Comments on: Take Part in the Summit Online

By: Joe Maroni

Joe Maroni — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 11:20:22 +0000

Cancer isn’t something that usually just occurs for no reason. It usually occurs, because of someone’s lifestyle. Because of what they eat. Cancer wasn’t even known until people started eating processed foods. When they started eating domesticated livestock. When they quit preserving their own foods and started eating processed foods. It’s no mystery why we are sick. Doctors know why we are sick.

By: Lou Willcock

Lou Willcock — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 15:21:42 +0000

I lost a very beautiful friend to cancer last week, she was just 38. We met about 5 years ago when we both got breast cancer. On our journey we both learnt how indiscriminate and cruel cancer is, attacking both the body, and of course, the mind. But the lesson I learnt from Sara was that we have the power to manage our diagnosis. She had deep and unwaivering faith, believing in hope and the power of positive thinking and prayer. Her prognosis was poor from the outset, but she defied the doctors and survived for many years beyond what dared to seem possible. A miracle, or can positivity, faith, laughter and great spirit be taken seriously as an integral part of a well being programme? Sara would have said so.

By: michael

michael — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 15:05:19 +0000

Brooke McMillan said:
“I wanted to let you know that there will be a whole follow up program designed especially to maintain the promises made at the Summit.”

I assume such a follow up program was established for the ‘Livestrong Summit’ held in Columbus, OH in July 2008.

Where can we find the results of this program?

Thanks

By: Jere Carpentier

Jere Carpentier — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 18:29:30 +0000

I have to respond also to the “cancer is preventable” comment. Perhaps in some cases it is…ie smoking a good example for many of the lung cancers, but not all. Thinking of Dana Reeves…never a smoker and diagnosed with Stage 4 lung cancer that cut her life short. But many, perhaps even most cancers are not, at least not to my knowledge. Cancer attacks children at a very young age. What didn’t they do to get it? Should their parents be made to feel guilty? I am surviving my 3rd primary cancer…none of them preventable. Trust me, if it was…I would have stopped this after the first one. I actually makes me feel bad at times to hear or think I did something wrong to end up with this, even though my doctor assures me there is NOTHING I could have done to prevent these cancers. Cancer does not discriminate…it goes where it goes regardless of how healthy a lifestyle you have lived or are living.
Yes…a touchy subject for some of us

By: Brooke McMillan (LAF Staff)

Brooke McMillan (LAF Staff) — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 05:44:29 +0000

I wanted to let you know that there will be a whole follow up program designed especially to maintain the promises made at the Summit. The international programs coordinator will be working with ever NGO at the event to help further their projects, provide guidance on how to get funding, how to gain traction in their country and hold them accountable for their commitment. Each group went through an extensive screening process to be admitted to the event. As for the governments and world leaders, Doug, Lance, our Programs and Policy team and the constituents of their nations will be holding them accountable. These are formal commitments that they have made publically in the press and in front of the world.

Thank you for your concern, but I can assure you that we would have never put this event on if we did not have a way to measure and follow up on the events.

By: Michael

Michael — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 18:48:31 +0000

As inspirational as Erik’s response is, it does not answer the ‘accountability of attendees to the vows they make at the Summit’ question.

Plenty of us have been working for this cause for many years, using uncountable personal resources in the process.

We don’t know who these attendees are, what vows they are making, or how and when they plan to fulfill these pledges.

Accountability is only possible with access to the required information.

By: Erik

Erik — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 02:38:50 +0000

We have to hold each other accountable. My dad held his doctors accountable, and I held them accountable when he couldn’t. I am a LIVESTRONG Leader in Colorado, the LAF holds me accountable to raise awareness and funds. I hold the LAF accountable to support my efforts. I hold the LAF accountable to use the money I raise wisely and responsibly.

We have to hold our politicians accountable. President Nixon declared war on cancer in 1971, but in my opinion the greatest advances in cancer research and awareness have happened in the last 13 years. Lance went public with his diagnosis (you know the rest of that story) and the Susan G. Komen breast cancer awareness efforts really took off. People became more comfortable talking about cancer, and this insidious disease moved from the shadows to the spotlight. It’s our job to keep that spotlight on cancer. Those of us who are passionate about fighting and defeating this disease must keep going. If we don’t, who will?

By: Carry

Carry — Sun, 23 Aug 2009 05:05:25 +0000

I have to agree with Michael and Chris. Who exactly is benefiting from this summit? Who is paying for it…people that donated money to the LAF? As Michael said, “who will hold the attendees” accountable for the “vows they have made at the event?”

