Music, film, appeals fill hour of "Stand Up To Cancer"

Taylor Swift at the 2012 Billboard Awards

/ file,Photo by John Shearer/Invision/AP

(CBS News) Accompanied only by a piano, singer Taylor Swift paid tribute to a young cancer victim with a special song during Friday's "Stand Up to Cancer" telethon.

"Stand Up to Cancer," feraturing dozens of A-list stars, aired on all the major networks and cable channels.

The 22-year-old Swift, wearing a red dress with her hair pulled back in a pony tail, sat on a stool on a bare stage as she sang "Ronan," dedicated to a 4-year-old boy who died last year of neuroblastoma.

At the song's end, the child's picture flashed on a screen in the background. Swift said she wrote the song after reading the blog of Ronan's mother, Maya Thompson, who is credited as a co-writer. It will be available on iTunes with all proceeds going to cancer-related charities.

Actress Gwyneth Paltrow, whose father died of cancer, is an executive producer of the fundraiser that was aired commercial-free from the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles.

Matt Damon and Michael Douglas, who himself battled throat cancer, opened the telethon. Among the celebrities taking part are Tom Hanks, Sofia Vergara, Julia Roberts, Samuel L. Jackson, Jeremy Renner, Emma Stone, Justin Timberlake and Jessica Biel.

Alicia Keys and Coldplay were among the performers

[sisters4prevention]

An incredible story is waiting to be told about the actual prevention of breast cancer. Not just prevention of recurrence, but actual prevention of the disease before it can begin its destruction. We are starting a revolution; the likes of which has not been seen since "the shot heard round the world". Five dedicated and determined women, all with their own foundations have united to fire another "shot" and have collaborated to become "Champions of the Pink Vaccine". Four breast cancer survivors and one world- known breast cancer surgeon are taking back the color Pink and using it for what it was intended to be "Prevention". Our cause: getting funding for The Pink Vaccine!

The Pink Vaccine is the first ever preventative vaccine for breast cancer developed by Dr. Vincent Tuohy of the Cleveland Clinic. It is 100% effective in preventing breast cancer in mice. Even mice bred for a high incidence of breast cancer failed to develop the disease when given the vaccine. Mice already infected with breast cancer also experience a marked reduction in tumors after being given this vaccine. It's ready for clinical trials in humans. It is important to note that anything that works in humans first worked in mice. So what's the problem?...So far no one will fund it.

Here is a video which explains how the vaccine works.
First Steps Towards a Breast Cancer Vaccine - YouTube
www.youtube.com/watch?v=QffAJmyALb0

Dr. Tuohy has worked tirelessly and is seeking FDA approval to begin human clinical trials. He appeared before Congress after winning the prestigious Sones Innovation Award in 2010, a validation from the scientific community that his research is valid. The problem lies not in the research but in obtaining the approximately $6 million dollars needed to begin clinical trials. Since an estimated $30 Billion is spent on breast cancer every year in the U.S., $6 Million seems like a proverbial drop in the bucket.

Breast cancer is a big territorial business steeped in politics and greed. Komen and the Avon Foundation have refused to support it. The only logical reason for their position is that it's not in the best interest of corporate or Pink-America to prevent this costly disease. A major problem is that not enough attention has been given by the media to Dr. Tuohy's discovery. Please, we need your help to increase awareness of this possible vaccine. October is breast cancer month. We'd love to speak to you and appear together on a newscast to tell Dr. Tuohy's story. This could be as big a story as the Salk vaccine for polio...we need to stop breast cancer as it approaches epidemic proportions. Will you help...will you tell our story?

Sincerely,
Judy Fitzgerald
Sisters4Prevention

[e-mail]

[ChampionPinkVaccine]

Breast Cancer Awareness Month is just around the corner and I have learned of a breast cancer PREVENTION vaccine that can save more than $86.44 Billion in healthcare costs in this country, per year.

A preventive vaccine, developed by Dr. Vincent Tuohy of the Cleveland Clinic was found to be 100% effective in preventing breast cancer in mice. Even mice bred for a high incidence of breast cancer failed to develop it when the vaccine was administered. Further, researchers found that mice already infected with breast cancer saw a marked reduction in tumors after being given this vaccine.

Funding for The Pink Vaccine would have a tremendous affect on millions of lives as well as on spiraling health care costs in our country. The $6 Million needed to move forward with clinical trials is a drop in the breast cancer bucket yet women continue to be diagnosed, and others die every day of this horrible disease.

More: ThePinkVaccine.com

[gjc1n1]

I think that the concept of "Stand up to cancer," is terrific. However, I don't like it rammed down my throat on every channel. It was a total tun-off to me.