NCCCR Executive Committee Member Dr. Eric Sandler elected President of the Florida Chapter of the American Cancer Society

Dr. Eric Sandler, Chief of the Division of Hematology/Oncology at Nemours Children’s Clinic in Jacksonville, Florida, and the Executive Member of the NCCCR has been elected as the President of the Florida Chapter of the American Cancer Society (ACS).

The American Cancer Society is a nationwide, community-based voluntary health organization dedicated to eliminating cancer and is one of the oldest and largest voluntary health agencies in the United States (www.cancer.org). “This is a well deserved honor for Dr. Eric Sandler,” remarked Ayyappan Rajasekaran, PhD, Director of the NCCCR. According to the ACS, cancer is the second leading cause of death in children, with an estimated 10,730 new cases expected to occur among children aged 0 to 14 years in 2009. Dr. Sandler and his talented Jacksonville team are collectively participating in 77 Children’s Oncology Group (COG) trials and over 20 non-COG studies.

Dr. Sandler’s passion for children with cancer, his leadership and his research efforts show his dedication to eliminating childhood cancer, the ultimate goal of the NCCCR. Such efforts are the reason childhood cancer survival has improved markedly over the past 30 years, from less than 50% before the 1970’s to approximately 80% today. The members of the NCCCR cordially congratulate Dr. Sandler for his accomplishment.