Stand Up And See That Cancer Funding Is Still A Need
Sep 3, 2008 by Kelly Jad'on
We are in a global war. It is a fight against the disease known as cancer, and the clock is ticking.
Around the world, cancer is a leading cause of death, silencing 7.9 million in 2007. Approximately 30% of these deaths were preventable.Each one of us knows someone either living with cancer, or who has died from it. Whether old or young, male or female, American or foreign, we are all affected. Cancer comes at a cost.
Emotionally, it is difficult to believe that someone you love is sick and may even die. I remember the night my father was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in an emergency room. A man I never saw cry, shed tears that night.
Physically, treatments and the disease ravage the body. In many cases the war against the cancer is won, but not without battles and the will to live.
A tidal wave of cancer is headed to our shores, and financially, the impact of the cost for treatment is not always acceptable. Devra Davis has written that soon we will not have enough surgeons and oncologists to handle our growing treatment needs. Each year approximately $100 billion is spent on treatment alone, many may not be able to afford the costs without adequate healthcare coverage.
President George W. Bush proclaims September, 2008 to be National Prostate Cancer Awareness Month and also National Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month. Regarding prostate cancer he states, "My Administration remains committed to helping America's dedicated medical
professionals learn more about the cause of prostate cancer and develop new
and better ways to combat it. Since 2005, the Cancer Genome Atlas has
studied the genetic sources of all types of cancer. By supporting medical
research, conducting clinical trials, and developing new surgical
techniques to help patients recover quickly, the National Institutes of
Health, the National Cancer Institute, and the Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention are helping lead the fight against prostate cancer."
Yes, we do lead the world in cancer treatment but will we lose ground without the proper funding? During my search for a pancreatic cancer treatment for my father, I did not find a cure, nor even a useful treatment. But I was able to speak with researchers who advised me to contact our government, as funding for research had been cut. The National Cancer Institute maintains that between 2004-2008, they've operated on a flat budget. However, inflation has increased, and in order to continue, funding must be increased from $5.2 billion to $6 billion for 2009. As time and money is lost, researchers leave, allowing the United States to fall behind as the world leader in cancer research.
Cancer research in the lab usually starts with grants from the federal government, the amounts designated by Congress and the President. There are also grassroots foundations such as LiveStrong, Susan G. Komen for the Cure, and Stand Up To Cancer which strive to raise monies for survivor support and continued research.
On September 5, 2008 Stand Up To Cancer will be hosting a show across all major networks, in an effort to raise awareness of the need for a combined effort in this war. We all need to stand up together and say "Hey! What's been done is simply not enough." Odds are that 1 of every 2 men and 1 of every 3 women will be diagnosed with cancer within his or her lifetime. We can wait no longer.
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