OU Cancer Institute seeks high schools’ help
OU Cancer Institute wants to raise awareness

BY SUSAN SIMPSON Comments 0
Published: October 4, 2009

The OU Cancer Institute is asking high school students across the state to help them raise awareness and money to support cancer patients in Oklahoma.

More Info

Cancer in Oklahoma

→Deaths: About 7,500 Oklahomans die of cancer every year.

→Diagnosis: About 17,000 Oklahomans are

diagnosed with cancer every year.

→Minorities: Black men have the highest cancer incidence and mortality rates, and Hispanic

women are more likely to get breast cancer.

Source: OU Cancer Institute

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Information on the Oklahoma Students Care initiative was sent to high schools across the state, along with a letter from first lady Kim Henry asking students to make a difference.

"Cancer is one of the most pressing public health issues in our state, and I am confident that students will be part of the solution,” Henry said.

Students are asked to create cancer awareness programs for their schools and communities and to hold fundraisers through events such as garage sales, concerts and walk-a-thons.

About half of OU Cancer Institute patients travel more than 50 miles for treatment. Many need help paying for transportation, lodging and meals. Even if patients have health insurance, it often does not pay for counseling, nutrition services and some therapies.

Mustang High School marketing instructor Diane Cerny said her students were excited to get the information about Oklahoma Students Care.

"Teenagers want to help; they just don’t always know how to help,” Cerny said.

Mustang student Ashlee Shrum said she was inspired to help because her second cousin had cancer, as did a teacher at her school.

"Most of us had been touched in some way by someone who had cancer, and we knew how it felt. If we can minimize and eventually help eliminate that number, then we would like to try any way possible,” she said.

Oklahoma Students Care also aims to educate teenagers about the risks of tobacco use.

One in four high school students has smoked or used smokeless tobacco. Tobacco use is a leading cause of cancers.

"We know that we can dramatically decrease the mortality rate of cancer in Oklahoma if we would just live more healthy lives,” said Dr. Robert Mannel, director of OU Cancer Institute. "Better diets, more physical activity and eliminating tobacco use are all known to reduce the rates of cancer incidence and mortality.”