Mission Moments

MISSION MOMENTS - From The American Cancer Society

DID YOU KNOW? Forty researchers, who were funded by the American Cancer Society early in their careers, have gone on to win the Nobel Prize.

IMPACT: Because beginning investigators often have a difficult time obtaining funding, the American Cancer Society works to fund researchers early in their careers, whose research toward a cure would have been lost otherwise.

TAKE ACTION: Become a volunteer with the American Cancer Society and help raise much-needed funds to continue investing in today’s new investigators and making tomorrow’s breakthroughs possible, call 1-800-ACS-2345.

DID YOU KNOW? Obesity significantly increases one’s risk of dying from cancer.

IMPACT: Society researchers published a landmark study in the New England Journal of Medicine concluding that being overweight increases the risk of cancer and that obesity may account for as many as 14 percent of cancer deaths in men and 20 percent of cancer deaths in women.

TAKE ACTION: Beating obesity isn’t just about losing weight. It’s about adopting a healthy lifestyle. By eating well, being active, and maintaining a healthy weight throughout life, you can lower your risk for serious illnesses, including cancer. To find out more, contact the American Cancer Society at 1-800-ACS-2345 or visit the Great American campaign at www.cancer.org.

Cancer Deaths in U.S. Decline for Second Consecutive Year.
Cancer deaths in the United States have dropped for the second year in a row, according to the American Cancer Society. Elizabeth Ward, director of surveillance research for the Society, says the numbers reflect welcome progress in the battle against cancer. "This is very notable, because each year for 70 years the number of cancer deaths had gone up." Over the last two years the drop in the cancer death rates has outpaced the growth and aging of the U.S. population. Ward credits the shift to declines in smoking, successful education campaigns and more effective cancer screening programs. "For breast cancer these tests can detect the disease early, when it is still highly treatable. For colorectal cancer, the screening can not only detect the disease early, but it can actually prevent it through the removal of precursor lesions called polyps in the colon." But Ward adds that only half those who should get screened for colorectal cancer actually do. Still Ward is optimistic that cancer deaths can drop even further, but she fears that possible cuts in federal cancer research could slow such progress.