Palliative care is an interdisciplinary medical caregiving approach aimed at optimizing quality of life and mitigating suffering among people with serious, complex, and often terminal illnesses. Within the published literature, many definitions of palliative care exist. The World Health Organization (WHO) describes palliative care as "an approach that improves the quality of life of patients and their families facing the problems associated with life-threatening illness, through the prevention and relief of suffering by means of early identification and impeccable assessment and treatment of pain and other problems, physical, psychosocial, and spiritual". In the past, palliative care was a disease specific approach, but today the WHO takes a broader patient-centered approach that suggests that the principles of palliative care should be applied as early as possible to any chronic and ultimately fatal illness. This shift was important because if a disease-oriented approach is followed, the needs and preferences of the patient are not fully met and aspects of care, such as pain, quality of life, and social support, as well as spiritual and emotional needs, fail to be addressed. Rather, a patient-centered model prioritizes relief of suffering and tailors care to increase the quality of life for terminally ill patients.
Joseph Dominick Andruzzi is an American former professional football player who was a guard in the National Football League (NFL).
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center is a cancer treatment and research institution in Manhattan in New York City. It was founded in 1884 as the New York Cancer Hospital. MSKCC is one of 72 National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Centers. It had already been renamed and relocated, to its present site, when the Sloan-Kettering Institute for Cancer Research was founded in 1945, and built adjacent to the hospital. The two medical entities formally coordinated their operations in 1960, and formally merged as a single entity in 1980. Its main campus is located at 1275 York Avenue between 67th and 68th Streets in Manhattan.
The Northwestern University Dance Marathon, commonly known as NUDM, is a philanthropic dance marathon held every March at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois. Founded in 1975, NUDM is one of the nation's most established and largest entirely student-run philanthropies. NUDM is one of the only annual Dance Marathons in the country to continually change its primary beneficiary. NUDM has raised over $1 million for its beneficiaries each year since 2011, and involves over 1,000 students participating as dancers and committee members. Since 1997, the Evanston Community Foundation has been NUDM's secondary beneficiary.
The Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation was a charitable organization which raised money to advance research, education, diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer. Established in 1986 by Nancy Tsai, it worked to fund, support, and advocate for education and awareness programs, early diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer, and quality of life for those suffering from breast cancer. It is also part of a seven-member coalition which funds breast cancer research in Canada.
Susan G. Komen is a breast cancer organization in the United States.
The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation (CFF) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization in the United States established to provide the means to cure cystic fibrosis (CF) and ensure that those living with CF live long and productive lives. The Foundation provides information about cystic fibrosis and finances CF research that aims to improve the quality of life for people with the disease. The Foundation also engages in legislative lobbying for cystic fibrosis.
The St. Baldrick’s Foundation is a volunteer and donor-powered charity committed to supporting the most promising research to find cures for childhood cancers and give survivors long and healthy lives. The name of the foundation is not associated with a recognized Saint of the Catholic Church, but is founded on wordplay and appropriation of the title of sainthood. Volunteers sponsored by family, friends, and employers shave their heads or "chop" their ponytails in solidarity with children who typically lose their hair during cancer treatment in order to raise funds. Charity Navigator gave the foundation a 92% earning it a Four-Star. According to Better Business Bureau, the non-profit meets the 20 Standards for Charity Accountability, St. Baldrick's Foundation now has the GuideStar Gold Seal of approval.
The Bonnie J. Addario a Breath Away from the Cure Foundation (ABAFTC), sometimes styled Bonnie J. Addario Lung Cancer Foundation (BJALCF), is a foundation created by Bonnie J. Addario in 2005 to eradicate lung cancer through research, early detection, education, prevention and treatment. It is made up of volunteers, people in the medical profession, and lung cancer survivors. The Foundation has three goals: 1) to raise public awareness about the relative lack of attention given to lung cancer in biomedical research, 2) to help lung cancer patients navigate the healthcare system to receive the best available care, and 3) to enlist the aid of physicians and biomedical scientists in transforming cancer research. The Foundation is based in San Carlos, California.