By: Michael

Michael — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 02:45:50 +0000

I’d also like to still know how the effectiveness of this Summit will be measured in the future. I’d also like to know what real impacts the 2008 Livestrong Summit had.

Call me an ass along with Chris, but I see lots of talk, and very little plan on HOW this Summit, or the 2008 Summit, will be measured as successes. Who will hold the Summit attendees to the vows they make at this event?

By: Barbara Dietze

Barbara Dietze — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 23:48:41 +0000

Don’t agree with the comment that “cancer is preventable”. It’s a random killer of children and otherwise healthy, athletic adults. People who have never smoked get lung cancer. People who are obese, who smoke and have never worked out don’t get cancer. I would appreciate an expert explaining that comment that is mentioned on the website for this global meeting on cancer. I know my husband who has never smoked, and is otherwise perfectly healthy didn’t do anything or wasn’t exposed to benzene yet wound up with leukemia.

By: Barbara Dietze

Barbara Dietze — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 23:13:20 +0000

It’s troubling to read “cancer is preventable”. How would that statement apply to Lance Armstrong, and my healthy, athletic husband who would have been the last people anyone would think to get cancer? It’s a random killer and there are plenty of unhealthy, obese, drug taking individuals who will never get cancer. Please clarify “cancer is preventable”.

By: Chris

Chris — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 17:32:12 +0000

in reply to: Brooke McMillan
I checked out at least 1/2 of the postings on the Livestrong Google Map and that’s great people are “reaching out,” and creating “more awareness,” but where on the Livestrong site can I find actual summaries of “real” medical research made towards the treatment of cancer that a layperson can understand?

Yes, cancer is bad. Call me an ass, but I’ve heard about it a million times. So, now what’s the next move? Is any country in the entire world actually going to take cancer seriously enough to make it a number priority over everything else?

Are news outlets around the world ever going to ‘simultaneously’ publish facts about cancer on the front page, on the ‘same’ day, just once each year?

By: Jeanette

Jeanette — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 14:57:01 +0000

Chemotherapy for pancreatic cancer! Tumor recently removed from husband with nodes all clear. The preventive measures to stop the beast from coming back are concerning. Are there any new and upcoming advances in this area?

By: Michael

Michael — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 13:18:42 +0000

So where will we be able to track the post-Summit progress and accomplishments of all these organizations, attending this conference, and on this map?

What sort of progress has been made, and reported, by all the groups and attendees of the 2008 Livestrong SUMMIT in Columbus, OH? What lessons were learned from that event to help make this Ireland event more successful?

A lot of money is being spent on this event. In this day, age and economy, there had better be some big payoffs for the resources used by this Summit.

By: eugeen carrette

eugeen carrette — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 08:22:23 +0000

we planned mountainbiketrips all over westflanders belgium for the armstrongday of 2 october also organize a taptoe on the same day and a catolic priest is holding 1hour for all patients at 18hours the cancerpatients will come and riving in oldtimers to enjoy the summit with different musics

By: Saundra

Saundra — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 23:47:40 +0000

Please bring up water…how it needs to be pure and clean for humans to be cancer free. Water full of pollution and antibiotics and other drugs from uring and companies dumping them as waste only harms the entire population. Please make H20 purification a priority. Thank you!

By: Brooke McMillan (LAF Staff)

Brooke McMillan (LAF Staff) — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 22:28:52 +0000

Chris- good question. No, this is much more than that. Here is a link to a map that features most of the commitments that will be made. Many groups are very small organizations that are on the ground with the people they are serving. Others are large organizations that will be addressing major social changes in their home country–like stigma of cancer. Addressing stigma may include advertising campaigns, outreach efforts that help get people with cancer to talk to others about their illness. In other countries the mere mention of your cancer may cause you to be ostracized from our own family. So, this is not just empty promises. These are real people and real organizations doing ground breaking work in their communities.

By: Chris

Chris — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 21:15:42 +0000

“Delegates representing over 60 countries will commit to make cancer a priority in their home countries.”

So, what does this mean? Seems like just words to me. Are researchers going to pour more funding and technology into eradicating different forms of cancer in these countries? Are these countries going to actually try and make a real difference or what or just “claim” they will?

By: Lisa jackson

Lisa jackson — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 14:36:17 +0000

What is being done in regards to rare forms of pediatric brain cancer such as ATRT? with a less than 10% survival rate, and the children being so young and not much time after diagnosis.