The American Cancer Society (ACS) announced this week the winners of the 2009 Luther L. Terry Awards for Exemplary Leadership in Tobacco Control.

The awards are named after former United States Surgeon General Luther L. Terry, M.D., who led the 1964 surgeon general's report that connected tobacco use to lung cancer and other illnesses.  

There are six categories and the winners for each category are:

• Distinguished Career - Stanton Arnold Glantz, M.D. of the United States
• Exemplary Leadership by a Government Ministry - The Ministry of Health of the Government of Uruguay
• Outstanding Individual Leadership - Ronald M. Davis, M.D. of the United States and K. Srinath Reddy, M.D., D.M., M.Sc., F.A.M.S. of India
• Outstanding Organization - The InterAmerican Heart Foundation
• Outstanding Research Contribution - K. Michael Cummings, Ph.D., M.P.H of the United States
• Outstanding Community Service - Dileep G. Bal, M.D., M.P.H., M.S. of the United States, Hatai Chitanondh, M.D., F.I.C.S., F.R.C.S. of Thailand.

The Luther L. Terry Awards are presented triennially and were first presented at the 11th World Conference on Tobacco OR Health in Chicago, Illinois in 2000.

The American Cancer Society - the nation's largest non-governmental entity funding cancer research - has awarded its Medal of Honor to four Americans who have made outstanding contributions to the fight against cancer.

This award is the cancer society's highest honor and was presented to Senator Edward "Ted" Kennedy for cancer control, Mina J. Bissell, Ph.D., for research, Susan Band Horwitz, Ph.D., for clinical research, and John M. Huntsman for cancer philanthropy.

Visit the ACS website for more information about this year's Medal of Honor winners.

The Medal of Honor, originally called the American Cancer Society Award, was first awarded in 1949.

Don't be surprised if you see your favorite football players wearing pink athletic gloves during the next big game.

Cutters Gloves, a manufacturer of high-performance athletic gloves, gave away 1,000 pairs of pink football gloves through the company's website earlier this week.

The donation was intended to raise awareness of National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. This October commemorates the 23rd anniversary of the health campaign.

"The response was overwhelming," said Laura Beraznik, Cutters' co-founder and brand manager. "Our goal is to create thousands of pink glove impressions on youth and high school football fields across the country in October. We believe the unusual sight of pink gloves on the football field will generate additional interest in National Breast Cancer Awareness and hopefully motivate others to get involved."

According to a company press release, Cutters is also making a financial contribution to the National Breast Cancer Foundation.

 

The star-studded Stand Up to Cancer Telethon has reportedly raised more than $100 million to help fund cancer research programs.

The hour-long telethon aired last Friday night on ABC, CBS and NBC, and pulled in 10.3 million viewers.

Celebrity cancer survivors such as Lance Armstrong, Sheryl Crowe, Christina Applegate, and Patrick Swayze, in addition to stars from music, sports, TV and film, helped educate the public on cancer prevention and treatment. ABC, CBS and NBC news anchors Charles Gibson, Katie Couric and Brian Williams hosted the event.

According to Lisa Paulsen, head of the charity organization responsible for the event, 100% of the money raised from the telethon will directly fund cancer research programs.

Stand Up to Cancer is continuing to raise funds for cancer research programs. For information, visit the Stand Up to Cancer website.

 

Skip Ciccarelli is more than a prostate cancer survivor. He is also the survivor of a 1,700 mile kayak journey that took him through three Great Lakes and the Erie Canal.

60-year-old Ciccarelli was greeted by dozens of people as he paddled down the Hudson River this past Saturday, ending his journey at a Manhattan pier.

54 days earlier Ciccarelli had paddled away from the Lincoln Park Boat Club in Chicago and headed north along the Lake Michigan shoreline. His journey continued down Lake Huron and across Lake Erie to the Erie Canal.

Ciccarelli named his journey, "Paddling for Prostate in '08." According to his website:

"By drawing attention to prostate cancer, I'm hoping more men will get prostate check ups, PSA testing and cause more research to focus on prostate cancer."

A high school carpentry instructor in Massachusetts, Ciccarelli was diagnosed with aggressive prostate cancer in 2003. He chose surgery as a treatment option and is now cancer-free.

 

This weekend you can expect to see thousands of bikes on the roads of Massachusetts. Approximately 5,500 cyclists from 36 states and 8 countries are expected to ride in this year's Pan-Massachusetts Challenge.

The goal of the event, now in its 29th year, is to raise $34 million for cancer research and treatment.

Beginning in 1980, the Pan-Massachusetts Challenge started with a handful of cyclists (36 to be exact) who successfully raised more than $10,000 for cancer research.  By the mid 1990's the popularity of the PMC increased to more than 1,000 riders raising $3.5 million.

According to a PMC press release, the annual bike-a-thon raises and contributes more than twice the sum of any athletic fundraising event in the country.

For more information on the Pan-Massachusetts Challenge, visit PMC.org.

 

It's easily mistaken for a real-life Barbie car, and it's not the most masculine-looking ride either, but Patrick Rangel's hot pink 1978 Chevrolet Monte Carlo convertible does have hydraulics.

Rangel, 38, tells The Lawrence Journal-World that he transformed his college ride into a dedication to his wife Carrie, who received a breast cancer diagnosis just two weeks after they were married.

From the white and pink interior with pink ribbons stitched on, to the "Breast cancer survivor" license plate holder, it is clear, this car has a purpose.

The purpose, according to Patrick: "I think the car is going to make people think, 'Hey, I can relate to that car and I can relate to the person driving it because they are young like me, so maybe I should actually take the time and check myself for breast cancer too.'"

The car just recently made its debut at Lawrence Memorial Hospital where Patrick dropped Carrie off for the 10th annual Betsy Beisecker Memorial Tea, a benefit for breast cancer awareness.

The couple plan to sport the vehicle at other breast cancer events and parades.

 

May 4th - 11th marks the 10th anniversary of Naturopathic Medicine Week in Canada.

During this week, naturopathic doctors across Canada will provide open house clinics to promote naturopathic health initiatives. In addition, public workshops and lectures will take place on topics including healthy eating, proper sleep habits and stress management.

According to Cancer Treatment Centers of America, naturopathic medicine is a distinct system of primary health care, with a central goal of using the healing power of nature to maintain and restore health.

Across Canada there are 1,387 registered naturopathic doctors. Two schools in Canada focus solely on naturopathic medicine: Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine (Toronto) and Boucher Institute of Naturopathic Medicine (Vancouver).

If you live in Canada and are interested in finding more information about Naturopathic Medicine Week, visit the Canadian Association of Naturopathic Doctors website.