National Collegiate Cancer Foundation

The National Collegiate Cancer Foundation provides services and support to the narrow group of college students who have been diagnosed with cancer. The organization's goal is to make the life of college students, who are also cancer patients, a little easier by providing the right resources and support to help them establish a "will win" attitude in their fight.

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The Foundation encourages students to continue with higher education throughout their treatment and provides need-based financial support to these students and their families. Furthermore, the National Collegiate Cancer Foundation promotes awareness and prevention of cancer.

History

In May of 2005, Dan Waeger was living the life of any normal person his age. At the age of 22, he was working as the Assistant Golf Coach for both men and women's teams at Division I Wagner College in Staten Island, NY. In addition, Dan was pursuing his M.B.A. in Finance. In the midst of taking final exams, a persistent cough developed which made him short of breath. Not worrying about it, Dan continued with his daily regimen which consisted of a 3 or 4 mile run as he was training for the Rock 'N' Roll Marathon in San Diego, CA.

Struggling to even breathe while at rest, Dan checked himself into the hospital on May 13. Once admitted to the hospital, physicians discovered that 1.5 liters of fluid had accumulated around his heart. After a surgery on his heart to remove the fluid, Dan was diagnosed with cancer a few days later on May 18, 2005.

Recently, in February 2006, Dan's diagnosis changed from "Cancer of Unknown Primary" to "Non-small cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC) -Adenocarcinoma", having never smoked a day in his life and being the youngest of 5 children to parents that never smoked and siblings that never smoked.

Cancer can begin in any organ or tissue of the body. The primary site usually takes the name for the part of the body or the type of tissue in which the cancer begins. Dan's cancer, however, the site or origin in the body was unknown and originally it was designated “Cancer of Unknown Primary” (or C.U.P.). Cancer of Unknown Primary actually accounts for 3-5% of all cancers.

After four and a half months and six cycles of chemotherapy in 2005, Dan is continuing to fight the cancer head on. After experiencing strong results from the IV chemotherapy, Tarceva was used and has been unsuccessful in stabilizing the cancer. A combination of radiation and chemotherapy was used during February and March of 2006. On March 31, 2006, he started on more chemotherapy (Alimpta), which will be given every three weeks. So far the cancer has been reduced by 25% and continues to decline.

Dan created NCCF in 2005 and launched the website in January 2006.