Together We Can Strike Out Cancer
When Derek Jeter, Albert Pujols, Orlando Hudson and the rest of the All-Stars take the field for tonight's MLB All-Star Game in St. Louis, each will have a chance to raise a million dollars for cancer research with one swing of the bat. It's part of the "Hit It Here" campaign sponsored by MasterCard and Major League Baseball. If a player hits one of three signs in home-run territory, Stand Up To Cancer's groundbreaking research benefits. I'll be rooting for the players to swing for the fences -- and the signs! But whether one of the All-Stars hits a homer for research or not, Major League Baseball has already proven itself to be an important player in the fight against cancer.
A long-time supporter of cancer research and education, MLB is taking its commitment to an entirely new level. A number of All-Star Game activities are focused on the cause. By engaging fans, the baseball community is getting the word out in a huge way that each and every one of us has a role to play in ending cancer. That can help change the game for those whose lives are affected by this terrible disease -- and with one of every two men and one of every three women in this country being diagnosed at some point in their lifetimes, cancer touches us all.
On Sunday, I had the privilege of standing alongside Michael Milken, founder of the Prostate Cancer Foundation, and Ambassador Nancy Brinker, the founder of Susan G. Komen for the Cure, at the first-ever All-Star Charity 5K & Fun Run. I was there representing Stand Up To Cancer (SU2C), a nationwide movement raising funds for "Dream Teams" of scientists from different institutions and disciplines working together on innovative research aimed at bringing new treatments to patients in an accelerated timeframe. MLB is sharing the race proceeds equally among these three groups.
To look out over a sea of thousands of runners in T-shirts advocating for the end of cancers of all types was truly moving, as was the next stop in our St. Louis visit. The Alvin J. Siteman Cancer Center at Barnes-Jewish Hospital and Washington University School of Medicine is an international leader in cancer treatment, research, prevention and education, and serves patients across the American heartland, as well as all over the world. All the patients we met there, like Kim Lee-- a vivacious 35-year old woman, whose cheerful disposition belies the fact that she has endured a bone marrow transplant and other difficult treatments for acute lymphoblastic leukemia during the last year-- were profoundly inspiring.
So, too, are people like Richard and Diane Nares, who channeled the grief of losing their five-year old son Emilio into an organization that assists families with children battling cancer. They, and other "ordinary" Americans who are doing extraordinary things, are being honored at tonight's game as "All-Stars Among Us." Baseball lives in the very heart of America, as does the deep sense of compassion and responsibility that brings people together in an important fight like the one against this country's second-leading killer. Few of us can hit a home run in a major league stadium with the potential of raising a million dollars for research, but there are many, many ways to help.
On standup2cancer.org, when making a one dollar donation to research, you can launch a star in honor of someone who has received a cancer diagnosis on the Constellation, which is a field of stars, illustrating how this disease connects us all. If we all work together, I honestly believe we can end cancer once and for all.
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While I support more cancer research the concept of CURE FOR ALL CANCERS is not realistic. The highest risk factor for cancer is aging cells (getting older)
We can cure individiuals but will never "cure" all cancers unless we figure out a way to "cure" aging.(not likely)
It is actually irresponsible to talk about curing all cancers in my opinion. Nixon ("war on cancer"), Obama and Arlen Specter ("cure cancer in our lifetime") should not use that language.
But we can do better and I am glad MLB is involved.
Dr. Rick Lippin
Southampton,Pa
Your point is well taken-
Yes seemingly aging is an opportunity for more treated cancer not less cancer.
Science has done its job...we are better and better at the cure-
Though its no secret that care, treatments and cures are very profitable-
and its hard to imagine a world without those avenues widening for more opportunit
in cases of friends and family that have beat cancer I am so grateful for the treatment and eventual cure. My concern is that our focus seemingly is on the profit model and that we have not yet widened the lens to be looking at the prevention model in an inclusive and serious way.
Bill Couzens Founder Less Cancer
I stand with you Bill Couzens- You make sense.
Thanks for your leadership.
Dr. Rick Lippin
Good post Sherry-
Keep up the good work-
I too believe we can end cancer-
I look forward to a time when we start looking at cancer in a different way.
and while so grateful for the cure I look forward to a time beyond more cured cancer ..
where we are able to stop cancer at the cause.
When early detection is not considered prevention
But rather really looking at and eliminating the cancer causes.
When Richard Nixon launched his war on cancer in 1971 ..
I was 12 years old.
A life time away.
Since 1971, the federal government, private foundations and companies have spent roughly $200 billion on the quest for cures.
Though somehow we now have more cancer than ever before -
Especially for those cancers unrelated to smoking.
Yes progress has been made -though uneven-for we are curing more cancer than ever-
Yet cancer should not be an expected stage of life.
