Every year the cause of death for thousands of people in America is cancer. This horrific disease is capable of killing nearly 1,500 Americans in one day. “The American Cancer Society is working to change that fact” states an ad for the upcoming Lindenhurst Relay for Life. Relay for Life allows the community to work together as one and do something for a cause. The “kick off” meeting for the event took place on Tuesday February 13th, 2007 at the McKenna Administration Building at 7:30 pm and began an effort which will culminate on May 13th, 2007 at the middle school field.

Many of you may be wondering what Relay For Life is. It is an event that allows the community to come together as one and support the American Cancer Society’s efforts. The American Cancer Society (ACS) is a voluntary health organization dedicated to preventing cancer and saving lives. “In honor of the 8.5 million Americans who have survived cancer, teams of friends, families and co-workers raise funds to support the continued fight against the disease.” The Lindenhurst Relay for Life consists of teams of 8-15 people who fundraise money through garage sales, car washes or have their family and friends donate the money. All of these team members will camp out at the middle school field on May 13th, and one person from each team will always be walking the track, while the other team members participate in the activities and entertainment.

Fortunately, the number of deaths caused by cancer has declined for two years straight because of the organizations like the American Cancer Society. “This is the second consecutive year there was a drop in the number of cancer deaths in the United States,” President Bush stated at the National Institutes of Health Laboratories. “The drop this year was the steepest ever recorded.” However, the rates of cancer are still high. According to the “Cancer Facts & Figures 2007” which is a yearly report from the ACS, an estimated 1,444,920 new cases of cancer are predicted and 559,650 cancer deaths will occur in the year of 2007. Many people will also require several hours of treatment. A victim who is struggling with cancer pays at least $2.3 billion for the first year of treatment. Ovarian cancer treatment consists of 368 hours in the first year after diagnosis; lung cancer requires 272 hours, and 193 hours for kidney cancer. This doesn’t include the many days that are spent at home recovering from the surgery or being weak from the chemo. It is just the time spent actively getting care.

Not only is there a lot of treatment involved, but chemotherapy also damages brain cells which would lead to memory loss and confusion in cancer patients and possibly permanent damage in young children. Joerg Dietrich and his colleagues at the University of Rochester in New York reported in an issue of the Journal of Biology, published by BioMed Central, that in a study, they discovered that the drugs killed more brain cells than the tumor cells they were meant to target.

Thirty percent of these cancer deaths in the US are caused by smoking, and other forms of tobacco. Cancer deaths are also linked to the nutrition and the physical activity of a person. For the majority of people who do not smoke, these factors are the most important for affecting cancer risk. The ACS guidelines for nutrition and physical activity recommend keeping weight in a healthy range, getting plenty of exercise, and having a healthy diet with lots of fruits and vegetables to help reduce cancer risk.

With these facts in mind, accept the challenge of organizing a fundraising team. Represent your after school club, your sports team or your group of concerned friends. If you missed the “kick off” meeting this week, contact Jackie Milton at 226-2133 or at JackieLindyRelay@aol.com to get involved.