 Focus of Cancer Care Should be on Prevention—By Emma Lee Twitchell, CFRE, Development Director, Northern California Cancer Center Published: March, 2007  We all know someone who has cancer or who has survived a cancer diagnosis, or we may be one of the many women who has been diagnosed with cancer. One in three women in the U.S. will develop cancer, and more than 500,000 Americans will lose their struggle with cancer this year alone. When we ask ourselves what can be done to improve these odds, one answer must include finding ways to prevent this disease. The majority of cancer research focuses on the treatment and care of patients at diagnosis, and receives over 95 percent of national healthcare funding. Only two percent of healthcare funding is directed to prevention. But prevention is where we can stop cancer before it starts. A primary step in preventing cancer involves research. Research provides us with the clues necessary to discover the genetic, environmental, lifestyle and other factors that may contribute to a cancer diagnosis. As the Development Director with the Northern California Cancer Center (NCCC), we are working hard at discovering who gets cancer and why, and how to improve the quality of life for those living with this disease. For example, NCCC researchers compiled the statistics showing Marin County had one of the highest rates of breast cancer in the world. Our scientists have found that women who drink two or more alcoholic beverages a day have a higher risk of developing breast cancer, and the combination of alcohol consumption and use of hormone replacement therapy results in the highest level of breast cancer risk. NCCC research has also shown the parallel declines in breast cancer diagnoses and hormone replacement therapy use. These are just a few of the significant findings that NCCC scientists uncover every day through their work. Armed with this research, we can help inform people of the actions they can take to reduce cancer risk, and to live well despite this disease. As an independent nonprofit organization, NCCC relies on government funding from agencies such as the National Institutes of Health, the Centers for Disease Control and the California Department of Health Services. We urge everyone concerned about cancer to advocate for government funding to continue cancer research. Write your congressperson a letter voicing the need for cancer research funding, donate to an organization doing this work, or volunteer to help raise awareness. To learn more about cancer prevention and research, go to the Northern California Cancer Center website at http://www.nccc.org. | ||
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