American Cancer Society

Please join the American Cancer Society (ACS) as we work to end cancer for everyone, everywhere, by contributing to our goal of raising $50,000 for Utah Gives Day 2026! Join ACS as we work to save lives and create a world with less cancer and more birthdays. 

ACS in Colorado Communities

In 2025, the American Cancer Society:

• Provided 6,265 nights of free lodging to Utah patients whose best chance of survival lies in an out-of-state treatment center
• Managed 1,995 free rides to treatment for Utah patients who would otherwise miss critical appointments for radiation, chemo, or other therapies without ACS transportation partnerships 
• Answered 676 calls from Utahns needing answers, education, and emotional support managed through the 24/7 National Cancer Information Center helpline 
• Invested nearly $2.2 million in cancer research grants with researchers at the University of Utah

Testimonials

We believe the impact of our work can be best understood through the words and stories of Utah patients and caregivers who have relied on ACS programs during one of the most difficult times in their lives.

• "I don't have a vehicle and am unable to drive myself to treatment and rely on my daughter to get me to and from my many Oncology treatments. My daughter must take time off work for many of the appointments and can't afford to pay for the gas on top of that. Without these gas cards, I would have missed some of my treatments. I am so grateful for the help and support during this difficult time." - Utah patient receiving transportation support
• "I feel eternally grateful for all the kindness, love, and generosity I experienced here. It has been a true blessing to have been given the opportunity to receive all these resources and interactions. I want to thank all the fellow patients and all the staff for everything they have done for me here. I hope to continue to recover and help other people feel welcome in this wonderful place. Thank you, Hope Lodge, for giving me the chance to stay here close to treatment. I don't think I would have been able to continue treatment if it wasn't for the resources that were given. From the bottom of my heart, I will stay eternally grateful for all the help that was given to me." - Hope Lodge Salt Lake City patient guest

Mission

The American Cancer Society's (ACS) mission is to improve the lives of people with cancer and their families through advocacy, research, and patient support, to ensure everyone has an opportunity to prevent, detect, treat, and survive cancer.

Background Statement

An estimated 15,150 Utahns will be diagnosed with cancer this year. When ACS was founded in 1913, a cancer diagnosis meant near-certain death. Thanks to the hard work of ACS and its partners, a cancer diagnosis today does not come without hope, and the cancer journey is not one a patient must embark on alone.

The American Cancer Society is the largest funder of cancer research outside of the government, investing more than $5 billion since 1946. In the 1960s, ACS began providing transportation assistance for patients in need of free rides to and from cancer treatment. In 1970, the first ACS Hope Lodge was opened to provide free lodging for patients and their caregivers while traveling for cancer treatment. ACS is proud to have contributed to the work that has resulted in a 34% drop in the overall cancer death rate in the United States since 1991.