Prevention is the Ultimate Weapon

Harold P. Freeman, M.D.
President,
Ralph Lauren Center for Cancer Care and Prevention.

Prevention is the ultimate weapon against cancer. The Prevent Cancer Foundation recognized this in 1985, and for nearly 25 years has been doing something about it.

Through the leadership of the Prevent Cancer Foundation, I have witnessed an extraordinary increase in national awareness of many kinds of cancer as preventable diseases – or ones that can be successfully treated when detected in their early stages.

The Foundation began to nurture a generation of cancer prevention scientists from its inception. As it now prepares to embark on its Silver Jubilee celebration, many of these young scientists who have received Foundation funding over the years are considered superstars in the world of cancer research – and the Foundation, whose impact extends far beyond its area of focus in cancer prevention, has become one of the leading and most respected organizations in the entire cancer community.

The Foundation has also taken a leadership role in educating the public about ways they can reduce their risk of developing cancer – or detect it early when chances of successful treatment are highest. One of their high-impact programs, the National Prevent Cancer SuperColon Tour, has crisscrossed the country educating Americans of every walk of life that this is a disease that can be prevented through screening – and the numbers of deaths from this disease are decreasing.

They have also recognize the importance of reducing disparities in access to prevention and early detection among the medically underserved and have long supported community outreach and education programs to address these disparities, in areas ranging from their own backyard of Washington, DC, to native Alaskans, to rural Kansans, to Latinas in suburban Chicago.

Editors Note: this blog post is part of the 25th Anniversary testimonials initiative. Read the full text.