Copyright 2012 © Long Beach AIDS Foundation, Inc.  A Tax Exempt Charitable Organization, Federal Tax I.D. Number 73-1725472

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ALEF is getting a new name.

ALEF is becoming NACLEF for 2012 as we expand this important program.

ALEF has been a very important program for so many clients over the last few years.  The needs of the community have increased tremendously, by as much as 30% more during these hard economic times. The difference between taking life saving medicines and not paying a utility bill or for food, because of a financial set-back is not an option.  It can mean the difference between life and death for many.

The ALEF program has been a lifesaver for many clients. In the course of helping clients, a noticeable increase in clients with oral cancer and cancer more highly prevalent to those with HIV was of concern.  The Foundation has decided to be out front in this under-represented national issue.  Having helped so many with Oral Cancer and HIV-related cancers, ALEF program will now cover helping with those specific types of cancer most prevalent to those with HIV.  Even the name of the program is changing to reflect our concern.

People infected with HIV have a substantially higher risk of some types of cancer compared with uninfected people of the same age.(1)  Three of these cancers are known as “acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS)-defining cancers” or “AIDS-defining malignancies”: Kaposi sarcoma, non-Hodgkin lymphoma, and cervical cancer. A diagnosis of any one of these cancers marks the point at which HIV infection has progressed to AIDS.

People infected with HIV are several thousand times more likely than uninfected people to be diagnosed with Kaposi sarcoma, at least 70 times more likely to be diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma, and, among women, at least 5 times more likely to be diagnosed with cervical cancer.(1)

In addition, people infected with HIV are at higher risk of several other types of cancer. These other malignancies include anal, liver, lung cancer, mouth cancer, throat cancer, testicular cancer, and Hodgkin lymphoma.(1) (2)

People infected with HIV are at least 25 times more likely to be diagnosed with anal cancer than uninfected people, 5 times as likely to be diagnosed with liver cancer, 3 times as likely to be diagnosed with lung cancer, and at least 10 times more likely to be diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma.(1)

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As a parent, if a vaccine against cancer existed, would you go to any length to protect your child?

First, let’s get real!  Frankly, well, that’s exactly what an HPV vaccine could do for your child.  But unfortunately the 4 HPV types of the total 40 HPV varieties is seen something akin of a contraceptive by the American public when nothing could be further from the truth.

In fact, the Foundation advocates that boys and young men through age 21 should seriously consider the HPV vaccine.  Get real! It’s not just for girtls!  The fact that this is a controversial subject is ludicrous in our opinion when we should substitute the word SEX with the word CANCER.

What parent wouldn’t do anything to protect their child from CANCER? But the fact of the matter is that HPV oral cancer in males is expected to exceed the total number of cervical cancer cases by the year 2020!

Why are we making teenage girls the “responsible party” in cancer protection? Quite frankly, it’s the boys that tend to pass HPV virus.  Girl to girl transmission of the HPV is not highly prevalent.

“This is cancer, for Pete’s sake,” said Dr. William Schaffner, chairman of the department of preventive medicine at Vanderbilt University School

People infected with HIV do not have increased risks of breast, colorectal, prostate, or many other common types of cancer. Screening for these cancers in HIV-infected people should follow current guidelines for the general population.(1)

Source: (1) National Cancer Institute  (2) Cancer.net

of Medicine and a nonvoting member of the committee. “A vaccine against cancer was the dream of our youth.”

The recommendation was made by the panel, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.  The committee recommended that boys ages 11 and 12 should be vaccinated. It also recommended vaccination of males ages 13 through 21 who had not already had all three shots. Vaccinations may be given to boys as young as 9 and to men between the ages of 22 and 26.

At the Foundation, it was not common for us to hear about someone we know or have helped with being afflicted with cancer. But the fact that the types of cancers we were hearing about were often associated with people with HIV or having a higher incidence rate than compared to the general population made us very concerned.  

We intend to bring more awareness to this issue. It will also be incorporated into our Project: Pathways priority directives.