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Lung Cancer Grant Award

December 19, 2019 |

Thanks to the American Cancer Society’s partnership with the National Football League and its Crucial Catch program, eight community health centers in NFL markets have been approved for CHANGE grant funding for lung cancer screening and smoking cessation support.

Each of the following centers has received a two-year $100,000 grant that runs through Oct. 31, 2021. And, each will have a lung cancer screening partner that will receive $25,000.

  • Blue Ridge Health in Hendersonville, NC  [Carolina Panthers market] – Southeast Region
  • Cambridge Health Alliance in Cambridge, MA [New England Patriots market] – Northeast Region
  • Community Medical Centers Inc. in Stockton, CA [San Francisco 49ers market] – West Region
  • Daughters of Charity Community Health Centers in New Orleans, LA [New Orleans Saints market] – South Region
  • Grady Health Foundation in Atlanta, GA [Atlanta Falcons market] – Southeast Region
  • Northeast Ohio Neighborhood Health Services in Cleveland, OH [Cleveland Browns market]  – North Central Region
  • Progressive CHC in Milwaukee, WI [Green Bay Packers market] – North Region
  • Saint Joseph Hospital Foundation in Denver, CO [Denver Broncos market] – North Region

The grants are the latest in our Community Health Advocates implementing Nationwide Grants for Empowerment and Equity (CHANGE) program, which provides funding opportunities as part of the ACS’s commitment to reduce cancer disparities.

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death among both men and women in the U.S., responsible for about 1 in 4 cancer deaths. Lung cancer is the second most common cancer diagnosed in both men and women but takes more lives than any other cancer. Each year, more people die of lung cancer than of colon, breast, and prostate cancers combined. We estimate there will be about 228,150 new lung cancer cases and 142,670 lung cancer deaths in the U.S. in 2019.

Lung cancer can be diagnosed in anyone, including those with no known risk factors. Cigarette smoking increases the risk of several cancers and is clearly the strongest risk factor for lung cancer, accounting for about 8 out of 10 lung cancer deaths in the U.S. For smokers, quitting is the best way to reduce the risk of lung cancer and helps lower the risk of developing several other types of cancer.

Since 2009, the NFL’s Crucial Catch initiative has raised more than $20 million in support of ACS. Visit nfl.com/crucialcatch to learn more.