Baton Rouge, LA – The unpredictable and dynamic nature of COVID-19 is no match for the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network’s (ACS CAN) volunteers’ steadfast commitment. When the elevated risk for those with compromised immune systems became a roadblock for the annual Cancer Action Day, cancer patients, survivors and caregivers from across the state traveled virtually yesterday to the state capitol to meet with Louisiana’s lawmakers about the need to support legislation that will reduce suffering and death from cancer.
“Cancer hasn’t stopped. So, neither will we. As a cancer survivor, I let my lawmakers know if we’re going to eliminate cancer as a major health problem in Louisiana, this goal must be top of mind for our legislature,” said Kathleen Judge, ACS CAN Louisiana state lead ambassador. “By improving access to care, we can reduce suffering and death from this disease.”
Specifically, the Louisiana volunteers asked the legislature to:
Louisiana Breast & Cervical Health Program: maintain funding for the Louisiana Breast & Cervical Health Program. This program helps fill the health care coverage gap by providing low-income, uninsured and underinsured women access to mammograms and cervical cancer screenings. The impacts of COVID-19 make this program more critical than ever.
Louisiana Tumor Registry: preserve funding for the Louisiana Tumor Registry. This program collects and reports complete, high-quality and timely population-based cancer data in Louisiana to support cancer research, control and prevention.
Even as we face this pandemic, every day, an estimated 76 Louisianans hear the words “you have cancer” and 9,380 in the state are expected to die from this devastating disease this year. Those gathered yesterday are calling on Louisiana lawmakers to change this by taking steps to make the fight against cancer a priority.
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About ACS CAN at 20
The American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN) makes cancer a top priority for policymakers at every level of government. ACS CAN empowers volunteers across the country to make their voices heard to influence evidence-based public policy change that saves lives. We believe everyone should have a fair and just opportunity to prevent, find, treat, and survive cancer. Since 2001, as the American Cancer Society’s nonprofit, nonpartisan advocacy affiliate, ACS CAN has successfully advocated for billions of dollars in cancer research funding, expanded access to quality affordable health care, and made workplaces, including restaurants and bars, smoke-free. As we mark our 20th anniversary, we’re more determined than ever to stand together with our volunteers and save more lives from cancer. Join the fight by visiting www.fightcancer.org.