Esophageal Cancer Action Network Inc

ECAN'S MISSION IS TO SAVE LIVES BY INCREASING AWARENESS ABOUT THE LINK BETWEEN REFLUX DISEASE AND CANCER.

EDUCATION THE PUBLIC AND MEDICAL COMMUNITY: SINCE 2020, ECAN HAS HOSTED A SERIES OF INFORMATIVE WEBINARS TO EDUCATE PATIENTS AND FAMILIES ABOUT THE PREVENTION, DETECTION, TREATMENT AND SURVIVORSHIP OF ESOPHAGEAL CANCER. IN 2021, ECAN HOSTED THE FIRST VIRTUAL CONFERENCE FOR PATIENTS AND MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS WITH THIS GOAL. A PATH TO SAVE LIVES WAS A THREE-DAY VIRTUAL CONFERENCE THAT FEATURED THE TOP RESEARCHERS AND EXPERTS IN THE PREVENTION, DETECTION, TREATMENT, AND SURVIVORSHIP OF ESOPHAGEAL CANCER. IT RECEIVED RAVE REVIEWS FROM ATTENDEES. ECAN IS PLANNING TO HOST MORE VIRTUAL EDUCATIONAL EVENTS IN THE FUTURE. CRITICAL RESEARCH: ECAN SUCCESSFULLY LED THE CHARGE TO MAKE SURE THAT ESOPHAGEAL CANCER RESEARCHERS HAVE ACCESS TO A MULTI-MILLION-DOLLAR CANCER RESEARCH FUND ADMINISTERED BY THE DEPT. OF DEFENSE. AS A RESULT, ESOPHAGEAL CANCER RESEARCHERS HAVE BEEN AWARDED MILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN FUNDING SINCE 2021 AND CONTINUE TO BE ELIGIBLE TO APPLY FOR FUNDING EVERY YEAR SINCE 2020. ECAN SUCCESSFULLY ADVOCATED WITH THE NATIONAL CANCER INSTITUTE TO CHANGE COURSE AND INCLUDE ESOPHAGEAL CANCER IN ITS GENOME MAPPING PROJECT KNOWN AS THE THE CANCER GENOME ATLAS (TCGA). THE GROUNDBREAKING FINDINGS OF THAT RESEARCH LED TO THE FIRST FDA APPROVAL OF IMMUNOTHERAPY FOR ESOPHAGEAL CANCER PATIENTS IN 2021. AS A FOUNDING MEMBER OF THE DEADLIEST CANCERS COALITION, ECAN STRIVES TO ENSURE ADEQUATE FUNDING FOR RESEARCH INTO THE PREVENTION, DETECTION, TREATMENT AND CURE OF ESOPHAGEAL CANCER. SOUNDING THE ALARM: IN 2017, ECAN FILED A PETITION WITH THE FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION REQUESTING THAT WARNING LABELS BE PUT ON OVER-THE-COUNTER HEARTBURN REMEDIES TO ALERT THE PUBLIC TO THE FACT THAT HEARTBURN CAN CAUSE CANCER. THOUGH THE FDA DID NOT APPROVE THE REQUEST, IT PROVIDED CLEAR GUIDANCE ON HOW SUCH A PETITION COULD BE SUCCESSFUL IN THE FUTURE. A GUIDE FOR PATIENTS: WITH INPUT FROM PHYSICIANS AROUND THE COUNTRY, ECAN DEVELOPED AN INNOVATIVE GUIDE FOR PATIENTS PROVIDING COMPREHENSIVE AND CLEAR INFORMATION ABOUT THE LINK BETWEEN HEARTBURN AND CANCER. THE GUIDE IS DESIGNED TO HELP PATIENTS ADVOCATE FOR THEIR OWN HEALTH CARE AND IS AVAILABLE AS A FREE DOWNLOAD FROM THE ECAN WEBSITE IN BOTH ENGLISH AND SPANISH. ESOPHAGEAL CANCER AWARENESS MONTH: ECAN LED THE EFFORT TO HAVE APRIL DESIGNATED AS ESOPHAGEAL CANCER AWARENESS MONTH IN STATES THROUGHOUT THE UNITED STATES. WITH ECAN'S SUPPORT OVER THE PAST 7 YEARS, MORE THAN 150 GUBERNATORIAL DECLARATIONS OF EC AWARENESS MONTH HAVE BEEN ACHIEVED THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY AND IN SOME OTHER NATIONS, AS WELL. APRIL IS NOW OBSERVED AS EC AWARENESS MONTH BY COMPANIES, ORGANIZATIONS AND GOVERNMENTS ACROSS THE NATION - AND THE WORLD. LEGENDARY PARTNERSHIP: ECAN HAS PARTNERED WITH THE ESTATE OF FILM ICON HUMPHREY BOGART WHOSE LIFE WAS CUT SHORT IN 1957 BY ESOPHAGEAL CANCER. SINCE MAY 2013, THE