Beckstrand Cancer Foundation is a 501(c)(3) organization that was founded in 1974 by Dr. Grant Beckstrand and a group of doctors specializing in the treatment and care of cancer patients. It was formed by incorporation as a non-profit organization.
The "war on cancer" is the effort to find a cure for cancer by increased research to improve the understanding of cancer biology and the development of more effective cancer treatments, such as targeted drug therapies. The aim of such efforts is to eradicate cancer as a major cause of death. The signing of the National Cancer Act of 1971 by United States president Richard Nixon is generally viewed as the beginning of this effort, though it was not described as a "war" in the legislation itself.
The Prostate Cancer Foundation (PCF), headquartered in Santa Monica, California, funds research into the prevention and cure of prostate cancer.
Donald Paul Pinkel was an American physician who specialized in pediatric hematology and oncology. Pinkel made contributions to cures for several forms of childhood cancer, including leukemia.
Heather Miller is an American businesswoman. She is a private investor, former Wall Street securities analyst. She served as a Congressional appointed commissioner on the Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission in 2009 and the President's Commission on Enhancing National Cybersecurity in 2016.
Malcolm Sutherland-Foggio was born on April 4, 1998, in Morristown, New Jersey. He is the Founder and Ex Officio Chairman of Make Some Noise: Cure Kids Cancer Foundation, Inc., a 501(c)(3) established to raise funds exclusively for childhood cancer research and increase awareness for these diseases.
Childhood cancer is cancer in a child. About 80% of childhood cancer cases can be successfully treated thanks to modern medical treatments and optimal patient care. However, only about 10% of children diagnosed with cancer reside in high-income countries where the necessary treatments and care is available. Childhood cancer represents only about 1% of all types of cancers diagnosed in children and adults. For this reason, childhood cancer is often ignored in control planning, contributing to the burden of missed opportunities for its diagnoses and management in countries that are low- and mid-income.
Richard J. Stephenson is an American entrepreneur, businessman, and the founder and chair of Cancer Treatment Centers of America (CTCA). He is active in conservative politics.
Jack Hoffman, from Atkinson, Nebraska, is a current high school football player and pediatric brain cancer patient. In 2012, between his first and second brain surgeries, he was introduced to Rex Burkhead, then a football player for the Nebraska Cornhuskers football team. Subsequently, a close connection developed between Hoffman and the team. On April 6, 2013, at the annual Nebraska spring game, Hoffman, aged 7, entered the game during the fourth quarter and ran for a 69 yards (63 m) touchdown that received national and international attention. He subsequently met with President Barack Obama, received the Best Moment ESPY Award for 2013, and the United States Senate approved a motion recognizing his role in raising awareness of pediatric brain cancer. The Team Jack Foundation was formed by his parents, Andy and Bri Hoffman, to raise money for pediatric brain research.
Connor ‘The Crusher’ Michalek was an American WWE fan who received considerable media attention after a social media campaign for him to meet Daniel Bryan, his favorite professional wrestler. He later met Bryan and other WWE performers a number of times. Michalek, who had cancer of the spine and brain since he was three years old, died aged eight on April 25, 2014. WWE executives Triple H and Stephanie McMahon subsequently named the Connor's Cure charity in his honor, and he posthumously received the inaugural Warrior Award at the 2015 WWE Hall of Fame ceremony.
Bear Necessities Pediatric Foundation is a nonprofit national organization that works with children who have cancer, and their families by providing resources and positive experiences. This organization was founded in memory of Barret "Bear" Krupa, a boy who had a wish to help other children and families with cancer. The Bear Necessities Pediatric Foundation has expanded into two main programs: Bear Discoveries, which focuses on funding for research, and Bear Hugs, which focuses on giving children and their families a positive experience.
