In Our Words
State Institute Offers Hope to Cancer Patients
Six years ago, my world changed forever. The day was Aug. 31, 2005. That was the day that my wife Sarah told me she had been diagnosed with an aggressive form of breast cancer. On that day, every success I have had in my life faded. Saving Sarah’s life was all that mattered to me.
Cancer Screening: Controversies and Opportunities
In 2010, more than 98,000 Texans are predicted to be diagnosed with cancer1 . Yet many of the expected 36,000 deaths from cancer in Texas this year are potentially avoidable with better use of evidence-based screening interventions. More consistent application of screening recommendations can increase the proportion of newly diagnosed individuals with early-stage disease and who can benefit from potentially lifesaving, more effective, and less toxic treatment options. Nationally, death rates from cancers at the most common anatomic sites continue to decline, except that for lung cancer in women, which has stabilized. The impact of cancer varies across racial, ethnic, socioeconomic, and educational attainment groups, and these differences have changed little over recent years. A combination of prevention, screening, and more effective treatment has contributed to the avoidance of approximately 650,000 cancer deaths from 1992 through 20052 Cancer screening is considered a significant factor in this dramatic change in the natural history of cancer in the United States.
CPRIT Becomes A Reality
CPRIT - The Cancer Prevention & Research Institute of Texas – was created from hope. Discouraged after the cancer deaths of several close friends, a small group of concerned Texans banded together in summer 2006 to promote the idea for a new cancer research initiative in Texas. They were buoyed in these efforts by the support of the Texas Legislature and spurred to action by the grim knowledge that more than 100,000 Texans are diagnosed with cancer each year. Cancer takes a terrible toll in this state; it kills 40,000 people annually, making it the second leading cause of death in Texas. The disease costs the Texas economy $22 billion annually – more than $60 million each day. But through CPRIT, a first-of-its-kind organization, Texas is fighting back.
Texas Takes On Cancer: One Year Later
Cancer. One single word that can make a person’s heart skip a beat. An enemy so fierce that everyone is a potential target – it can hit anyone at any time. And it does each and every day. Over one million Americans will be diagnosed with cancer this year. Closer to home, 98,000 Texans are diagnosed each year. Sadly, 37,000 Texans lose their battle with this disease every year – a shocking 100 of our friends and neighbors die each day.
