Feb 25, 2009 5:12 pm US/Central
Obama's Call For Cancer Cure Draws Applause, Hope
CHICAGO (CBS) ―
President Barack Obama's speech before a joint session of Congress Tuesday night is resonating in the medical world, where his call for a cure for cancer in our time is drawing applause.
"It will launch a new effort to conquer a disease that has touched the life of nearly every American, including me, by seeking a cure for cancer in our time," Obama said.
That one line in president Obama's speech struck a chord of hope not only with those present in the room, but countless others watching at home, including Michelle LeBeau, the director of the University of Chicago Cancer Research Center.
"He has revitalized our hope in our ability and opportunities to perform the most leading edge, exciting research, and to bring that to the benefit of patients," LeBeau said.
President Obama is not the first U.S. president to take a stand against cancer. Back in 1971, President Richard Nixon did the same.
The National Cancer Act helped establish funding for cancer centers across the country which are credited with making great strides in cancer treatment and prevention. The University of Chicago Cancer Research Center was one of the first cancer centers funded by the National Cancer Act of 1971.
Researchers believe with President Obama's renewed call to action, even greater strides can be made. Cancer patients and their families hope that's true, but they also hope it won't be decades before they see the results.
"Get that research done before it's too late for all of us," cancer patient Marlene Luhrsen said.
"She's got it now, and we've got to stop it," said her husband, Paul Luhrsen. "This is a deadly cancer, and they haven't had much success in treating it."
Some critics of President Obama's plan say his call for a cure for cancer is unrealistic, but researchers at the University of Chicago Cancer Research Center strongly disagree. They say it's not only realistic, it's possible.
"Given the pace of discovery, the technologies that we have available today, I think that it is realistic to expect that we will find many cures for cancers in our lifetime," LeBeau said.
Luhrsen and her husband of 55 years say they hope that's true.
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