Last week, nearly 120 advocates, including several ACS CAN volunteers, asked their lawmakers to fund cancer research as part of the 18th annual One Voice Against Cancer (OVAC) lobby day. We must keep the momentum going.

After years of stalled and anemic funding levels for critical cancer research, Congress came together at the end of last year in a major way to pass the biggest funding increases for the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and National Cancer Institute (NCI) in more than a decade. Champions, including Rep. Kevin Yoder from Kansas, acknowledged the importance of making cancer a national priority and rallied together to make sure resources were available to advance detection tests, treatments and therapies for a disease that is expected to kill nearly 600,000 people in America this year.

Today is the start of ACS CAN's signature annual event: our Leadership Summit and Lobby Day. We'll be welcoming more than 750 cancer patients, survivors and their loved ones from all 50 states and nearly every congressional district to Washington, D.C. for three days of training, presentations, media opportunities and, of course, meetings with lawmakers.

One thing that Former President Carter said during this morning's press conference that has stuck with me is his appreciation for his doctors and the top-notch cancer centers that are collaborating on his treatment.

There are few things in life that we all share in common, but we are all just one degree from cancer. Whether itŠ—'s a parent, grandparent, other relative, friend, co-worker or even you, we all know someone who has faced this disease, and thus we all know just how important cancer research is to the quality of life and survival of our loved ones.

I was saddened to learn late last week that Dr. Harold Varmus will step down as director of the National Cancer Institute (NCI) at the end of the month.

During his State of the Union address last week, the president announced a new initiative to increase funding into promising new research to deliver the right treatments to patients at the right time.

David is one of three courageous ACS CAN volunteers sharing his personal story to raise awareness about the importance of funding for research at the National Cancer Institute in our newest advertising campaign.

This National Minority Health Month coincides with the end of the 2014 open enrollment period for the health care marketplaces under the Affordable Care Act.

The budget agreement would restore more than $22 billion that was cut through the across-the-board reductions known as the budget sequester. This agreement is an important first step toward seeing Congress return to a constructive process of setting budget priorities.