Second Annual “Dancing For Joan” Raises $35,000

Marietta, Georgia Event Brings Together over 200 People to Help End Lung Cancer
Mar 03, 2009 – (Atlanta, GA)

The Joan Gaeta Lung Cancer Foundation announced today that the organization raised $35,000 at its second annual gala event on Saturday, February 21st, 2009. Hours of music, dancing, dining, and silent auction were the order of evening - along with some very important information about lung cancer.

The event was emceed by CNN’s Nancy Grace. Ms. Grace also promoted the foundation on her television program throughout the weeks before and after the event.

Party-goers viewed an important informational video entitled “This is Lung Cancer” which detailed the unfortunate statistics about the disease and its lack of significant research funding. The presentation also put a human face on the number one cancer killer in the world.

Honorary Chairman Paul Scheinberg, Chief of Staff at St. Joseph's Hospital in Atlanta spoke to the crowd as well, highlighting the need for much more awareness and research funding.

The specific use of the money raised will be announced by the foundation in the coming weeks. The information will be publicly available at their web site, www.forjoan.org. It will also be communicated to their supporters individually.

AWARDS

Honored with the 2009 Hummingbird Award for Dedication was Mr. William Erb of Atlanta for his $5 million donation to Saint Joseph’s Hospital as well as for his subsidizing the lung cancer screenings of his employees. The 2009 Hummingbird Award for Community Service went to Mr. Tom Simon of Atlanta for his extensive work with lung cancer support groups in and around Atlanta.

IMPORTANT FACTS ABOUT LUNG CANCER

Even if you have never smoked, you can get lung cancer. 60% of new cases are now diagnosed in non-smokers and former smokers. Lung cancer is the #1 cancer killer of both men and women. Every three minutes, someone is diagnosed with the disease. It kills more people each year than breast cancer, prostate cancer, colon cancer, liver cancer, melanoma, and kidney cancer combined. It surpassed breast cancer of the #1 killer of women in 1987. The five year survival rate for lung cancer is still only 15% - the same as it was over 35 years ago. By contrast, breast cancer now has a five year survival rate of well over 85% and prostate cancer has over a 99% survival rate.

# # #

Established in the fall of 2007, The Joan Gaeta Lung Cancer Foundation was created to raise awareness, to educate the public, and to be an advocate for research. They also strive to eliminate the stigma of lung cancer and support survivors and their loved ones in our local community.

A life long non-smoker, Joan Gaeta was a devoted wife, teacher, and mother of five. Diagnosed in early 2004, she fought a three and a half year battle before succumbing to the cancer in July of 2007.

If you would like more information about this foundation and this annual event - or to schedule and interview with Joe Gaeta - please call 404-435-7376 or send an e-mail to gaetafoundation@gmail.com. You may also visit www.forjoan.org.

MEDICAL UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA HOLLINGS CANCER CENTER RECEIVES NATIONAL CANCER INSTITUTE DESIGNATION

Hollings Cancer Center One of Only 64 U.S. Cancer Centers with Special Status

Charleston, S.C. (March 2, 2009) – The Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) Hollings Cancer Center has attained National Cancer Institute (NCI) designation, a distinction held by only 63 other cancer centers in the U.S. The Hollings Cancer Center (HCC) is the only institution in South Carolina with this prestigious status.

Andrew S. Kraft, MD, Director of the Hollings Cancer Center (HCC), said being named one of the top cancer research centers in the country signals that MUSC/HCC researchers and physicians are leaders in discovering, developing, and delivering cutting-edge treatments based on laboratory research to patients in South Carolina and beyond. The immediate benefit to patients is increased access to early clinical trials offering promising new treatments.

“We are honored and proud to have earned this recognition. It is a distinction earned over many years through collaboration and innovation by dedicated researchers, clinicians, and staff throughout Hollings Cancer Center and MUSC,” Dr. Kraft said. “By sharing what we know with other cancer centers and practices throughout our state, we can step up our war on cancer in South Carolina and beyond. Our citizens don’t have to leave the state to find the most advanced research and protocols from an NCI center – we have one right here in our back yard.”
NCI designation is accompanied by more than $7 million in funding to sustain and grow research efforts at MUSC. The NCI awarded designation to HCC based on its outstanding facilities, commitment to research, leadership, and vision.

