Mission Moments
*Your cell phone can help someone who is battling cancer…..
Everyone take out your cell phone. Program in this toll free number: (800).227.2345
Tag it as “Cancer Information”. This is the ACS cancer information number and by
doing this, you will always have the toll-free number available should you need to share
it. How many times in a casual conversation do we learn of family or friends who know
someone who is fighting their battle against cancer? By having the ACS toll-free number
programmed in our phones we can easily retrieve it, share and spread awareness about
the services provided by the American Cancer Society.
ACS is helping people FIGHT BACK.
*The American Cancer Society is the nationwide community based volunteer health
organization dedicated to eliminating cancer as a major health problem by preventing
cancer, saving lives, and diminishing suffering from cancer, through research, education,
advocacy, and service.
This is the REASon why we Relay:
R – Research ($100 million dollars goes towards research programs)
E – Education (2/3 of cancer deaths are preventable)
A – Advocacy (ACS CAN is the sister organization that holds government candidates
and lawmakers accountable for their positions on cancer)
S – Service (Services are provided 24/7 365 for free)
ACS is helping people FIGHT BACK.
*Mission Moment: Nutrition
The American Cancer Society recommends that we all:
 Maintain a healthy body weight
 Be physically active for at least 30 minutes per day
 Aim for at least 5 servings of fruits and vegetables each day
 Eat a variety of wholegrain and high fiber foods – ensure at least 2 servings of
wholegrain foods are consumed every day (or ensure about half your daily
servings of breads and cereals are wholegrain varieties)
 Have moderate amounts of lean meat and limit or avoid processed meat
 Limit or avoid drinking alcohol
 Choose foods low in salt, sugar and fat, particularly saturated fat
ACS is helping people STAY WELL.
*Mission Moment: Facts About Healthy Eating
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Healthy eating along with physical activity can reduce cancer rates by up to one
third
Other benefits include: managing your weight, preventing heart disease and high
blood pressure
Wholegrain and high fiber foods decreases the risk of colon cancer
Eating fruits and vegetables protect against: mouth, pharyngeal, laryngeal,
esophageal, stomach, colon, lung, bladder, kidney, ovarian and prostate cancers
ACS is helping people STAY WELL.
*Mission Moment: Tips for increasing your daily fruit and vegetable intake:
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Shop for fresh fruit and vegetables weekly to ensure you have a fresh supply
available
Enjoy fruit as a snack or for dessert
Add fresh or canned fruit as a topping on breakfast cereal
Fill half your dinner plate with vegetables
Include at least three different colored vegetables with your main meal
For interest and variety, cook vegetables in different ways e.g. oven roasted,
grilled or barbequed
Include salad with lunch or choose dishes which include plenty of vegetables
Use frozen, dried or canned vegetables and fruit if fresh is not on hand
Adapt your recipes to include more vegetables, (e.g. add carrot, celery and peas to
a sauce)
ACS is helping people STAY WELL.
*ROAD TO RECOVERY
Every day thousands of cancer patients need a ride to treatment, but some may not have a
way to get there.
The American Cancer Society Road to Recovery program provides transportation to and
from treatment for people who have cancer and do not have a ride or are unable to drive
themselves. Volunteer drivers donate their time and the use of their cars so that patients
can receive the life-saving treatments they need.
Call 1-800-227-2345 if you need transportation, or if you want to volunteer to drive
ACS is helping people GET WELL.
*Mission Moment: Sun Smart (short version)
The American Cancer Society recommends that we all:
 Do an all over body check every 3 months
 Protect yourself against the sun:
- slip on a closely woven, long sleeved shirt (natural fibers are coolest)
- slop on broad spectrum, SPF 15+ sunscreen that is water resistant 20
minutes before going outside – reapply every 2 hours
- slap on a broad brimmed hat that covers face, neck and ears.
- wrap on sunglasses to protect eyes. Sunglasses should block out at least
95% of UV radiation
- seek shade whenever possible
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Be alert to any new or changing spots on your skin
See your doctor if you notice any changes
Avoid exposure to the sun between 10am and 4pm (11am and 5pm in daylight
savings time) as this is the hottest time of day with the greatest UV reading
ACS is helping people STAY WELL.
*Skin Cancer Facts: Most of the more than 1 million cases of non-melanoma skin
cancer diagnosed yearly in the United States are considered to be sun-related.
Melanoma, the most serious type of skin cancer, will account for about 68,720 cases of
skin cancer in 2009 and most (about 8,650) of the 11,590 deaths due to skin cancer each
year.
The risk factors for skin cancers include:
 Unprotected and/or excessive exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation
 Fair complexion
 Occupational exposures to coal tar, pitch, creosote, arsenic compounds, or radium
 Family history
 Multiple or atypical moles
 Severe sunburns as a child
Skin cancer can be prevented. Practice sun safety.
ACS is helping people STAY WELL.
*Can skin cancer be prevented? (longer version)
The best ways to lower the risk of non-melanoma skin cancer are to avoid intense
sunlight for long periods of time and to practice sun safety. You can continue to exercise
and enjoy the outdoors while practicing sun safety at the same time. Here are some ways
you can do this:
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Avoid the sun between 10am and 4pm
Seek shade: Look for shade, especially in the middle of the day when the sun’s
rays are strongest. Practice the shadow rule and teach it to children. If your
shadow is shorter than you, the sun’s rays are at their strongest.
 Slip on a shirt: cover up with protective clothing to guard as much skin as
possible when you are out in the sun. Choose comfortable clothes made of tightly
woven fabrics that you cannot see through when held up to a light.
