Colorectal cancer remains the second leading cause of cancer death for men and women combined in our country – a fact that’s difficult to accept given that it’s one of a limited number of cancers that can be prevented through screening.
This month marks the 25th anniversary of a landmark report from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) that, for the first time, classified secondhand smoke as a Group A carcinogen, known to cause cancer in humans. Over the last quarter century, the tobacco industry has worked hard to stall legislation that would protect Americans from secondhand smoke. But ACS CAN and our public health partners continue to advocate for smoke-free laws until all workplaces are smoke-free.
October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month a time when cancer advocates work to increase awareness of the disease, and highlight successes and opportunities in the breast cancer community. With that in mind, I’d like to highlight our advocacy work in Nevada, which recently resulted in a huge win.
Great news last week out of Massachusetts where Governor Charlie Baker and the state legislature enacted new legislation to prevent youth under the age of 18 from using indoor tanning devices. ACS CAN staff and volunteers have been working hard to protect Massachusetts teens from the harms of indoor tanning and we're hoping that this early legislative win in 2016 sets the tone for other states to do the same.
According to a new edition of the ACS CAN report How Do You Measure Up? released today, most state legislatures are missing opportunities to enact laws and policies that could not only save lives, but also generate new revenue and long-term health care savings.
I've shared my story with many people friends, family, fellow advocates but last week's event in Washington, D.C. was an experience I will never forget.
To increase awareness of the Prevention Fund's lifesaving impact, ACS CAN released a report last week called Staying Well: Real Stories from the Prevention and Public Health Fund, which features 17 stories of state and community programs that depend on the Prevention Fund for their critical work.
Yesterday, the U.S. House of Representatives subcommittee responsible for funding programs at the NIH and CDC passed a budget proposal that flat lines cancer research and defunds important programs that would improve access to care for families affected by cancer. Needless to say, this is a huge disappointment for cancer patients across the country.
Earlier this month, as part of National Minority Cancer Awareness Week, ACS CAN co-hosted an important briefing on Capitol Hill to discuss the importance of research and prevention in eliminating inequities among minority populations in prevalence rates of and access to health care for chronic diseases.
March is National Nutrition Month, and I thought it would be a good opportunity to share some of ACS CAN's efforts to reduce overweight and obesity, which are proven to cause cancer.