Opinion Editorial by LanceI am reminded everyday why I engaged in the battle against cancer. A glimpse at my scars, the laughter of my children, the pile of letters and photos ever accumulating at the offices of the Lance Armstrong Foundation (LAF) - all of it is as poignant as the triumph and pain that comes with rocketing up a hill on my bike, reminding me of a more significant triumph over pain in the wake of my cancer diagnosis in 1996. I'm lucky. My life's purpose is abundantly clear and reinforced every day by the only voices and opinions that really count for me - the voice of cancer survivors; their opinion about their needs and who should champion them. We hear from countless cancer survivors every day. They live all over the world. Some use the community services we fund; others lobby Capitol Hill with us. They are interested in our research and anxious to share their unique experience. They want to live forever and fight like crazy. Not all of them get to. More recently, they are often also, like me, the proud owner of a LIVESTRONG wristband. The enthusiasm demonstrated for our LIVESTRONG wristbands has not only given us an amazing and unanticipated platform to raise money for our programs - it has also provided a lifeline to more than 32 million people who embrace our efforts. They have not been shy in telling us who they are, how cancer has affected their lives and expressing their gratitude. In fact, it is likely that more people have shared their cancer story over the last 10 months than during any other time in history. And that is important. Too many people still lose their life to cancer, but far more people are also surviving - and facing a lot of practical, physical and emotional challenges that accompany a cancer diagnosis. These set of circumstances - from the long-term effects of chemotherapy to the fear of recurrence to the loss of a job, health insurance or savings - burden our public health infrastructure and, more importantly, significantly impact one's quality of life after cancer. The LAF continues to fund millions of dollars of cancer research. We have funded more than 100 community partners across the U.S. that provide people living with cancer direct services that vary from the provision of palliative care to fertility preservation to exercise and recovery programs. These same programs serve diverse communities that include Asian immigrants in New York City, Native American communities that face significant language barriers and Hispanic children in Los Angeles who need health insurance. In collaboration with cancer organizations across the United States, we have created a plan with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to address the needs of underserved populations and ensure that all people with cancer have access to information and programs regardless of their geographic location, socioeconomic status, cancer type and age. Today there are survivorship centers at Cook Children's Medical Center in Fort Worth, Rainbow Babies in Cleveland, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston, the University of Pennsylvania and the Nevada Cancer Institute. Our LIVESTRONG Resource for Cancer Survivors serves more than 200,000 people per month, many of whom also take advantage SurvivorCare, a direct support program conducted in partnership with CancerCare, one of the oldest and most respected cancer organizations in the country. I'm proud that since we began the Foundation in 1997, the National Cancer Institute's Office of Cancer Survivorship has quadrupled in size. I am a member of the President's Cancer Panel, which reports to the President about the state of cancer in our country. Last June, the Panel issued a report about living beyond cancer. Finally, all of our nation's leading public health and cancer entities are focusing on this issue. And we will stay in the fight with them. The LAF is not the biggest, the most powerful or the wealthiest of cancer organizations - but we aspire to be one of the very best. Our energetic and committed staff is growing quickly, along with our ranks of grantees, donors, volunteers and constituents who we look to for guidance and direction. We work closely with our country's leading oncologists and public health experts - who sit on our boards and advisory committees, participate in our alliances and speak at our events - and the people they serve. We stand with the more than 10 million Americans who are living with cancer today and in solidarity with their family members and friends. We advocate for their dreams and collaborate with their caretakers. Their needs inform our initiatives and programs. Cancer survivors guide our mission and inspire our vision. Because we are passionate about helping them live every minute of their life with every ounce of their being. Live Strong Lance Armstrong Austin American Statesman |
