American Cancer Society
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In 1913, a cancer diagnosis meant near-certain death. Rarely mentioned in public, this disease was steeped in fear and denial. Doctors sometimes did not tell their patients they had cancer, and patients often did not tell their friends and families they had been diagnosed. The Cancer Society’s founders knew they had to raise public awareness about cancer if progress was to be made against this disease. Therefore, the American Cancer Society was founded in 1913, and the Society’s research program began in 1946.
In Mississippi, an estimated 17,050 new cancer cases will be diagnosed in 2019, and 6720 people are expected to die from the disease. The American Cancer Society (ACS) is on a mission to free the world from cancer. ACS believes no one should die of cancer because they cannot get the quality care they need. ACS is working to increase screening, reduce risks in underserved communities and boost investments in transportation and lodging programs to help patients receive treatment and support. ACS knows having cancer is hard and travel can make it even harder. ACS’s Hope Lodge system all across the country can help with that. Mississippi’s Gertrude C. Ford Hope Lodge opened in Jackson in February, 2019 providing free lodging and transportation to those who need to travel to Jackson for treatment.
The American Cancer Society helps patients and caregivers in MS receive personal guidance through the health care system; this includes help with insurance problems, referrals to local services, and more. ACS personnel are available every minute of every day at 1-800-227-2345. They provide hope, 
direction through cancer information, and answers to personal questions. ACS funds and conducts research to discover how people can take steps to reduce their risk of cancer. ACS works to encourage healthy lifestyle choices – avoiding tobacco, eating healthy, and being physically active – that could help eliminate approximately 50% of deaths from cancer. ACS also works with our schools to educate students to make wise choices concerning the use of nicotine.
The American Cancer Society is a volunteer-based organization. Thanks to the help and dedication of millions of volunteers and supporters, ACS has contributed to a 27% decline in the cancer death rate since 1991. ACS has funded 47 cancer researchers who went on to win the Nobel Prize. Through the years, ACS has found the residents of Meridian/Lauderdale County to be very passionate about helping in the fight. This community is truly unique in its willingness to unite to make a difference through Relay For Life and the Annual Grady Hinson Golf Tournament.
Cheryl Thaggard, ACS Community Development Manager and 3-year uterine cancer survivor, says, “We are helping save more lives than ever before. ACS is second only to the federal government in investment in cancer research. I encourage everyone to know the facts about cancer and they can find them at cancer.org. The American Cancer Society’s mission is to save lives, celebrate lives, and lead the fight for a world without cancer.”