New drugs and other treatments for cancer are helping more Americans survive the disease, even as it affects an increasing number of people, a trio of experts said at a briefing in Washington, D.C., in October.

"We are in the midst of a revolution," said J. Leonard Lichtenfeld, MD, deputy chief medical officer at the American Cancer Society, based in Atlanta. "Now there's real hope."

Seven years ago, Ruth Colley had the opportunity to re-live her dream when Olympic gold medalist Frank Havens invited her to compete in the 1998 Nike World Masters Games. Colley was the first American woman to qualify for the United States Olympic Kayak team for the 1952 Helsinki games. Unfortunately, because she was the only woman to qualify for the 10-person team, she never got the opportunity to compete.

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