Canadian Cancer Society invests $1.5M to Boost LC Research

[Christine]

TORONTO, Sept. 20 /CNW/ - The Canadian Cancer Society is pleased to announce the launch of a new research initiative to fight lung cancer, the leading cause of cancer for men and women.

The Ontario division of the Society will contribute $1.5 million to initiate a lung cancer research fund that will support research into every aspect of lung cancer with the ultimate goal of improving survival and enhancing the lives of people living with the disease.

"We recognize the need to fund more research in lung cancer, the leading cause of cancer death in Canada," says Peter Goodhand, CEO, Ontario Division, Canadian Cancer Society. "Thanks to the efforts and generosity of our volunteers and donors in Ontario, we can now contribute this significant funding to research into this disease that has a devastating impact on many Canadians."

The Board of Directors of the Canadian Cancer Society, Ontario Division, provided full support for this lung cancer research investment in January of this year. The $1.5 million investment is in Addition to the $24 million the Society in Ontario had already committed to cancer research in 2006/2007 through the Society's research partner, the National Cancer Institute of Canada (NCIC).

"We felt it was vital that we boost cancer research across the spectrum of lung cancer from diagnosis to treatment to quality of life," says Stephen Roche, Chair, Board of Directors, Ontario Division, Canadian Cancer Society.

In 2007, an estimated 23,300 new cases of lung cancer will be diagnosed and 19,900 will die from the disease.

A report released in September by the Canadian Cancer Research Alliance highlighted the lack of funding for lung cancer stating that in 2005, the research investment in lung cancer was $7 million, representing less than 3% of the total research investment of $254 million made in that year. This report confirms the Society was moving in the right direction when it made this funding decision earlier this year.

Although the initial investment for the lung cancer research fund comes from Ontario, researchers from across Canada will be invited to submit applications for funding granted by the NCIC.

The Ontario Division continues to have a strong commitment to funding cancer research, having invested more than $250 million in the last decade and close to $575 million in the last 60 years. Nationally the Society has invested more than $1 billion to cancer research through the NCIC.

The Canadian Cancer Society is a national community-based organization of volunteers whose mission is to eradicate cancer and to enhance the quality of life of people living with cancer. When you want to know more about cancer, visit our website www.cancer.ca or call our toll-free, bilingual Cancer Information Service at 1 888 939-3333.

For further information: Christine Koserski, Media Relations, Ontario Division, Canadian Cancer Society: (416) 488-5402, ext. 2305

[nikk67]

thanks for this info as I never saw the article and live in Toronto!