LANSING, MICH. – After two years of virtual Cancer Action Days due to the pandemic, cancer patients, survivors and caregivers from across the state traveled to the Capitol in Lansing yesterday to meet in person with their elected officials. They let their lawmakers know that they can and must do better to prevent, detect and treat cancer.
Advocates asked lawmakers to provide better access to care by passing oral chemotherapy fairness legislation, increasing funding for the state’s Breast and Cervical Cancer Control Navigation Program (BCCCNP) to $2.8 million and to reduce cancer incidence by increasing funding for the state’s tobacco control programs to $10 million. All three of these asks would improve access to care and reduce the burden of cancer on Michiganders.
This year, an estimated 62,500 people in Michigan will be diagnosed with cancer and nearly 21,260 in the state are expected to die from the devastating disease. Those gathered at the Capitol today are calling on Michigan 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.