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Why I Volunteer for the American Cancer Society

President, American Cancer Society

In 1998 the American Cancer Society issued bold challenge goals for the American public: a 50% reduction in age-adjusted cancer mortality rates along with a 25% reduction in cancer incidence and measurable improvement in quality of life for cancer survivors by 2015. Encouraging recent trends and an analysis of the potential make us believe that the goals are achievable, but only if organizations, health care providers, and the public join to increase prevention and early detection efforts, assure access to high-quality care and eliminate disparities among population groups while at the same time advocating for increased support for research and participation in clinical trials.

The Society's 24 hours a day, seven days a week toll-free National Cancer Information Center (NCIC) hotline puts information and community resources as close as the nearest phone, in both English and Spanish. The Society's website (http://www.cancer.org) puts it as close as the nearest computer. Each day approximately 2,500 people call the NCIC, and more than 250,000 people visit the Society's website each month.

New website features include information on health care providers and hospitals, a cancer drug database and a state-by-state cancer directory of resources, including a hospital locator, information on the NCI Cancer Center, and pediatric cancer centers, as well as other services.

The Society publishes materials specifically directed to physicians, including the journals Cancer, CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians, and Cancer Practice—A Multidisciplinary Journal of Cancer Care. Also available for the general public is a variety of printed materials, including pamphlets, tip sheets and books. Recently, the National Comprehensive Cancer Network developed guidelines for virtually all cancer sites.

Today, the public sector regards the American Cancer Society as the preeminent source of accurate, current and unbiased information for all aspects of cancer. Across the country, the Society conducts community cancer-control activities aimed at reducing the risk of cancer, detecting cancer as early as possible, ensuring proper treatment, and empowering people facing cancer to cope with the disease and maintain the highest possible quality of life. An example of ongoing activities include: smoking cessation programs, colorectal and skin cancer awareness campaigns, advocating for early detection programs for breast, prostate, and cervical cancer among underserved populations, to name a few.

Since its inception, the Society has been dedicated to finding a cure for cancer and has committed more than $2.2 billion to this effort with emphasis on funding beginning investigators. This year alone, the Society funded more than $100 million in cancer research and health professional training. Thirty grantees have gone on to win the Nobel Prize. The Society also maintains its own epidemiological and surveillance research program, which monitors and analyzes patterns and trends in cancer occurrence, risk factors, utilization of early detection tests, and patient care. The statistics generated by the Society's epidemiological and surveillance research program are published annually in Cancer Facts and Figures, and in CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians, the most widely quoted publication in the field of cancer.

In 1995, the American Cancer Society Behavioral Research Center opened. This year, the Research Center conducted a survey of cigar smokers. Future projects include: the largest ever cancer survivors' study, to include 100,000 patients, and a study on the use of complementary therapies used by cancer survivors.

In 1959, the Society launched the first cancer prevention study (CPS I). Data from the two million people enrolled in CPS I and the subsequent CPS II, (launched in 1982), have been used in over 100 other research studies. In the fall of 1992 and 1993, approximately half of the CPS II Study population (men and women age 50-74 in 21 states) were re-contacted for information on nutrition and other cancer risk factors. Now, as part of a Society project entitled, Lifelink, blood samples were collected from 40,000 of those people who were re-contacted for future study on the effect of hormonal and growth factors, nutrient factors, gene/environment interactions, etc.

Because cancer is a political, as well as a medical, social, psychological, and economic issue, the Society has identified advocacy as one of its top corporate priorities. Through the combined efforts of a community-based grassroots network of Society volunteers, health care professionals, cancer survivors, and other partners, the Society has been instrumental in influencing or supporting policies, laws and regulations that enhance the quality of life for cancer patients and their families. Two of the Society's current major advocacy initiatives are: A) to insure that access to clinical trials is part of the national debate on patient-protection legislation, and B) to increase public health initiatives to address the needs of the medically underserved.

As a practicing surgeon for over thirty years, I have had the opportunity to help with the care of countless people facing a diagnosis of cancer. Treating individuals with cancer can be an enormously gratifying experience, but I believe health care providers are also in a position, and, in fact, have an obligation, to use their unique knowledge and positions of influence and trust to positively influence the cancer problem on a wider, societal basis. That is why I volunteer for the American Cancer Society, and that is why I would encourage all cancer care specialists to find ways to participate individually and through organizations in local and national advocacy, educational, and fundraising activities. After all, who can speak more authoritatively and effectively on behalf of education, public policy, and support for research than those of us who are actually engaged in the daily battle against cancer.

The Society is responding to its own challenge by bringing organizations and people together to fight cancer. Cancer is a powerful foe and beating it requires the best effort of all of us. The new millennium is an exciting time for cancer. We believe there is a real opportunity to make a difference and we look forward to working with all of you to accomplish our mission of eliminating cancer as a major health problem.

Gerald L. Wollam, M.D. President, American Cancer Society

This Article Full Text (PDF) eLetters: Submit a response to this article Alert me when this article is cited Alert me when eLetters are posted Alert me if a correction is posted Services E-mail this article link to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Reprints/Permissions Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Woolam, G. L. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Woolam, G. L.