Stand Up To Cancer

I hope you will consider funding a dream team that is focused on a cure for lung cancer. I am a 41 year old mom who is a never smoker, that was diagnosed just after returning from a 40th birthday trip to Italy last year. It was a devastating diagnosis, especially when I started reading the statistics.

Lung cancer is the number one cancer killer, killing more than breast, prostate and colon cancer combined each year, yet it receives the least amount of funding for a major cancer.

My mother died of a brain tumor when I was a year and a half old, and I never got a chance to know her. I don't want that for my daughter, so please, if there is a dream team out there that is focused on lung cancer, fund them.

Thank you.

How about focusing on lung cancer? Lung cancer, America's and the world's most deadly cancer, is sorely in need of a dream team. Lung cancer kills more people each year than breast, prostate, colon and liver cancers COMINED.

One of the fastest growing populations of lung cancer patients is the young, female, never smoker. I am one of them. I was diagnosed with metastatic lung cancer more than 2 1/2 years ago. Not only did I not ever smoke, I never lived with a smoker, nor did I work in a smoke or chemical filled environment, and I have no family history of any kind of cancer.

At the onset of disease, lung cancer's symptoms are often invisible. My first, and only, symptom of lung cancer was when my T10 vertebra spontaneously burst. A tumor had grown so large that my bone burst; by that time my disease was already incurable. There is no approved screening test for lung cancer, not even for smokers, so most patients present with advanced stage disease at the time of their initial diagnosis. Nearly all never smokers are initially diagnosed with advanced disease. A lucky few lung cancer patients will be diagnosed early, almost by accident, when a chest x-ray for an elective surgery or a scan for some other condition reveals the presence of a lung tumor. Few people realize that never smokers are at risk for developing lung cancer, but 20% of the women who are diagnosed with lung cancer have never smoked. Because most patients with lung cancer will die quickly, there are relatively few lung cancer survivors alive and well enough to tell their stories. When I was diagnosed I was told I had only 4 to 6 months to live.

Overall, five year survival for lung cancer is just 15%. Most of the patients with lung cancer that I know have predeceased me. For advanced disease, like mine, the five year survival rate is 1/2 of 1%. Never smokers and former smokers make up more than half of those diagnosed with lung cancer. Some of these "former" smokers quit smoking decades prior to their diagnosis.

Please don't forget about lung cancer as you formulate dream teams. Lung cancer research and treatment advances have been seriously and detrimentally impacted by the stigma of smoking. Because lung cancer is perceived as a "deserved" disease, it is easy to overlook. Federal funding for lung cancer is a fraction of less deadly cancers and private funding is almost non-existent. The result has been that progress and treatment for lung cancer lags behind every other cancer. Lung cancer's mortality rate is virtually unchanged from when President Nixon declared War on Cancer. This needs to change.

It is said that 85% of lung cancer cases are caused by smoking, there is no getting around it. Smoking also contributes to the development of other cancers and other diseases. Many cancers and diseases are linked to lifestyle choices. It is sad fact of life that people make choices and engage in behaviors that cause disease; but to say they "deserved" their lung cancer is morally bankrupt and wrong. The truth of the matter is that no one deserves lung cancer or any cancer.

True charity looks at the need, not at the cause. I hope you will help. Please Stand Up to lung cancer. Lives depend on it.

Sincerely,

Charmaine Atkenson

When will you announce the Dream Teams? Please give us some information regarding your progress. I'm concerned about how long this is taking and very discouraged. I think my future donations will all go to the Kanzius Research Foundation. They seem much closer to a cure.

I am 37 year old male, I have glioblastma, grade 4, rare brain cancer i have been fighting for a year, i was told i had 6 months to live. I will not be defeated, I will keep fighting to win. I need help in finding a cure. Life is a gift i dont want to give up.

The message we are all trying to make is the same. We are tired of being tired. We are tired of people, organizations, and researchers bringing promising innovative ideas to cure cancer and then time after time being disappointed. Either you take the money and find a group of researchers to find the cure or you dont. There are no excuses. You might say im ungrateful, but the truth is i have seen too many who perished because we are dragging our feet. It is time that su2c does what they promised and put the dream teams to work to find the cure. "we have the technology,money,reasearers,to find a cure" Katey couric said this. This is one year ago and nothing has changed. We need cures not hopefull excuses. So lets get a move on it.

