The Lantern

Issue date: 5/14/08 Section: Campus

LIVESTRONG Ohio State.

Hundreds of people packed the Ohio State University Medical Center Plaza in front of Rhodes Hall Tuesday to hear Lance Armstrong, who owns seven Tour de France victories, speak about his latest movement to raise cancer awareness.

Yellow LIVESTRONG bracelets, T -shirts and hats were plentiful at the rally.

May 13th was LIVESTRONG day at Ohio State and around the country. More than 600 events were scheduled to raise cancer awareness and funds to help with cancer research.

"Although I barely made it through high school I can spell Ohio," Armstrong said, following a traditional booming OSU welcome. After a quick reference to the OSU football team beating his beloved Longhorns, Armstrong quickly got down to business.

"We are dealing with an epidemic here," Armstrong said. "One American dies every minute from cancer."

Armstrong compared the war on terror to the war on cancer.

Richard Nixon coined the war on cancer in 1971, and more than three decades later the war on terror began.

"The numbers are the numbers, and the facts are the facts ... By the time my eight-year-old son graduates college, this disease will have cost our country one trillion dollars," he said.

"This issue needs to be a priority like our national security is, and we need to allocate resources to help make a difference," he said.

Armstrong made it clear that all phases of cancer need to be brought to light.

"It all starts with prevention, half of all cancers are preventable," he said. "Screening and early detection is necessary regardless of your race or the city and state you live in. We all deserve the best treatment."

"We must then focus on survivorship. Cancer survivors deserve the same quality of life they had before cancer, if not better, and if the patient is not fortunate enough to survive it is essential that they die in peace with dignity and pride," Armstrong said.

The Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital is a part of the LIVESTRONG Survivorship Center of Excellence Network, one of eight cancer centers across the country trying to improve the rate of cancer survivorship.

Although this is a grassroots cancer advocacy program, Armstrong has been in contact with many Washington D.C. politicians. "John McCain has already agreed to come to the LIVESTRONG Summit in Columbus this summer ... Whoever the future president of this country is they will be at the summit this summer," he said.

As stage hands began throwing LIVESTRONG T-shirts into the crowd a spectator shouted at Armstrong to "Go for eight!"

"No thanks, I'm an old guy," Armstrong said.

Matt Critton can be reached at critton.2@osu.edu.

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