‘You have cancer’

As I was walking into a physical therapy appointment this past winter, I was pretty sure that my sore shoulder was a pretty big deal. That was until I saw a longtime friend and fellow community volunteer sitting across from me with his wife waiting for an appointment to help with his recovery from multiple rounds of chemotherapy to treat his recently-diagnosed cancer. The fear and uncertainty in their eyes was all too evident and made me realize that my sore shoulder was really not that big a deal.

The Gazette’s excellent series on Iowa’s alarming increasing in cancer incidence rates underscores the fact my encounter with someone dealing with the aftereffects of cancer was not an isolated event. The statistics bear this out: one out of every two men and one out of every three women will be diagnosed with cancer during their lifetimes. More than 600,000 people from across the United States and more than 6,300 Iowans died from cancer in 2023; over 1.9 million people in the United States and more than 20,000 of people in Iowa first heard the dreaded words “You have cancer” in the past 12 months.

However, we all have to do more than be concerned about these sobering numbers. I am not a doctor or a research scientist so that the only way I can actually do something about the human side of these numbers is through volunteering for and financially supporting the work of the American Cancer Society.

Helping fund the research and education programs of the American Cancer Society is a tangible way to save lives and prevent deaths from cancer. The American Cancer Society continues to be the largest source of private cancer research funding in the United States. The 33% decline in cancer mortality rates since 1991 is due, in no small part, to the education and research work of the American Cancer Society to reach its vision to “end cancer as we know it, for everyone.”

The $3.1 billion that the American Cancer Society has invested in cancer research since 1991 has contributed to more than 4 million fewer deaths from cancer over that same time period. These research dollars are at work across the country in laboratories and other research settings, including more than $2.8 million in grants in effect at the Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center at the University of Iowa. Fifty Nobel Laureates were funded by the American Cancer Society early in their careers. Their discoveries have contributed to medical advances across all disease categories — not just cancer.

The impact of the American Cancer Society is broader than its world-class research programs. The clear, evidence-based information on cancer diagnosis and treatment is available to everyone at no cost 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at www.cancer.org. Each year, hundreds of thousands of people dealing with cancer or their families or friends or caregivers can dial 1-800-ACS-2345 any time of the day or night and reach a trained social worker who can respond to their questions or just be a friendly, supportive voice.

In 2023 alone, The Russ and Ann Gerdin American Cancer Society Hope Lodge in Iowa City provided over 14,400 nights of free lodging to almost 950 guests receiving cancer treatment at the Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center, resulting in a savings of over $2 million that would have otherwise been spent on lodging. In addition, the American Cancer Society partnered with health systems across the state to provide $200,000 to support transportation and lodging assistance for their cancer patients, helping cancer patients across Iowa. My fellow American Cancer Society Road to Recovery volunteers and I provided 555 free trips to cancer treatment for Iowans in 2023.

The American Cancer Society’s advocacy affiliate, the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, worked collaboratively with its partners to advocate for the passage of the Clean Indoor Air Act, so that all of us can take our families to restaurants, free of second hand smoke. In addition, it took the lead to assure the expansion of Medicaid expansion for lower-income Iowans and the passage of legislation to require our schools to test for and mitigate radon so that our students are not exposed to radon, the second-leading cause of lung cancer in Iowans.

The reach of the American Cancer Society is prevalent across the state of Iowa, and I am proud to have been a volunteer for the American Cancer Society for over 47 years. To support the Linn County Relay for Life and raise money for the American Cancer Society, I am walking from Prairie High School in Cedar Rapids to the Hope Lodge in Iowa City on Monday, June 10. My sore feet will not begin to approach the physical and emotional pain endured by those who are going through cancer treatment or the losses suffered by their families and loved ones.

Every step I take will be made in memory of all of those who have faced cancer in their lives or to honor those who are dealing with their cancer diagnosis. Your financial support will truly enhance the lives of all Iowans and would be very much appreciated. Online donations can be made at http://main.acsevents.org/goto/GaryStreit

Gary Streit is a long time American Cancer Society volunteer and a cancer survivor. He served as chair of the National Board of Directors for both the American Cancer Society and the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network. He has raised more than $1.1 million as a Relay for Life participant in Linn County since 1990. His wife, Susan, is also a cancer survivor.