The Adventures of "Good" Jill

StandUp2Cancer - get involved in a different way than you think

From Jill: This came to me from Matthew Zachary, who started 
the group I'm Too Young For This! (for young adults with cancer).  
Please send the woman at the bottom an email asking her to allocate
some of the funds raised from StandUp2Cancer for young adult 
research and survivorship.  Thank you for your support and sweetness! :) 

From Matthew:
(1) 100% of the money raised by StandUp2Cancer will be directed toward AACR (The 
American Association of Cancer Research). To date, AACR has not formally decided how to
allocate that funding, which, according to the mission of SU2C is to benefit cancer 
research.

(2) It is important to recognize that for young adults ­traditional cancer research is
not as beneficial to our population as it is for older adults. It has been clinically
shown that our age-specific biology needs it's own cancer research, which is presently
only being conducted in small pockets around the country. It is *these* efforts that 
AACR should publicly and verbally recognize and fund.

(3) Also ­more food for thought: the top three reasons why the 5-year survival rate 
in young adults has not improved in 30 years are (1) late diagnosis, (2) clinical 
trials and (3) age-appropriate peer support.Note that these three things are *not* 
cancer research. To save lives for young adults, it's about educating doctors to take
us seriously, driving clinical trial access and participation and creating a larger 
and more united community of YA survivors around the world.

(4) If you support SU2C (which we do), it is *imperative* that AACR recognize the need
to pay attention to young adult oncology and survivorship so that our population 
actually benefits from this effort. Americans between 18-39 have been ignored by the 
cancer system for 30 years and now it's our time to speak up and demand action and 
accountability of our cancerocracy.

A CALL TO ACTION

Please mail/email the following person and ask them to dedicate some of the funding 
for young adults.  Together we can make a difference!!

Gwen Darien
Director of the Survivor and Patient Advocacy
American Association Of Cancer Research
615 Chestnut St. 17th Floor
Philadelphia, PA 19106
gwen.darien@aacr.org