Nearly 100 Massachusetts cancer patients, survivors and their families gathered at the State House Monday to ask legislators to support expanded access to and awareness of palliative care services for those fighting cancer and other serious illnesses.
"Palliative care suffers from an identity problem." That's the first line of an important article published in the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) today.
Today is the start of ACS CAN's signature annual event: our Leadership Summit and Lobby Day. We'll be welcoming more than 600 cancer patients, advocates, survivors, caregivers and their families from all 50 states and nearly every congressional district to Washington, D.C.
Unfortunately, for most of you the answer to the question above is not well. According to a new edition of the ACS CAN report How Do You Measure Up? released today, many state legislatures are missing opportunities to enact laws and policies that could not only generate new revenue and long-term health savings, but also save lives.
The American Cancer Society's Deputy Chief Medical Officer Dr. Len Lichtenfeld posted a great blog on palliative care recently that I wanted to share with all of you. It explains the differences between end-of-life care and palliative care, and highlights the importance of ACS CAN's work to pass legislation that will increase access to palliative care services for cancer patients and their loved ones.
On Thursday, Maryland became the first state to enact legislation that will help improve access to palliative care for people with serious illnesses and their families. It's a victory worth celebrating!
A new edition of the ACS CAN report How Do You Measure Up? shows that the majority of states are not measuring up on legislative solutions to prevent and fight cancer. The report ranks where states stand on these issues that play a critical role in reducing cancer incidence and death. It measures seven specific issues.
If you live in D.C., you might have noticed a new ad today in a Capitol Hill newspaper like National Journal or online on a site such as The Hill's Healthwatch blog. I'm excited to announce that we launched our new advertising campaign today, which asks lawmakers to support legislation introduced last week that would expand access to palliative care.
It goes without question that our nation has made significant progress in the treatment of cancer. Today, we are saving 350 more lives per day than we were in 1990. However, as doctors focus on the treatment of a patient's cancer, the patients' comfort and concerns are frequently overlooked.