Accountability: SU2C Apologizes to My Mom & the Lung Cancer Community

Jennifer,

I am a senior member of the Stand Up To Cancer communications team, and a cancer survivor. I want to apologize that we offended you and other viewers with the telecast’s lung cancer segment and then with our reply to some of the emails we received. I want to reach out individually to everyone that wrote to us. We take all the feedback we’ve received to heart, and going forward, it will help inform our decision-making process about the content we produce.

Thank you for noting that we did make an effort in the show to convey that smoking isn’t the only cause of lung cancer. Every single person diagnosed with lung cancer is important; in no way did we mean to convey otherwise.

Significant and very promising research relating to lung cancer is being done by SU2C investigators: on our “Epigenetics Dream Team”, our “Circulating Tumor Cell Chip Dream Team”, as well as a number of our Innovative Grant Recipients. The video progress report about the Epigenetics Team — which features a lung cancer patient — can be seen at http://www.standup2cancer.org/sutv#channelId=/sutv/service/thelab (In the list on right, click on “Epigenetics Dream Team on the 2010 Show”). In addition, information on this clinical trial and others can be found at http://www.standup2cancer.org/clinicaltrials. (Scroll to the bottom of the home page and click on SU2C Dream Team clinical trial information.)

Our scientific partner, the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR), will issue a call for ideas for our next round of Innovative Grants within the next month, and we’d like to ask for your assistance. If you know of institutions where promising lung cancer research is being done, please notify us, or our AACR colleagues at su2c@aacr.org and they will contact the Directors of those Centers to encourage their researchers to consider applying for a grant. We can’t guarantee the outcome of the selection process as those recommendations are made by our Scientific Advisory Committee, but this would be a very helpful step you and others in the community can take to maximize the likelihood that lung cancer continues to be directly addressed by Stand Up To Cancer funded researchers. Additionally, with Lung Cancer Awareness Month coming up in November, we’ll be reaching out to lung cancer advocacy groups soon to determine the best way our su2c.org website can help heighten awareness.

Thank you for raising your concerns with us and for all you do to honor your mom, as well as others affected by lung cancer.

Sincerely,

Tom Chiodo
tchiodo@eifoundation.org

I sincerely thank Tom for his message, helpful links and offers of assistance for potential research grants and direction for awareness during Lung Cancer Awareness Month. As Tom says, there are no guarantees. I understand that. But, boy, do I truly appreciate this kind of outreach and opportunity. I am GAME!!!

Thank you ALL for posting your comments and helping to get SU2C’s attention. We ARE making progress!!

As always, I would love your feedback. What do you think of Tom’s message?