Ben's Giving Page

This time twelve months ago I was in my fifth week of post-operative radiotherapy and consumed with the mental and physical fatigue that the treatment brings. A year on, I am thankfully happy and healthy but my fitness levels must be the lowest they've ever been in my lifetime (even including the days of me being an overweight school child!) and frankly that just won't do. So what better way to boot myself back into action by raising money to help the fight against the disease that knocked me down in the first place. Due to this being a rather personal commitment, I had inititally been happy enough with just the money I'd contributed by registering, and thought it would be best to keep the challenge private (my tendancy to keep personal things private has increased even more so in the past year). But, having seen the generousity offered on my partner's donation page, I am seeing this now, three days before the event, through a clearer, wider perspective and want to do better than just contributing via registration. So please, if you are able to, donate a pound or two and I'll promise to post a hideous, disgusting photo of my sure-to-be sweaty self once we have crossed the finish line on Saturday night! I have chosen the cause of Rare Cancers, as this is the category my specific cancer (ACC) falls under, and these cancers have the smallest knowledge and therefore need greater research. "Adenoid Cystic Carcinoma is a rare and unique form of cancer that is known to be unpredictable in nature, with a typical growth pattern of being slow and gradual, but over time can be progressive, insidious and relentless. In a recent long term study conducted at MD Anderson Cancer Center, with a study of 160 ACC patients, 89% of the patients survived for 5 years, but that was reduced to 40% at 15 years. It is predicted by some medical papers that anywhere from 30% to 60% of all ACC patients will have recurrence somewhere in their body at some point, and some researchers have stated that this figure could be much higher if it were possible to track a larger number of patients over a longer period of time." ** Quoted words taken from the very useful and informative Adenoid Cystic Carcinoma Organization International website, link below. ** http://www.accoi.org/faq/what-acc/