The American Cancer Society’s Lifesaving Work to End Cancer As We Know It for Everyone

June is National Cancer Survivors Month. There are more than 18 million cancer survivors in the United States today, and cancer death rates have declined by 33% since 1991 thanks to incredible advances in treatment, screening, and prevention.

The American Cancer Society is a leading cancer-fighting organization with a vision to end cancer as we know it, for everyone. ACS is improving the lives of people with cancer and their families as the only organization combating cancer through advocacy, research, and patient support. ACS has invested more than $5 billion in cancer research since 1946 leading to many of the cures, screenings, and prevention practices that are saving lives today.

ACS offers free cancer patient services such as transportation to treatment through our Road to Recovery program, lodging for patients travelling long distance to treatment through our 31 free Hope Lodge communities nationwide, Reach to Recovery one-on-one breast cancer mentoring, our 24/7 cancer hotline at 1-800-227-2345 which connects callers to trained cancer information specialists, and comprehensive cancer education and resources available at www.cancer.org.

For patients who need to travel long distance when the best chance for a cure is far from home, ACS has 31 free Hope Lodge communities that offer free lodging to cancer patients. In the Northeast, for example, the AstraZeneca Hope Lodge in Philadelphia offers 37 guest rooms, and the Hope Lodge Jerome L. Greene Family Center in New York City offers 60 guest rooms.  Both are near treatment centers in their respective cities. For a complete list of the Hope Lodge communities in the U.S. and Puerto Rico, see www.cancer.org/hopelodge.

One of the American Cancer Society’s premier events is the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer walk, which is the largest network of breast cancer events in the U.S., taking place every October in more than 200 communities. Making Strides celebrate survivorship, remember those lost to the disease, and fundraise to save more lives from breast cancer. Making Strides Against Breast Cancer of Greater Philadelphia and Southern New Jersey takes place October 15 at Cooper River Park – Jack Curtis Stadium in Pennsauken, N.J. To register or learn more, www.makingstrideswalk.org/GPSNJ.

More than 290,000 new cases of breast cancer will be diagnosed in the U.S. this year, and more than 8,500 of those cases will be in New Jersey. The good news is that there are over 3.8 million breast cancer survivors in the U.S.

For more information about the American Cancer Society, see www.cancer.org.