Former U.S. Senator Ernest “Fritz” Hollings, for whom the cancer center was named in 1993, hailed the federal designation as nothing less than South Carolinians deserve.

“This is a true milestone for the Medical University of South Carolina. One can see that the cancer building is a winner, but now all in the state can know that the doctors and staff of MUSC Cancer Center are winners. Dr. Greenberg, Dr. Kraft, and the staff are to be congratulated.”
NCI-designated cancer centers are characterized by scientific excellence and the capability to integrate diverse research approaches that focus on cancer. They play a vital role in advancing the goal of reducing morbidity and mortality from cancer through increased clinical trials that offer patients new drugs and treatment protocols that would be unavailable to them otherwise.
U.S. Senator Lindsey L. Graham called the designation a “game-changer” for the thousands of South Carolinians with cancer.

“Cancer is one of the leading causes of death in the nation and practically every family in our state has been impacted by this horrible disease. The Hollings Cancer Center will now take its place among an elite group of institutions in the major leagues of cancer research,” Graham said.

“The NCI designation only comes to the best and brightest. It is a compliment to the men and women who put in countless hours at this facility and recognition that the Hollings Cancer Center is among the best of the best in cancer research.”

Designation also holds the potential to spur South Carolina’s economy by attracting public and private funding for new endeavors.

U.S. Rep. Henry Brown said NCI status offer hope for a bright future in the state’s cancer research endeavors.

“The NCI designation for the MUSC Hollings Cancer Center is recognition of excellence in cancer research. The discoveries made here will leave the laboratories and reach the patients, both in our state and throughout the world.”

Raymond S. Greenberg, MD, PhD, MUSC President, praised the efforts of many that made designation possible.

“Under the leadership of former MUSC President Jim Edwards, and with the support of Senator Hollings, MUSC set the goal of obtaining NCI designation more than a decade ago,” Dr. Greenberg said. “Now that this dream has come true, we gratefully acknowledge all who have made it possible, especially Dr. Kraft and his outstanding team. We also thank those like Jim Edwards and Fritz Hollings, whose vision and determination set this entire process in motion.”
According to the NCI, designated cancer centers are a major source of discovery of the nature of cancer and of the development of more effective approaches to cancer prevention, diagnosis, and therapy. They also deliver medical advances to patients and their families, educate healthcare professionals and the public, and reach out to underserved populations. They are characterized by strong organizational capabilities, institutional commitment, and trans-disciplinary, cancer-focused science; experienced scientific and administrative leadership, and state-of-the-art cancer research and patient care facilities. ###

About Hollings Cancer Center
Hollings Cancer Center at the Medical University of South Carolina is the largest academic-based cancer program in South Carolina. The Hollings Cancer Center is currently a developing National Cancer Institute designated cancer center and has more than $35M in cancer research funding. More than 500 people are currently participating on a cancer clinical trial at HCC. To expand patient access to clinical trials, MUSC Hollings Cancer Center has established the Clinical Trials Network (CTN). Partnering with nine cancer programs in S.C., the CTN broadens the reach of new research that may one day be the new standards of care.

Hollings Cancer Center offers state-of-the-art diagnostic capabilities, therapies and surgical techniques and has multidisciplinary clinics that involve surgeons, medical oncologists, radiation therapists, radiologists, pathologists, psychologists and many other specialists seeing patients under one roof. Multidisciplinary care is provided in disease specific clinics such as thoracic, breast, head & neck, genitourinary, gastrointestinal, hematological, and pediatric cancers. For more information, please visit www.hcc.musc.edu.

About MUSC
Founded in 1824 in Charleston, The Medical University of South Carolina is the oldest medical school in the South. Today, MUSC continues the tradition of excellence in education, research, and patient care. MUSC educates and trains more than 3,000 students and residents, and has nearly 11,000 employees, including approximately 2,000 faculty members. As the largest non-federal employer in Charleston, the university and its affiliates have collective annual budgets in excess of $1.6 billion. MUSC operates a 750-bed medical center, which includes a nationally recognized Children's Hospital, the Ashley River Tower (cardiovascular, digestive disease, and surgical oncology), and a leading Institute of Psychiatry. For more information on academic or clinical services, visit http://www.musc.edu or www.muschealth.com.

