LIVESTRONG Brings Countries Together for Fight Against Cancer

Lance Armstrong and the LIVESTRONG Foundation just closed a three-day international conference dedicated to fighting cancer. Using the theme “Imagine a World Without Cancer” the attendees focused on collaboration and commitment to eradicating cancer. The conference was held August 24-26, 2009, in Dublin, Ireland.

500 attendees from over 65 countries agreed that now is the time to act to work together to stop the deadly disease. Cancer is the second leading cause of death in the world, and reports indicate that it could become the number one cause of death by next year. 12.9 million new cancer cases will be diagnosed this year, with 28 million people already living with cancer.

Armstrong hopes that at the end of the conference the attendees will “walk away with an idea of how to affect change in our families, in our communities, in our countries, in our cultures.” Others agreed that the countries need to share the burden of fighting for a cancer-free world as well as a way to balance health priorities with government resources.

The representatives hoped to learn from each other, teach each other, set goals, make commitments, and implement those commitments when returning back to their respective countries. In addition, moving towards a global cancer plan is their long-term goal.

The LiveStrong Global Cancer Summit was sponsored by an anonymous donor, with support from the American Cancer Society, Nike, EMD Serono, HomeAway and Genentech.

Resources:
LIVESTRONG Website
Changing the Course of Cancer History
LIVESTRONG Global Cancer Summit – Another Type of Race