Living Beyond Breast Cancer has joined advocates nationwide in supporting Stand Up To Cancer, a fundraising initiative with the goal of speeding up groundbreaking cancer research and helping scientists work together to find cures.

The centerpiece of Stand Up To Cancer is a fundraiser to be aired commercial free at 8:00 p.m. (EDT and PDT) on Friday, September 5, on ABC, CBS and NBC. The three television stations donated air time. Network evening news anchors Katie Couric of CBS, Charles Gibson of ABC and Brian Williams of NBC unveiled the program in late May.

Organizers are still lining up guests, but confirmed appearances include Christina Applegate, Lance Armstrong, Elizabeth Edwards, America Ferrera, Sally Field, Danica Patrick, Robin Roberts and Meryl Streep.

What Is Stand Up To Cancer?

Stand Up To Cancer brings together celebrities from film, television, sports and journalism with cancer researchers and advocates to raise money to find cures for cancers. It is an initiative of two nonprofit organizations, the Entertainment Industry Foundation and the American Association for Cancer Research.

What Are the Goals of Stand Up To Cancer?

Today, healthcare professionals have a better understanding of the biology of cancers than ever before. But because researchers rely on outside funding to study their ideas, many good approaches never get tested or take years to go from test tube to people.

The planners of Stand Up To Cancer hope to encourage collaboration among scientists, researchers and clinicians who practice at different institutions and would not otherwise work together. Also, they want to foster creative ideas that might not normally get funding but could lead to scientific advances.

How Will Stand Up To Cancer Spend the Money?

Of the money raised on September 5 and throughout the year via Stand Up To Cancer’s other fundraising programs:

• 70 percent will fund research by "Dream Teams" of clinicians from different institutions. Team members must have a variety of areas of expertise and experience, and the research must be novel, address critical problems in care and promise benefit in the near future.
• 20 percent will go to "Innovative Research Grants" for creative, "high-risk" proposals that further the goal of improving the lives of people with cancer by using science to prevent and treat disease.
• 10 percent will endow Stand Up To Cancer and give program managers flexibility to help clinicians fund unexpected research opportunities.

AACR will select projects for funding under the direction of a Scientific Advisory Committee headed by Nobel Laureate Phillip A. Sharp, PhD, of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Stand Up To Cancer also formed an Advocate Advisory Council of 25 nonprofit leaders who will ensure the "Dream Teams" take into account the voices of people with cancer.

How Can I Help?

LBBC strongly supports Stand Up To Cancer’s creative approach to breaking down barriers that keep the brightest medical minds from collaborating on novel research. To learn more about these barriers, read our report on the State of Breast Cancer: 1992-2007.

You can help by supporting this program. Spread the word to your friends and family, and gather around the television on September 5 to watch together.

Visit the website of Stand Up To Cancer.