Cancer Services is often confused with the American Cancer society, and while the two organizations have a small shared history and similar names, it’s important to know the difference. The American Cancer Society is the nationwide, voluntary health organization dedicated to eliminating cancer as a major health problem. As significant as research is, Cancer Services of Greater Baton Rouge’s mission is to improve the lives of those living with cancer. We hope for the day we have to close our doors because research and medicine has eliminated cancer, we are here in the meantime for those people who are currently living with, through and beyond cancer, as well as for their friends and family members.
Cancer Services began as a local affiliate of the American Cancer Society in 1949, funded by the Community Chest (later the United Givers' Fund, now known as Capital Area United Way). Ten years later in 1959 the American Cancer Society asked its local affiliates to withdraw from the United Givers' Fund in order to conduct annual fund-raising efforts in support of national cancer research. While recognizing the importance of research, members of the Board of Directors voted to continue fulfilling the agency's original mission of providing programs and services for local cancer patients.
Today we still proudly maintain our relationship with the Capital Area United Way, and are still providing programs and services for local cancer patients and adapting to meet their changing needs as research and medicine continually improve the landscape of cancer survivorship.