 Slop on sunscreen: Use sunscreen and lip balm with a sun protection factor (SPF)
of 15+. Apply a generous amount of sunscreen (about a palm full) and reapply
after swimming, toweling dry, or perspiring. Use sunscreen even on hazy or
overcast days.
 Slap on a hat: Cover your head with a wide-brimmed hat, shading your face, ears,
and neck. If you choose a baseball cap, remember to protect your ears and neck
with sunscreen.
 Wrap on sunglasses: wear sunglasses with 99% to 100% UV absorption to
provide optimal protection for the eyes and the surrounding skin.
 Follow these practices to protect your skin even on cloudy or overcast days. UV
rays travel through clouds.
 Avoid other sources of UV light. Tanning beds and sun lamps are dangerous
because they can damage your skin.
ACS is helping people STAY WELL.
HOPE LODGE
Facing cancer is hard. Having to travel out of town for treatment can make it even
harder. Yet the American Cancer Society has a place where cancer patients and their
families can find help and hope when home is far away….an American Cancer Society
Hope Lodge. Each Hope Lodge offers cancer patients and their families a free,
temporary place to stay when their best hope for effective treatment may be in another
city.
Currently, there are 28 Hope Lodge locations throughout the United States. To find a
Hope Lodge call the American Cancer Society toll free anytime, day or night at
1.800.ACS.2345
Simply put, Hope Lodge is a place created to ease the burden of cancer treatment – a
place where we give hope a home.
ACS is helping people FIGHT BACK.
Community Actions for a Healthful Life
You want to eat healthy foods, but your office vending machine offers only sweets and
high fat snack chips. Maybe you’d consider walking to do errands instead of driving if
only your neighborhood had sidewalks. Leading a healthy life requires making good
choices. Unfortunately, the communities in which we live, work, and go to school can
make this difficult.
The American Cancer Society has issued a call for communities to remove any barriers or
policies that prevent people from enjoying a healthy lifestyle.
In the workplace - With more than 130 million Americans working, many people spend
the majority of their days in the office. Employers can offer healthy food options in the
vending machines and cafeteria, inexpensive access to a gym, and work-based health
programs like the American Cancer Society’s Active for Life.
In the community – With rapid urban and suburban growth, parks and recreation
facilities are quickly disappearing, taking away prime places to exercise. Voice your
concerns by voting to preserve parks and green space.
In schools - Many schools don’t require health and physical education classes and some
cut recess to spend more time in the classroom. Talk to the school board about making
health education a priority, offering healthy foods and beverages, and requiring PE
classes.
Find more information and free handbooks about community nutrition and exercise
programs online or by calling the American Cancer Society at 1.800.ACS.2345
ACS is helping people STAY WELL.
LOOK GOOD…..FEEL BETTER
The Look Good….Feel Better program is a community-based, free, national service. It
teaches female cancer patients beauty tips to feel better about how they look during
chemotherapy and radiation treatments. The Look Good…Feel Better program provides
group workshops, one-on-one salon consultations (where available), and self-help
materials. Women learn about makeup, skin care, nail care, and ways to deal with hair
loss such as with wigs, turbans, and scarves. Self-help materials can be ordered for both
women AND men through the Look Good…Feel Better toll-free number,
1.800.395.LOOK Materials are also offered in Spanish, and bilingual programs are
available in some areas.
ACS is helping people GET WELL and FIGHT BACK.
Great American Health Check
In early 2008, the American Cancer Society kicked off the Great American Health Check
by urging Americans to remember one important message: get the appropriate cancer
screening tests that can detect cancer at its earliest, most treatable stage. The Great
American Health Check focuses on the importance of prevention and early detection by
helping people understand what cancer tests are right for them and how to adopt healthy
lifestyle behaviors throughout the year to reduce their risk of the disease.
The Great American Health Check consists of an online health tool available at
www.cancer.org/greatamericans, where users can access a personalized guide on which
cancer screening tests are appropriate, as well as healthy behavior recommendations
based on their responses. The Great American Health Check is part of the American
Cancer Society Great American Health Challenge, a year-round initiative that encourages
Americans to adopt healthy lifestyles to reduce their risk of cancer. More information on
the Great American Health Challenge is available at www.cancer.org/greatamericans or
by calling toll-free at 1.800.ACS.2345
ACS is helping people STAY WELL.
American Cancer Society’s Great American Eat Right Challenge
In 2007 it was reported that there was a drop in cancer deaths for the second straight year.
The American Cancer Society hopes that decline continues by encouraging Americans to
adopt a healthy lifestyle that can help prevent cancer. For the majority of people who do
not smoke, the most important ways to reduce cancer risk include maintaining a healthy
weight and eating well.
Poor nutrition is a risk factor for cancer. Approximately one-third of the more than half a
million cancer deaths in the U.S. can be attributed to factors including poor diet. Being
overweight increases one’s risk for developing many cancers, including cancer of the
breast among post-menopausal women, colon cancer, esophagus cancer and kidney
cancer. Unfortunately, statistics show that more than half the adult population in every
state is overweight.
According to the American Cancer Society’s Guidelines on Nutrition and Physical
Activity for Cancer Prevention, a healthy diet with an emphasis on plant sources is
important: That means:
 Eating five or more servings of a variety of vegetables and fruits each day.
 Choosing whole grains in preference to processed (refined) grains.
 Limiting consumption of processed and red meats.
Visit the Society’s Great American Eat Right Challenge Web site or for more information
call the American Cancer Society toll-free at 1.800.ACS.2345
ACS is helping people STAY WELL.