RUMFORD – Volunteer drivers for the American Cancer Society’s Road to Recovery program are needed. Volunteers offer cancer patients safe and friendly transportation to treatment appointments.

The American Cancer Society is recruiting volunteers in Franklin and Oxford counties to ensure that all cancer patients have transportation when they need it. “If you have a car and some spare time, as little as one afternoon a month or as often as twice a week, you can help someone keep a potentially lifesaving appointment,” said Joe Mando, community executive for the society.

More than 7,000 Maine residents are living with cancer every day. Because of advances in medical research, there will be cures for many. Lack of transportation, though, may leave some of the patients with few options for completing their treatment schedules.

“One cancer patient requiring radiation therapy could need anywhere from 20 to 30 trips for treatment in six weeks,” said Mando. “A patient receiving chemotherapy might need weekly treatments for up to a year. In many cases, a patient is driven to treatment appointments at hospitals or clinics by relatives or friends. But if their relatives or friends are not able to take time off from work, these patients must occasionally seek alternative transportation. That’s where Road to Recovery comes in.”

For more information about Road to Recovery or to learn how to become a volunteer driver, contact the American Cancer Society at (800)ACS-2345 or visit www.cancer.org.