers often diagnosed late.

Why it matters: - Appendix cancer and pseudomyxoma peritonei are rare, often misdiagnosed and historically underfunded cancers. - ACPMP’s walk series has become a major source of research dollars, patient support and public awareness for families facing diagnoses with few treatment options. - The 2026 events mark 20 years since the first walk, underscoring how a local fundraiser grew into a national movement.

What happened: - The Appendix Cancer PMP Research Foundation is marking the 20th anniversary of the Appendix Cancer Walk in June 2026. - Walks are scheduled this month in Pennsylvania, California, New Jersey, Oregon, North Carolina and other communities. - The first walk took place in 2007 in Pennsylvania, where about 700 family members and friends gathered to honor a loved one lost to appendix cancer. - ACPMP says the walk series has raised nearly $2.5 million and funded 49 research grants.

The details: - The walk was founded in Pennsylvania in memory of Frank “Dutch” Culbertson. - Judy Culbertson and her family launched the event to accelerate research for a cancer that is often caught late and frequently misdiagnosed. - The anniversary events will include the founding family, longtime participants and newly diagnosed patients and survivors. - ACPMP has funded 49 research grants totaling nearly $2.5 million since its founding. - The grants support scientists working to improve detection, treatment and survival for appendix cancer and pseudomyxoma peritonei, or PMP. - ACPMP-funded research has contributed to the clinical understanding of these rare diseases. - The walk remains the foundation’s primary fundraising engine and community gathering. - The effort is powered by patients, survivors, caregivers, families of those lost and appendix cancer medical specialists. - For walk locations, registration and information, visit ACPMP’s website.

Between the lines: - The scale of the fundraising suggests sustained community support for a disease area that has long lacked mainstream attention. - The mix of returning families and newly diagnosed patients shows the walk has become both a memorial and a support network. - The research grants point to a practical model for rare-disease advocacy: turn local grief into funding for science.

What’s next: - ACPMP’s 2026 walk schedule runs through June 20, with events in New York City, Bend, Winston-Salem, Los Angeles, Carmel, Pennsauken and Media. - The organization will continue using the walk series to fund research and expand education for patients, caregivers and healthcare professionals. - ACPMP says its longer-term goal is to support new treatments and, eventually, a cure for appendiceal cancer and PMP.

The bottom line: - After 20 years, ACPMP’s walk series has become a national rare-cancer movement with measurable research impact and a growing community behind it.