Lance Armstrong will appear with Mayor Michael Bloomberg at the Clinton Global Initiative in New York City today at 10:00 a.m. EST, to announce a new global effort in the fight against cancer. Afterwards, he'll hold a press conference to discuss his return to professional cycling in 2009.
Click here to watch the video or listen to the podcast of Lance speaking at the Global Cancer Initiative.
What is the Global Cancer Initiative?
More than 12 million people worldwide are diagnosed with cancer and eight million will die from the disease each year. To address this global cancer burden, the LAF will join with local partners, organizations and world leaders to achieve three major goals.
1. End the stigma of cancer and turn cancer victims into cancer survivors. Millions of people around the world suffer from cancer in isolation, victims not only of the disease but of social stigma. For all too many, a diagnosis of cancer can result in ostracism from colleagues, friends and even family, and cancer becomes a shameful condition that must be hidden. This stigma leads to a lack of early detection, failure to seek treatment and an increase in cancer mortality.
2. Build an international grassroots movement that will take cancer from isolation to collaboration. Research shows increased mortality is often caused by a lack of resources and knowledge related to cancer awareness, screening, prevention, treatment and care. However, a third of cancers could be cured if detected early and treated adequately.
3. Transform cancer from obscurity to priority. By 2010, cancer will be the leading cause of death worldwide. However, many governments devote few resources to fighting cancer and collect little information about its causes and effects.
The LAF will focus on developing international partnerships, cancer advocacy, research and data collection. We will bring world leaders together to kick off this effort at the LIVESTRONG Global Cancer Summit in Paris at the end of the 2009 Tour de France.
The Lance Armstrong Foundation inspires and empowers people affected by cancer. For more than 10 years, the Foundation and its founder, cancer survivor and champion cyclist Lance Armstrong, have partnered with other organizations and dedicated advocates to make cancer a national priority in the United States. Now the LAF is taking the battle to fight cancer global.
Find out more about how you can join the Global Cancer Initiative with the Lance Armstrong Foundation.
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