The State reports: State cancer center wins top ranking

National Cancer Institute designation brings prestige, $8 million in funding for MUSC’s Hollings facility

By WAYNE WASHINGTON - wwashington@thestate.com


The Hollings Cancer Center at the Medical University of South Carolina has been designated a National Cancer Institute, a nod that brings prestige and $8 million in funding for administrative and equipment costs.

There are only 64 National Cancer Institute centers in the United States. The Hollings Cancer Center is the only NCI-designated center in South Carolina. Previously, the closest NCI-designated facilities were in North Carolina in Winston-Salem, Chapel Hill and Durham.
“Our citizens don’t have to leave the state to find the most advanced research and protocols from an NCI center,” said Dr. Andrew Kraft, director of the Hollings Cancer Center. “We have one right here in our backyard.”

U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., traveled to Charleston on day to announce the center’s NCI designation.

“The NCI designation only comes to the best and brightest,” Graham said. “The Hollings Cancer Center will now take its place among an elite group of institutions in the major leagues of cancer research.”

The National Cancer Institute is a division of the National Institutes of Health, which distributes millions of dollars each year to universities, hospitals and foundations for health-related research.

NCI-designated facilities are expected to be leaders in cancer research and treatment.

Kraft said the designation’s resulting $8 million in funding, which will be given to the center in chunks of $1.6 million per year for five years, will be used for facilities, equipment and salaries.

But the center won’t be the sole beneficiary of the NCI designation, MUSC officials said.

They pointed out the NCI designation will increase patient access to clinical trials, which can offer new treatment options in difficult cases.

The university said the designation also should help the Hollings Cancer Center attract top researchers and additional research funding.

Kraft said the NIH sets aside a separate pool of money NCI-designated facilities can compete to receive.

MUSC pulled in $101 million in research funding from the NIH last year. That total represented half the research money the university received.

MUSC has made some high-profile strides in cancer research, including:

• Discovering new procedures that could increase the accuracy of testing for bladder cancer

• A study showing the importance of attitudes and beliefs in the use of a vaccine to prevent a disease that can lead to cervical cancer

• Research showing the risk of cancer from exposure to radiation during a computed tomography (CT) for heart disease has been significantly overstated

• A study showing people with skin cancer could have a higher risk of developing another form of cancer

Kraft said the NCI designation is one people across the state, not just those at MUSC, can take pride in.

“It recognizes that the state has gotten together to support cutting-edge research,” he said.

The State reports: Cancer Center wins national status, federal funds

By: SUSANNE M. SCHAFER - Associated Press Writer

COLUMBIA, S.C. -- The Hollings Cancer Center in Charleston has been named one of the nation's top institutes for cancer research, opening the way to more federal dollars and increasing the number of South Carolinians with access to cutting-edge cancer treatments, officials said Monday.

The distinction, bestowed by the federally funded National Cancer Institute, was announced Monday at the Medical University of South Carolina, where the Hollings Center is located.

That makes it one of 64 in the country and the only one in the Palmetto State.

"We hope this designation will increase the number of patients involved in our cancer studies," said the director of the Hollings Center, Dr. Andrew S. Kraft. "There's a lot of excitement here over this."

Kraft said the recognition means the center will obtain a startup grant of $7 million, which can be renewed every five years.

The application was more than 1,000 pages long and involved 10 years of effort. It required lengthy, onsite inspections by National Cancer Institute officials of the Hollings Center's research studies, also known as clinical trials, that may pave the way to innovative treatments of disease, Kraft said in a telephone interview.

"When they give their imprimatur, the ultimate goal is for them to encourage us to take it to the next level, and that is to better understand and cure cancer," Kraft said.

The center records about 80,000 patient visits annually, and nearly 2,000 patients were diagnosed with cancer last year, said a spokeswoman for the Center, Vicki Agnew. The center has about 170 researchers, physicians and medical specialists dealing with cancer.

