Fullerton Firefighters Raised Nearly $12,000 in October Effort to Support the Wife of One Of Their Own and the Work of the Vanguard Cancer Foundation
Fullerton, CA… Burt Allen is a Fullerton firefighter. His wife, Sue, has been battling non small cell lung cancer since March 2005. They are residents of Huntington Beach.
In support of Sue and Burt and to raise awareness of and funds for cancer research and treatment, all Fullerton firefighters wore and sold pink “Give Cancer the Boot” t-shirts, raising nearly $12,000 during the month of October. In addition each Fullerton Fire Engine was decaled with a Cancer Awareness Logo.
Funds will be donated to the Vanguard Cancer Foundation. Sue has received multiple grants for assay tests from Vanguard.
“Cancer research and treatment is not only a timely and worthy cause but it is particularly near and dear to us in Fullerton as we support one of our own whose wife is currently battling this terrible disease,” said John Miller, Fire Engineer, Station 5 in Fullerton.
Just last month, Dr. Robert Nagourney, of Rational Therapeutics, was honored by the Vanguard Cancer Foundation for his extensive research.
In October the results of a Phase II clinical trial conducted on advanced lung cancer patients, and on which Dr. Nagourney was the lead investigator, was published in Anticancer Research.
The article, titled “Functional Profiling to Select Chemotherapy in Untreated, Advanced or Metastatic Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer,” describes results achieved in patients who received first-line chemotherapy based on their individual ex-vivo analysis.
“Medical oncologists have long pursued methods that can match patients to available therapies,” said Dr. Robert Nagourney, lead investigator. “This study confirms the ability of a laboratory test to accurately predict drug activity for individual patients.”
About Vanguard Cancer Foundation
Vanguard Cancer Foundation (VCF), founded in 1995 by Loretta Stamos, mother of actor John Stamos, advocates for a more personalized and intelligent approach to cancer care. The mission of VCF is to inform and educate patients and the general public about the benefits of assay-directed treatment and to support research projects that advance this work. For more than four decades, chemotherapy has been administered based on standard protocols – a “one size fits all” approach; however, tests are available to assess how an individual will respond to various chemotherapies before treatment begins. These tests, called “functional profile assays,” can help patients and their physicians identify treatment plans tailored for the individual. For more information on VCF and functional profile assays, go to www.vanguardcancerfoundation.org and www.rational-t.com
About Rational Therapeutics
Rational Therapeutics is a pioneering cancer research institute that specializes in the “functional profiling” of human tumors through the application of a laboratory platform known as the Ex-Vivo Analysis of Programmed Cell Death (EVA-PCD®). Using human tumor microspheroids isolated directly from surgical specimens, these scientists measure which drugs, combinations and new targeted therapies can induce cell death (programmed cell death, one form of which is apoptosis). This process eliminates the “One Size Fits All” administration of cancer treatments enabling physicians to provide truly personalized cancer care.
About Lung Cancer
Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in the United States. With 160,340 estimated deaths in 2012. The 5-year survival for all stages of this disease is 14%, with only 7% of Stage III & Stage IV (advanced & metastatic) alive at 5 years. Although cigarette smoking is commonly associated with this disease, a growing number of non-smoking patients are being diagnosed. Lung cancer represents a major public health issue.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, CONTACT:
Devon Blaine
The Blaine Group
310.360.1499
devon@blainegroupinc.com
My mom is a cancer survivor she went through a lot, and there were a lot of good healthcare organizations MDs and CRMs that helped her out and I am always glad to see individuals or organizations donate to a good cause. Way to go Fullerton Firefighters.
http://www.marketware.com
I hate cancer and fire. Sounds like my kind of party.