Dear Friends,

February is Cancer Prevention Month.  While it may not seem like it falls easily into the context of the month of love, cancer prevention has everything to do with the power of love.

January has proven to be a very trying time for federally funded organizations such as ours.   We partner with another federally funded organization: The Division of Cancer Prevention (DCP). As indicated by its moniker, DCP is dedicated to developing and validating new ways to prevent cancer and cancer-related deaths and reduce the burden of cancer and cancer therapies. The heart of the DCP mission is to continue to reduce cancer occurrence and morality through education and early detection.

According to the American Association for Cancer Research, “The federal government estimates that 2 million Americans were diagnosed with cancer (other than non-melanoma skin cancer) during 2024, and that more than 600,000 died from their disease. Research shows that more than 40% of these cases and nearly half of the deaths can be attributed to preventable causes.”

Thanks to the efforts of our colleagues at DCP, and other similar organizations, progress IS being made in the battle against cancer.  Some cancers that were once incurable are now survivable as a result of clinical trials, prevention and early detection.

At Western States, we believe all individuals who receive a cancer diagnosis deserve access to the broadest array of appropriate treatment options.  The availability of those treatment options is dependent on a number of factors, including federal funding and private financial support from donors and grants. The work we and the clinical teams we partner with is a labor of love driven by a moral imperative to give patients with cancer hope and a sense of agency.

So, this Valentine’s Day, in lieu of flowers, chocolates, or jewelry, consider making a gift to Western States in a loved one’s name or the name of someone lost to this monster disease. It  is a gift directly from your heart to theirs. It’s a gift that changes the future. And that, my friends, is a demonstration of powerful love.

In love and gratitude…