A Battle Plan for the New War on Cancer

There are 12 million Americans living with cancer today. This year alone, 1.4 million Americans will be diagnosed with cancer, and 560,000 will lose their lives to the disease. Cancer is a public health crisis that touches every American and costs our economy more than $400 billion per year.

In October 2007, Richard H. Carmona, M.D., M.P.H., FACS, 17th Surgeon General of the United States (2002-2006) and President of Canyon Ranch Institute, brought together the former Surgeons General of the United States to address national and global public health issues. At the request of Lance Armstrong Foundation Chairman and Founder Lance Armstrong, four former United States Surgeons General collaborated with the cancer prevention and survivorship community to develop the National Call to Action on Cancer Prevention and Survivorship.

Please click on the box below to download the National Call to Action and to learn what the NCTA means to you.
 

National Call to Action Released to the American People - July 23, 2008

The National Call to Action on Cancer Prevention and Survivorship was released to the American people on July 23, 2008 at a press conference held at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. Former U.S. Surgeons General Dr. Richard H. Carmona, Dr. David Satcher, Dr. Joycelyn Elders, and Dr. Antonia Novello came together with Lance Armstrong, founder and chairman of the Lance Armstrong Foundation, and numerous collaborators from the cancer prevention and survivorship community, to highlight the goals and proposed strategies for action in the war against cancer outlined in the National Call to Action.

Click Here to view additional information about the launch event, including the news release, collaborator statements, and speaker biographies.

Community Development of the NCTA

Below please find detailed information on the development of the National Call to Action on Cancer Prevention and Survivorship, including workshop summaries and background materials.

National Call to Action Workshop – April 24, 2008

A diverse assembly of key leaders in public health, science, government, business, health care, and other relevant fields came together at the NCTA Workshop on April 24, 2008 in Washington, D.C. to continue discussions on how to bring together the best available science in a way that emphasizes prevention and survivorship in relation to the cancer continuum.

Workshop attendees participated in three panels, including Cancer: A Public Health Crisis; Defining a Public Health Approach toward Cancer Prevention and Survivorship; and Empowering All People to Take Action. The shared information from the Workshop was used to develop public health strategies that were incorporated into the National Call to Action on Cancer Prevention and Survivorship.

• View the Workshop Agenda and Presentations

 View the Workshop Summary and Participant List

National Call to Action Pre-Workshops - March 20, 2008 and March 31, 2008

This National Call to Action follows the format of previous Surgeon General’s calls to action, bringing together people from all sectors of society through a series of pre-workshops and a workshop to develop potential goals and strategies needed to transform the national culture in order to make cancer prevention and survivorship a national priority.

The primary focus of Pre-Workshop #1 on March 20 was to review potential key topics, identify potential stakeholders, and create a framework for the NCTA. The purpose of Pre-Workshop #2 on March 31 was to continue discussions about the NCTA structure and to begin outlining goals that will translate the best science available into a roadmap for action with focal points emphasizing cancer prevention and survivorship.
 
View the Pre-Workshop #1 Summary
View the Pre-Workshop #2 Summary
  

Background Materials:

The pre-workshop participants reviewed recent Office of the Surgeon General calls to action as potential structure models for the NCTA, and also identified three specific documents that were viewed as potential “foundation” or source documents for the NCTA:

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Lance Armstrong Foundation (LAF), A National Action Plan for Cancer Survivorship: Advancing Public Health Strategies, April 2004.
• View PDF
   
• Institute of Medicine Report (IOM), Fulfilling the Potential for Cancer Prevention and Early Detection, 2003. Susan J. Curry, Tim Byers, and Maria Hewitt, Editors, National Research Council.
  View online posting at The National Academies Press website.
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• Office of the Surgeon General Calls to Action on Public Health Issues

• View Website 
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• President's Cancer Panel (PCP), 2006-2007 Annual Report, Promoting Health Lifestyles: Policy, Program, and Personal Recommendations for Reducing Cancer Risk, August 2007.
• View PDF

This program is made possible by a joint collaboration between the Lance Armstrong Foundation, which seeks to inspire and empower people affected by cancer, and Canyon Ranch Institute, which helps to educate, inspire, and empower every person to prevent disease and embrace a life of wellness.