Of the 2,000 cancer patients, the center has been able to place 11 percent to 14 percent in its clinical trials. The influx of federal money means that number could double, the director said.
"A clear goal is to take that to 20 or 25 percent," Kraft said.

Kraft said patients with all types of cancer are seen at the center, but its staff specializes in cancers of the head, neck and blood, as well as gastric and pediatric cancers.
Among its many studies, researchers are looking into new drugs for cancer treatments; what role the immune system might play in cancer treatment and researching the role of genetics, the director said.

Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., said in a statement that the step means "the Hollings Center will now take its place among an elite group of institutions in the major leagues of cancer research."

LCA and 14 Other Lung Cancer Organizations Send Letter to NIH and NCI Requesting $100M for Lung Cancer Research

LCA and 14 Other Lung Cancer Organizations Send Letter to NIH and NCI Requesting $100M for Lung Cancer Research

The following letter was sent to the Acting Director of National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Director of National Cancer Institute (NCI) regarding the increase in funding to NIH through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009:

February 24, 2009

Raynard S. Kington, MD, PhD
Acting Director
National Institutes of Health
Bldg. 1, Rm. 328
1 Center Dr.
MSC 0148
Bethesda, MD 20892-0148

John E. Niederhuber, M.D.
Director
National Cancer Institute
Bldg 31, Rm 11A48
31 Center Dr. MSC 2590
Bethesda, MD 20892

Dear Dr. Kington and Dr. Niederhuber,

President Obama and the Congress recognized the importance of medical research to our economy and public health by including $10.4B for the National Institute of Health in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) signed into law last week.
In addition, with the Continuing Resolution about to expire, Congress will take final action this week on FY 09 appropriations bills for certain agencies, including the Department of Health and Human Services. The draft bills call for an increase of $938 million for NIH, for a total of $30.3 billion for FY 09, and an increase of $186 million in funding for NCI for a total of $4.968 billion in FY09

With this unprecedented injection of additional funding under the ARRA and with the added FY09 funding, we urge you set aside at least $100 million for a comprehensive, coordinated and long overdue effort to reduce lung cancer mortality.

Lung cancer continues to take more lives each year than those caused by the next four most common cancers combined. Indeed, only heart disease surpasses lung cancer in mortality in the United States. Despite the warnings in The Progress Review Group Report to NCI in 2001, lung cancer research continues to be funded far below its enormous public health impact.

When the NCI budget was doubled during the years 1997 through 2001, no proportionate increase was made in lung cancer research funding. In FY 08, according to NIH’s Estimates of Funding for Various Research, Condition and Disease Categories, only 6% of NIH’s entire budget covering all the institutes was allotted for lung cancer research and only 3% at NCI specifically.
In recent reports published in the Journal of NCI on the cost of cancer care under Medicare, the productivity costs of cancer, and the estimates and projections of the value of life lost from cancer death, lung cancer tops every chart.

We urge you to utilize $100 million from the ARRA and the FY 09 appropriations for a comprehensive and coordinated lung cancer research and mortality reduction program.

Sincerely,

Laurie Fenton Ambrose
President & CEO
Lung Cancer Alliance

Tracy Sestili
President
Beverly Fund

Bonnie J. Addario
Founder & President
Bonnie J. Addario Lung Cancer Foundation

Tammy Coppedge
Brittany’s Battle

Jose Ramos
Executive Director
Gail P. Ramos Lung Cancer Foundation

Joe Gaeta
President
Joan Gaeta Lung Cancer Foundation

Susan Mantel
Executive Director
Joan’s Legacy: Uniting Against Lung Cancer

Dan Hart
Liz Martocci Lung Cancer Foundation

Cindy Langhorne
Program Director
Caring Ambassadors Lung Cancer Program

Susan Levin
President
Lung Cancer Circle of Hope

Lori Monroe
Co-Founder
Lung Cancer Foundation of America

Beth Ida Stern
Executive Director
LUNGevity

Regina Vidaver, Ph.D
Executive Director
National Lung Cancer Partnership

Andrea Stearn Ferris
Founder & Executive Director
Protect Your Lungs

Tom Labrecque
President
Thomas G. Labrecque Foundation