My 13 year old son was diagnosed with Hodgkins Lymphoma in Aug 2008. He has 3 brothers and 1 sister. This disease has affected our entire family. In fact it has affected our entire community. We have met too many other families that are walking the same path as we are. Pediatric Cancer robs otherwise healthy children of their youthful, carefree existence. It steals limbs (arms, legs and anything else infected by cancer). Cancer kills innocent children. Many children don't benefit from drugs that could potentially cure them because some drug manufacturers do not open their clinical trials to people under the age of 18.
For my son Mac and his other "cancer" friends Maddy, Jonah, Jesse, Kate, Kurt, Mackenzie, Tyler, Russell and all the other children and their parents who have heard or will someday hear the devastating words,"your child has cancer" - please use a significant portion of the money raised to dedicate to pediatric cancer research.

Mesothelioma is a terrible cancer caused by asbestos exposure. People dont always know it is a cancer. Please fund research for this form of cancer which killed my daughter at the age of 38. Many think asbestos is not used in the USA but it still is and Congress keeps trying to ban its use. Meso must be effecting many new people as the ads by law firms on our TVs attests to that fact. It is a horrible way to die. Please fund this maybe thru the MESO Foundation in California.

Another vote for Pediatric Cancer Research from a mother whose son died from leukemia at age 14. How can our wealthy country spend only 3% of cancer funding on children?

How many of our children have to suffer and or die before more funding is put in place for pediatric cancer???? I know when people watch or hear about these children on tv is saddens them, but living it is horrific!!!!!!

PLEASE PLEASE remember to include childhood cancer when allocating the funds for cancer research. The can be nothing more important than saving our children. They are the future.

I would like to see some of the money go toward Childhood Cancer prevention, care, and research. Many children are used every year to promote donations for cancer foundations (including SU2C; however, I was disapointed to learn how much of that money actually goes to children (about 2-3%). If you look at any cancer organization, they often use children in their fundraising to tug at heartstrings. SU2C could set a great example by giving a portion of the $ raised to help these children, like my son Thomas, who is battling cancer for the second time. He has been more than happy to use his face for fundraising, which he has done hundreds of times. It is time for organizations to give back to him! Thank you.

please allow plenty of research funding for PEDIATRIC CANCERS!!!! Too many kids are suffering from childhood cancer and losing their battles at far too young an age!! We need to cure, or at least adequately treat, pediatric cancer!!

Neema Hospice Kenya, not for profit hospice and palliative care centre in Kenya supports deeply the stand up to cancer campaign, cancer by whatever name , the end is in sight for you, we shall succeed, research is vital and we are standing up to cancer ,our hearts go to the dream team, you got the magic, belief in yourself and the team, we look up on to you, we shall make it

where has the money gone so far? what specific projects or research areas are being targeted to receive funds; who are some of the top scientists / researchers on the "dream team"

What is SU2C commitment to and plan for a Dream Team specific to pediatric cancer?

We have been leaving messages to this post, yet this site says there are 0 comments. Childhood cancer deserves to have a Dream Team. Childhood cancer receives so little of the research money yet it is the number one killer of children in diseases. 46 kids each day are diagnosed each day. We are posting our comments over on our PAC2 site of what we have been trying to say here. I do not understand why Stand Up 2 Cancer is not posting our comments anymore. If you had a child who was fighting cancer you would be doing all that you could to get money for research, too. We won't stop until there is a cure. Stand Up 2 Cancer has 100 million dollars. What are you doing for the children who are suffering?

Please keep the children fighting cancer in your hearts and minds when you decide on the Dream Teams.
I am dreaming of a day when all children have a chance to grow up. Children's cancer is not the same as adult cancers. Please help!

On behalf of the 46 children that are diagnosed with cancer everyday, please remember to include childhood cancer in your Dream Team funding. Children are being treated with adult chemos that are too toxic for them. Children's cancers are different than adult cancers. Please help the kids. Thank you.

You have an outstanding leader in Phil Sharp. He is a "shirt tail cousin"--as we say in Kentucky. He worked one summer with my dad as his father called my dad and said, work him hard so he will go to college. He has done outstanding research work at MIT.

Has any research actually been funded yet?

What is SU2C's commitment to funding of pediatric cancer research?

Meanwhile, in lieu of a cure for cancer, there is a new drug called Lodamin, scheduled for clinical trials this year, which is able to shrink tumors and prevent them from growing, and seems to do so without any toxic side effects. What's really wonderful is that is in pill form! It is showing itself to be very broad spectrum, able to attack tumors of different cancer types. A company called SynDevRx is in possesion of the drug now, and I believe they are affiliated with the research team at Children's in Boston. They have a website with more info. http://www.syndevrx.com/ I'd sure like to see some of the SU2C money go into that research if it works! I have stage 4 colon cancer that had spread to my liver, then my right lung, and then my left lung. Luckily all spots were operable, but what if they weren't? The doctors are now watching some suspicious areas on the outside of my lung and on two of my ribs. A drug like this would be a wonderful maintenance drug for many types of cancer, while waiting for the cure!

