Lung cancer advocates from every state fight for more cancer research funding during American Lung Association's first ever LUNG FORCE Advocacy Day
Fifty-five years ago, President John F. Kennedy stood before a joint session of Congress and said, "I believe we should go to the moon." It was a call to humankind. And it inspired a generation of Americans to pursue science and innovation, where they literally pushed the boundaries of what was possible, took risks and made history. It's time to push the boundaries again.
President Obama launched the "Moonshot" initiative to eliminate cancer as we know it, placing Vice President Joe Biden in charge. The American Lung Association is going all in as a proud supporter of this effort, and I cannot think of a more worthy or impactful cause than to defeat cancer.
At the American Lung Association, I see firsthand how devastating cancer can be for both patients and loved ones. As the leading cancer killer of both women and men, lung cancer has one of the lowest survival rates - close to half of all women diagnosed with lung cancer will not survive one year. I also have witnessed the dedication of the healthcare and research communities in supporting patients, but additional early detection methods and treatment options are desperately and urgently needed to save lives. To make this a reality, the American Lung Association has made supporting lung cancer research a top priority.
Nearly two years ago, the American Lung Association launched LUNG FORCE, an initiative to defeat lung cancer and rally Americans to raise their voices in support of a cure. And on the heels of the historic "Moonshot" announcement, the Lung Association is building on this momentum and taking our cause to Capitol Hill during the first ever LUNG FORCE Advocacy Day. And we're not doing it alone, we're bringing our shared message to Washington, D.C., alongside LUNG FORCE Heroes - people whose lives have been personally impacted by lung cancer.
Together, on March 16, the Lung Association will join LUNG FORCE Heroes from all fifty states to urge Senators and Representatives to move forward with robust and sustained federal funding increases for the National Institutes of Health, so there can be better treatments and early detection for people with lung cancer. The Lung Association is pushing to increase the 2017 NIH budget to at least $34.5 billion. This will help us meet our goal of increasing federal lung cancer research funding to at least $450 million by 2020 up from $362 million today.
I'm personally inspired by the "Moonshot" effort, and more than ever, I'm moved and motivated by the LUNG FORCE Heroes who bravely share their stories to raise awareness about lung cancer, and I'm honored to join them on Capitol Hill on March 16. Together, leading up to LUNG FORCE Advocacy Day, I encourage everyone to join us in advocating for lung cancer research with your members of Congress. Together, we can defeat lung cancer.
Please share with us in the comments section how lung cancer has affected your life, and share this post and why you support cancer research.