We need to work towards a world of Less Cancer-
Bill Couzens Founder Less Cancer
Less cancer is realistic. A cure for all cancers is irresponsible language. Will never happen since aging cells (getting older) is the greatest risk factor.
Still- kudos to MLB
Dr. Rick Lippin
Southampton,Pa.
Exactly. Thank you.
Until we figure out immortality, cancer will ALWAYS exist. Every aspect of your body breaks down when you get to a certain age, and this natural occurance (i.e. aging) causes cellular disruption, which causes cancer.
Cancer can strike the young, it can strike the healthy, and this is tragic. But cancer also can happen just because someone is old and it's their time to die.
And God help us all, and the planet, if we ever DO figure out how to halt the aging process.
Well one reason cancer rates have risen is because people are living longer. The older you get, the higher your chances are for gettting cancer, because your body starts to break down as you age.
But the main reason we have soaring rates of cancer because we have soaring rates of lazy fat people, or people who maybe aren't fat, but are very unhealthy.
The three best ways to prevent cancer are:
Eat less processed foods
Eat a mostly plant based diet with little red meat
Maintain a healthy body through moderate exercize and weight maintenance.
This obviously is not a sure fire cure to prevent cancer. People get cancer who have lived lives which are the pinacle of health. But doing these three things greatly reduces your risk of cancer. And if you'e had cancer, they greatly reduce your risk of recurrance. Nutrition counseling is a HUGE part of our program at my non profit cancer hospital, both for cancer victims and for people at high risk of cancer due to family history.
People need to start living healthy lifestyles and start taking responsibility for their own health.
Living longer would be one reason
However does not explain why the incidences are up for children who are getting cancer.
Bill Couzens Founder Less Cancer
Why would the AMA be keeping people from cancer cures? What kind of power do you think those people have anyway? You do want things to be tested for safety, right?
Anyways...
When my 13 year old daughter was diagnosed with osteosarcoma in 2001, I did research to try to help her and was horrified at what I learned. Her type of cancer was cured in 1972 at Berkeley in California. I also found that on a continual basis, inexpensive cures for cancer have been happening and the doctors that discover them are deprived for funding and often driven out of their professions. I find it disgusting that cancer continues to be portrayed as an incurable problem when it's not. I have written a book about our experiences in the cancer world as well as the cures I documented. It's titled "How to Survive and Thrive in a Toxic World". You can order it by calling 412-741-7471. It costs $11.95 at the store "Friends of the Planet" 437 Beaver St.- Sewickley PA 15143.
Because the AMA is the marketing and advertising arm of Big Pharma. Do the freaking math!
Cancer could have/should have been irradicated long ago, Sherry. It's not donations that are going to do the trick when you've got a corrupt government institution like the AMA masquerading as a good one.
Get the movie "Healing Cancer" by Mike Anderson. Then, after you watch that and feel your guts kicked out because of the facts he brings out about the "big business" of Cancer, and how in fact the AMA has KEPT recovery from people, then google (and on Youtube as well), "GERSON THERAPY". Let the facts, and the testimonials, speak for themselves.
We no longer have to suffer, and then die, from cancer. We just need to get access to the cure IN SPITE of the association keeping it from us - the AMA.
Well put Mary Huff!
I am a Certified Nutritionist and part of the Health Food Industry for 30 years.
Time and again I have been exposed to scientifically valid ways to effectively prevent and treat ALL forms of Cancer. After a trillion dollars and 30 years of research, all 'they' can come up with is cut, burn and poison (ie surgery, radiation, chemotherapy)?
But, my biggest concern is NOT what others do or choose to do re: Cancer. Mine is that the FDA, FTC and AMA have consistently branded my natural way as 'quackery'. They are constantly trying to pass laws to restrict my access to natural products and treatments all in the supposed spirit of 'protecting me from unproven and potentially harmful practices'. REALLY? I MEAN REALLY? Everything 'they' do is unproven and not just potentially harmful but PROVEN harmful. This article is written by someone that has never done her own research on what is actually going on and taking the word of 'experts' as gospel.
actually, the fact that you think a cure for all cancer is possible, and that you seem to not understand that "cancer" is an umbrella term for cellular disruption that covers an entire gamut of diseases, shows that YOU are the one who has done none any research.
So the Gerson Therapy Institute in Tijuana charging $4,000 or more a week for treatment ISN'T big business?
Gerson advocates have long touted that their treatment provides "higher than expected" survival rates of various cancer patients. Yet they have NEVER released an actual statsitcal accounting of WHAT that survival rate is. Sure you have a guy saying "Gerson cured me!" What they don't tell you is what percentage of their patients have that same story. Why do you think that is?
I'm all for investigation into alternative therapies, especially ones involving nutritional treatment of disease.
I have no patience for a clinic that says "We have the highest survival rate...we'
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