January 5, 2006
Lance Armstrong inspires at cancer survivors celebration
Cancer survivor and seven-time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong was the keynote speaker at the second annual UW Medical Center Survivors Celebration Breakfast held Dec. 7 in Seattle to raise awareness about prostate cancer. Proceeds from the event will go to the Institute for Prostate Cancer Research, a collaborative effort of UW Medicine and the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center.
Before a capacity crowd of approximately 1,100 cancer survivors and their guests, Armstrong applauded the world-class cancer research and patient care that is taking place at the UW and the Hutch. He also announced the Lance Armstrong Foundation’s $1 million commitment to the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center to establish a “survivorship center” that will serve the pressing needs of cancer patients and their families. The grant also will fund research to identify and implement best practices to improve the quality of life for survivors.
Armstrong recognized the many women who have paved the way for candid talk about cancer through their willingness to openly discuss breast, cervical and ovarian cancer. He also acknowledged the difficulty men often face in discussing prostate and other forms of cancer, and congratulated the crowd in attendance for their support and commitment to “stand strong together.”
“What we, hopefully, have done is built an army of people who are going to say ‘this matters to me,'” Armstrong said.
Among the many survivors present was Dr. Paul Lange, chair of the UW Department of Urology, who early in his career helped develop a blood test for testicular cancer. The test, Lange said, helped in managing Armstrong’s cancer in 1996 and put the cyclist on the road to recovery. Lange, who was diagnosed with prostate cancer and treated five years ago, has already helped develop a blood test that marks and follows the disease.
“Lance Armstrong represents a significant part of my life and research career,” Lange said. “His story is a great symbol of what can be done.”
Armstrong’s battle with testicular cancer changed his life forever. Cancer left him scarred physically and emotionally, but he now maintains it was “the best thing that ever happened to me.” This new perspective allowed him to think beyond cycling and focus on his debt to the cancer community. He formed the Lance Armstrong Foundation within months of his diagnosis to help others with their cancer struggles.
“Together, we can change lives forever,” Armstrong said.
Last year’s inaugural Survivors Celebration event raised $1 million and UW Medicine organizers expect this year’s event to meet or exceed that total.