HUMPHREY BOGART FILM FESTIVAL IN KEY LARGO, FLORIDA HAS BEEN THE HOST OF A PROJECT THE ESTATE OF HUMPHREY BOGART PARTNERED WITH ECAN TO CREATE. CALLED SCREENINGS FOR SCREENINGS, THE PROJECT FEATURES MOVIE TRAILERS PRODUCED BY ECAN AND PRESENTED BEFORE EACH FILM SHOWN AT THE FILM FESTIVAL. IN THOSE VIDEOS, BOGART'S SON STEPHEN ENCOURAGES THOSE AT RISK FOR ESOPHAGEAL CANCER TO "GET CHECKED." EVENTS THAT MAKE A DIFFERENCE: ECAN SPONSORS AND SUPPORTS MULTIPLE FUNDRAISING AND AWARENESS RAISING EVENTS AROUND THE COUNTRY INCLUDING WALKS, RUNS, BIKE RIDES, GOLF TOURNAMENTS, DINNERS, LIBRARY OUTREACH, SPEAKING EVENTS, ART SHOWS AND MORE. ECAN VOLUNTEERS HAVE HOSTED MORE THAN 100 EVENTS TO RAISE AWARENESS ACROSS THE U.S. AND IN OTHER COUNTRIES SINCE 2010. MAJOR LEAGUES & MAJOR CITIES: IN APRIL 2014, ECAN PRESENTED THE FIRST ESOPHAGEAL CANCER AWARENESS EVENT IN PROFESSIONAL SPORTS AT THE STAPLES CENTER WHEN THE NBA'S LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS TOOK ON THE DALLAS MAVERICKS. LATER THAT MONTH, ECAN SPONSORED THE FIRST ESOPHAGEAL CANCER AWARENESS RACE EVER HELD IN NEW YORK CITY; MORE THAN 1,000 ATTENDED THE TWO-DAY FESTIVAL THAT INCLUDED A 5K, 10K AND HALF MARATHON. CANCER DANCER GALA ~ TAKING STEPS TO SAVE LIVES : IN APRIL 2012, ECAN HOSTED THE FIRST GALA EVER HELD IN THE U.S. TO FOCUS ON ESOPHAGEAL CANCER ADVOCACY. FORMER CONGRESSWOMAN AND UNDER SECRETARY OF STATE ELLEN O. TAUSCHER MOVED THE CROWD OF 300 WITH HER STORY OF SURVIVAL OF STAGE III ESOPHAGEAL CANCER. IN 2013, THE CANCER DANCER GALA ATTRACTED A LARGER AUDIENCE AND RAISED MORE THAN 110,000 TO SUPPORT ECAN'S MISSION. IN 2014, THE CANCER DANCER GALA WENT HOLLYWOOD WITH MORE THAN 300 GUESTS AND REMARKS BY ECAN SPOKESMAN STEPHEN BOGART. SERIOUSLY FUNNY: IN 2015, ECAN LAUNCHED ITS NO LAUGHING MATTER CAMPAIGN - A PUBLIC AWARENESS EFFORT THAT USES HUMOR TO HELP FOLKS UNDERSTAND THAT REFLUX DISEASE IS A SERIOUS CONDITION. THE HIGHLIGHT OF THE CAMPAIGN WAS AN EVENING WITH JEFF FOXWORTHY IN ARLINGTON, VIRGINIA THAT BROUGHT A NEW AUDIENCE TO OUR MESSAGE AND ENTERTAINED OUR SUPPORTERS WITH A HILARIOUSLY ENTERTAINING EVENING. LEADING UP TO THE EVENT, ECAN HOSTED COMPETITIONS IN COMEDY CLUBS THROUGHOUT THE US FOR THE CHANCE TO BE THE OPENING ACT FOR JEFF FOXWORTHY. REACHING FOR THE STARS: ECAN TOOK AWARENESS TO NEW HEIGHTS IN 2015 WITH ITS STORIES TO SAVE LIVES EVENT IN LOS ANGELES. MORE THAN 40 BRAVE PARTICIPANTS RAPPELLED DOWN 24 STORIES OF THE HILTON UNIVERSAL CITY HOTEL ON BEHALF OF SOMEONE WHO HAS FACED ESOPHAGEAL CANCER. TWO RAPPELLERS WERE EC SURVIVORS AND A THIRD WAS A PATIENT BATTLING ESOPHAGEAL CANCER. THIS FUN AND MOVING DAY DELIVERED A STRONG MESSAGE ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF EARLY DETECTION AND TAKING REFLUX DISEASE SERIOUSLY. CHARM CITY CELEBRITY GAME NIGHT: IN 2016, ECAN BROUGHT TOGETHER 24 BROADCAST CELEBRITIES FROM THE BALTIMORE TV AND RADIO MARKET TO PLAY A FUN AND ENGAGING BALTIMORE VERSION OF HOLLYWOOD GAME NIGHT. EVEN MORE IMPORTANTLY, THE EVENING HONORED THE MEMORY OF A BELOVED NEWSCASTER WHOSE LIFE WAS CUT SHORT BY ESOPHAGEAL CANCER JERRY TURNER OF WJZ-TV.