It is very encouraging to know that $100 million is raised and by spring grants will be given for various research. However, I just wanted to know if Osteosarcoma research was included. Many times the funding for this type of cancer is overlooked. Thank you.

Hi

I have donate to all the cancer associations.
Now my wife is very sick and need Herceptin but no one wants to help her?
I just wants to know for what course did I donate.

Please we need urgent help!!!!
Here is my wifes website http://www.claudiacf.co.za/

Thanks and God Speed....

We have to move faster. At this pace selecting teams and going through red tape we are at the same place acs was ten years ago. We have the technology and the brains now lets make it happen now. Not 3 years from now. Why is it that a man with name kansus in minisota can put together a machine that kills cancer without harming good cells, yet chemo which kills all cells is used. I dont understand why chemo is used when it weakens the patients immune system so bad that if continued long enough you die from the chemo. We must move faster. If all the bad things about cancer care where known to man he wouldnt accept traditional therapy and would use alternatives. As Tom Cruise would say do the research. And Tom you should do the research because you dont know about this disease.

Many of us who have been victims of Sarcoma are anxiously awaiting to hear about the new proposals and hoping and praying that Sarcomas, the forgotton cancer, will get the awareness, attention and funding it so deserves. It affects ALL people of every age everywhere and there are no boundaries for sarcoma. Prevention is the key, but if that is not possible now, then we will all take any cure. No one wants to see the next generation suffer from sarcomas, especially the innocent children. May there soon be help for all of us.

Many of us who have been victims of Sarcoma are anxiously awaiting to hear about the new proposals and hoping and praying that Sarcomas, the forgotton cancer, will get the awareness, attention and funding it so deserves. It affects ALL people of every age everywhere and there are no boundaries for sarcoma. Prevention is the key, but if that is not possible now, then we will all take any cure. No one wants to see the next generation suffer from sarcomas, especially the innocent children. May there soon be help for all of us.

From the 03/17/2009 post, along with a quick review of the archives, it appears that in six months "$100 million was raised" and the only action that has actually taken place is talking about how to spend it.

Sorry, but I will make no more donations until something tangible has occurred.

I am now a 1 year Thymoma survivor following surgery. I also have early stage B-cell Lymphoma in my bone marrow which is right now in a "track it" mode and I'm being treated for early stage skin cancer. I consider myself to be a very lucky person; I know there are many who are not but wish we all could be. I know that if everyone "stood up to cancer", this could become a reality. It only takes each person to donate if only a little of their time and/or money.

As a patient of Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma, (CLL/SLL), I am very interested in anything that may help to eradicate this terrible disease. Since lymphoma is being diagnosed more than any other cancer at this time, I feel that my funds/donations will go to the Lymphoma Research Foundation, which focuses mostly on the specific disease that I have. I would hope that you would direct some of those millions ($100 million is mentioned) to the LRF for research and clinical trials. All cancer is horrible, I know. Thanks for listening.

I thought the money I donated was to go to getting all these scientist together in one place to put their heads together to get the cure cause each of them was so close. I am a suvivor because of the discovery of Herceptin.

I thought you were ready to go. I am very disappointed that nothing has been done for cancer. Quit messing around. Get the money to the people you told us were going to get it.

Told I would die of colorectal stage 4 cancer in 1-2 years, I have fought four years now. Please fund the John Kanzius Foundation. His invention could help those of use with stage 4 - they are closer to human trials in conjunction with MD Anderson's Dr. Curley - and I am waiting and fighting to be here for the day I can stop barbaric chemotherapy. Let's hurry up!

It would be wonderful if this patient-led effort increased access to natural therapies (the ones that do not pay a company much profit but might be helpful to all with cancer) like the information we offer on our website.
We're an all volunteer non-profit, online for almost ten years with information on lifestyles, herbs, vitamins/supplements, Traditional Chinese Medicine, nutrition, exercise, and much more.
www.annieappleseedproject.org

My daughter upon arriving at school to day. Was informed by her homeroom teacher. That her fellow classmate and friend had lost his battle with cancer. He was only ten. I will say one more time 10. My prays go out to his family and friends. But my biggest pray is for standup to cancer be able to have enough money, time, and research to find a cure to cancer. To many futures are being taken away. I'm so thankful for your organization.