Local Cancer Volunteer Will Urge Federal Lawmakers to Make Cancer a Top Priority

The following was submitted by the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, Inc.

CHICAGO, Ill. – Sept. 9, 2014 – Next week, more than 600 cancer patients, survivors, volunteers and staff from all 50 states will unite in Washington, D.C., as part of the annual American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN) Leadership Summit and Lobby Day. Marilyn Garcia, an ACS CAN volunteer from Winnetka, Ill., will meet with U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.) to discuss specific steps to make cancer a national priority.

“Congress has a critical role to play in the fight to defeat a disease that kills an estimated 500,000 people in America every year,” Garcia said. “As a cancer advocate, I will let Representative Schakowsky know that Congress can demonstrate a commitment to the fight against cancer by increasing federal funding for research and prevention, co-sponsoring patient quality of life legislation and eliminating surprise costs for seniors getting colorectal cancer screenings. Making these lifesaving policies a priority will help to eliminate death and suffering from cancer.”

Specifically, Illinois volunteers will ask their members of Congress to:

· Increase funding for cancer research at the National Cancer Institute (NCI) and for prevention programs at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC). Freezes and cuts in federal funding for NCI and the CDC in recent years have jeopardized groundbreaking research and critical screening programs, which could cost countless lives. In 2013, Illinois research institutions received $99,855,877 in funding from the NCI, and the state’s National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program received $5,972,943 from the CDC to support life-saving cancer screenings for low-income women.

• Co-sponsor legislation to improve the quality of life of cancer patients with better access to palliative care. Poor coordination among doctors, nurses and specialists on a patient’s treatment team can sometimes add to the stress of a cancer diagnosis. Patients can receive an extra layer of support, called palliative care, that improves their quality of life at any age and at any stage of illness. ACS CAN supports bipartisan legislation that would make palliative care more available to people who need it.

• Co-sponsor the Removing Barriers to Colorectal Cancer Screenings Act. An estimated 150,000 people in America will be diagnosed with colorectal cancer, and 50,000 people will die from the disease this year alone. Half of these deaths could be prevented each year if everyone over age 50 received screenings. The new health care law waives co-pays for proven screenings for colorectal and other cancers, but Medicare patients can still get hit with a bill if a polyp is found during the procedure. ACS CAN supports legislation that ensures seniors receive those screenings without facing an unexpected bill.

“One in two men and one in three women will hear the words ‘you have cancer’ in their lifetime,” Garciasaid. “We need a full and unwavering commitment from Congress to take action to help prevent and treat cancer. We want our lawmakers to know that volunteers from Illinois and from every state across the country are counting on them to take a stand.”

ACS CAN is the non-profit, non-partisan advocacy affiliate organization of the American Cancer Society, which is dedicated to eliminating cancer as a major health problem. ACS CAN works to encourage lawmakers, candidates and government officials to support laws and policies that will make cancer a top national priority. ACS CAN gives ordinary people extraordinary power to fight cancer. For more information, visit www.acscan.org.