Almost everyone has lost a loved one to cancer. But this tragedy is only compounded when we realize afterwards that some of these cancers could have been prevented.

Amy Golder-Cooper is a dedicated volunteer advocate for ACS CAN in Pennsylvania, and a proud colorectal cancer survivor.

On Wednesday, ACS CAN staff in New York set up a giant, inflatable colon in the Legislative Office Building in Albany to announce support of the 80% by 2018 goal.

Getting a colonoscopy is no one's favorite activity. Yet, I am reminded just how important getting a routine colonoscopy is when I see that colon cancer will kill an estimated 50,000 people in the U.S. this year.

Rep. Donald M. Payne, Jr. represents the 10th Congressional District of New Jersey

Undoubtedly you saw the countdowns on your local news stations Š—– sequestration took effect on Friday. Sequestration is what Washington is calling the $85 billion in across-the-board budget cuts to domestic and defense discretionary spending agreed upon in the 2011 Budget Control Act. While a lot remains unknown about how the cuts will affect us, we know one thing is for sure: funding for cancer research and prevention programs is taking a dangerous hit.

IŠ—'ve shared my story with many people Š—– friends, family, fellow advocates Š—– but last weekŠ—'s event in Washington, D.C. was an experience I will never forget.

Imagine that you dropped your car off at a service station for what you thought was a free oil change. You return an hour later to be informed that while the service was underway a small problem was found and repaired (with no input from you), and you now owe $250. How would you take this news? This is the predicament that a number of people face every day due to an oversight in existing Medicare regulations.