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Sarcoma Awareness Month
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Ask Congress to Recognize July as Sarcoma Awareness Month
We are asking anyone affected by sarcoma—survivors, families, friends and health-care professionals—to contact their U.S. representatives. When a representative expresses interest in supporting a resolution naming July as Sarcoma Awareness Month, please contact us (abeckert@sarcomaalliance.org or 415-381-7236). |
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It takes only a few minutes to find out who represents you in Congress and how to contact them. Click here www.house.gov/zip/ZIP2Rep.html
Please give them this Web address. Feel free to reproduce any of the information on this page.
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The Resolution
WHEREAS, Sarcoma is a cancer of connective tissues, such as, muscle, cartilage, fat, bone and blood vessels, and it can arise anywhere in the body; and
WHEREAS, About 11,000 Americans are diagnosed with sarcoma each year, 5,000 die each year, and 50,000 are struggling with the disease at any one time; and
WHEREAS, about 1 percent of cancers diagnosed in adults and about 15 percent of cancers diagnosed in children are sarcoma; and
WHEREAS, More than 50 subtypes of sarcomas have been identified; and
WHEREAS, The National Cancer Institute recognizes that sarcoma is “frequently misdiagnosed and highly underreported”; and
WHEREAS, Nonprofit sarcoma organizations want to raise awareness in hopes that more patients will get proper diagnosis and treatment, and these organizations have agreed upon July as Sarcoma Awareness Month, NOW, THEREFORE,
Be It Resolved by the U.S. House of Representatives:
That the U.S. House of Representatives recognizes July as Sarcoma Awareness Month.
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From Suzie Siegel, Sarcoma Alliance Board of Directors
In November 2007, 20 advocates met at the Connective Tissue Oncology Society www.ctos.org meeting in Seattle to build cooperation among sarcoma nonprofits. We agreed that July should be designated Sarcoma Awareness Month. An alliance of sarcoma doctors (sarctrials.org) supported us. We don’t know any sarcoma nonprofit that opposes this effort. We have worked since 2007 to find someone in Congress who would have enough interest in sarcoma to do this.
In 2009, the American Cancer Society added Sarcoma Awareness Month to its calendar after I sent documentation. But it was omitted for 2010. If we had a Congressional resolution, it would be easier to get sarcoma added to calendars and other lists by organizations, institutions and the media.
www.cancer.org/docroot/MED/content/MED_1_Cancer_Calendar.asp
When we see ribbons, products and fundraisers for other types of cancer, wouldn’t it be a pleasant surprise to have others recognize sarcoma, too?
Many sarcoma patients have never heard of anyone else with their cancer. They—and their health-care providers—may not know all of the treatment options or that nonprofits can help. That’s why we need to raise awareness.
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Nonprofit Organizations and Institutions that Support this Effort
Sarcoma Alliance www.sarcomaalliance.org
Sarcoma Foundation of America www.curesarcoma.org
Liddy Shriver Sarcoma Initiative www.sarcomahelp.org
Sarcoma Alliance for Research through Collaboration (SARC) www.sarctrials.org
Kristen Ann Carr Fund www.sarcoma.com
Northwest Sarcoma Foundation nwsarcoma.org
GIST Support International gistsupport.org
The Life Raft Group liferaftgroup.org
Beat Sarcoma beatsarcoma.org
Desmoid Tumor Research Foundation dtrf.org
H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa moffitt.org
Dani's Foundation www.danisfoundation.org
LMSarcoma Direct Research http://www.lmsdr.org/
Cure for Sarcoma http://www.cureforsarcoma.com/
Jared Juggernaut http://jaredsjuggernaut.org/
Contact us (abeckert@sarcomaalliance.org or 415-381-7236) to add your group to this list.
Please help us spread the word!
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