American Cancer Society

[NPM Voice Talent] Support for NPR and the following message come from the American Cancer Society. Dr. Alpa Patel leads a team that researches cancer risk factors, and she shares how her team makes an impact. [Dr. Patel] We always do what we like to think of as actionable science. So the work that we do makes its way to things like nutrition and physical activity guidelines for cancer.org, where millions of people come each year to learn about how they can better prevent cancer. [NPM Voice Talent] To learn more, go to cancer [dot] org.

[NPM Voice Talent] Support for NPR and the following message come from the American Cancer Society. Dr. Alpa Patel shares what sparked her interest in how physical activity impacts cancer risk. [Dr. Patel] When I started my career about 25 years ago, there was a little bit of evidence that physical activity lowered the risk of developing colorectal cancer. And this happened at the same time that I was finishing school and noticed that my own lifestyle was becoming more and more sedentary now that I was working, mostly sitting at a desk. I was getting less than 3,000 steps a day, which really sparked my curiosity about the benefits of exercise throughout life. Today, we actually know that physical activity is linked to lower risk of seven types of cancer and possibly more. So it’s been really exciting to see the contributions of my research to that understanding. [NPM Voice Talent] To learn more, go to cancer [dot] org.

[NPM Voice Talent] Support for NPR and the following message come from the American Cancer Society. SVP of Population Science Dr. Alpa Patel shares the mission of a new study designed to impact an underrepresented community. [Dr. Patel] The goal of the Voices of Black Women study is to enroll 100,000 women between the ages of 25 and 55 who have never been diagnosed with cancer and follow them for years into the future to understand what in their lived experiences influences their risk of developing cancer. I’m so excited for us at the American Cancer Society to launch the Voices of Black Women because it’s really a commitment to understanding what is increasing cancer risk in a population that disproportionately has a greater burden of cancer. And it’s going to be one of the largest population studies ever to be done. [NPM Voice Talent] To learn more, go to voices [dot] cancer [dot] org.

[NPM Voice Talent] This message comes from NPR sponsor the American Cancer Society. Chief of Organizational Advancement Mike Neal and his team partner with companies working to improve the lives of people with cancer and their families. [Mike] We will work with anyone to find a way that they can give back to the fight against cancer. And it varies from a variety of different things, from employee engagement to outright grants to the organization, or even partnerships that help move the mission together. [NPM Voice Talent] To partner with the American Cancer Society, go to cancer dot org slash become a partner.

[NPM Voice Talent] This message comes from NPR sponsor the American Cancer Society, working to improve the lives of people with cancer and their families. Chief of Organizational Advancement Mike Neal shares an example of how volunteers and partnerships help bring this mission to life. [Mike] So we have a CEOs against cancer chapters in cities across the country. And these are CEOs who are volunteering their time to help tackle cancer issues. They’ll take on a project specifically. For example, our CEOs in St. Louis actually raised money to build a Hope Lodge. And it’s a home away from home for a cancer patient and a caregiver to stay free of charge when they’re in a particular city getting treatment. And it really improves the likelihood of them completing their treatment by overcoming a lodging barrier. [NPM Voice Talent] To learn more or to partner with the American Cancer Society, go to cancer dot org slash become a partner.

[NPM Voice Talent] This message comes from NPR sponsor the American Cancer Society. Chief of Organizational Advancement Mike Neal reflects on the impact corporate partners make in the fight against cancer: [Mike] We’re working with companies across the United States every day. We have company partners from a gas station to a large pharmaceutical retail business. And I’ve seen over 26 years how we’ve been able to improve the quality of life of a cancer patient as they go through their journey, not just the patient, but their family. We do this through advocacy, research, and patient support. And every partnership we have is giving us more opportunity, another arrow in our quiver, so to speak, to be able to do this and help move the mission together. [NPM Voice Talent] To learn more or to partner with the American Cancer Society, go to cancer dot org slash become a partner.

[NPM Voice Talent] This message comes from NPR sponsor the American Cancer Society. As a volunteer driver for the “Road To Recovery” program, Patrick Nunez has seen firsthand the challenges patients have with getting to and from treatment: [Patrick] When you do give them a ride, you realize how important it is to them. They really, at some point probably worried about this. And just to see that that concern diminish when you’re able to get them to and from their doctor’s appointments is very rewarding. [NPM Voice Talent] To learn more or get involved go to cancer.org.

[NPM Voice Talent] This message comes from NPR sponsor the American Cancer Society. Patrick Nunez is a volunteer driver with the American Cancer Society’s “Road To Recovery” program. Patrick shares how his friend’s experience with cancer showed him the value of providing transportation. [Patrick] When my friend was sick, I learned that not only was it important for him to have the treatment, but it was important to get him to the treatment. And people have challenges with this for many different reasons. Perhaps they don’t have an automobile. But one thing I learned was that at some point it became too taxing to drive. There were times where he thought he could drive and he would get to the doctor’s appointment and then have to call for us to come pick him up. And then when he passed, I learned about this program, and I, I kind of felt like it was just a really good way to not only pay homage to him, but to help other people get to and from their doctor appointments. [NPM Voice Talent] To learn more about the American Cancer Society’s impact and how to get involved, go to cancer dot org.

[NPM Voice Talent] This message comes from NPR sponsor the American Cancer Society, whose “Road To Recovery” program helps cancer patients get to and from their treatments. Volunteer driver Patrick Nunez shares the importance of providing direct and reliable transportation. [Patrick] So what I’ve learned about some of the challenges people face for getting to and from their appointments is that there are many obstacles the obvious one is, “well, do they have a car?” But there are many other obstacles, such as, “will they physically be capable of driving themselves? Are they on medications that might prevent them from driving?” When you do give them a ride, you realize how important it is to them, how, you know, they really, at some point probably worried about this. And just to see that that concern diminish when you’re able to get them to and from their doctor’s appointments is very rewarding. [NPM Voice Talent] To learn more about the American Cancer Society’s impact and how to get involved, go to cancer dot org.