140 Cancer Survivors, Caregivers Urge Lawmakers to Prioritize Patients

Missourians advocate for patient-centered care, maintained cancer prevention funding

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – April 13, 2016 – More than 140 cancer survivors, caregivers and their families from across the state traveled to the Missouri State Capitol today and called on the General Assembly to prioritize the 34,270 Missourians who will be diagnosed with cancer in 2016.

The visit was part of the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network’s (ACS CAN) annual Day at the Capitol, which brought cancer advocates together to urge lawmakers to help improve cancer patients’ quality of life, protect funding for breast and cervical cancer screenings and reduce Missouri’s tobacco burden.

“Missouri has come a long way in fighting back against cancer, but our work isn’t over,” said Mark Runyan, a lead volunteer for ACS CAN from Eldon. “Nearly 13,000 Missourians will still lose their lives to this terrible disease in 2016. We’re here today to ask lawmakers to help cancer patients access the care and screenings they need and to confront one of the leading causes of premature death in our state – tobacco use.”

Specifically, ACS CAN volunteers asked lawmakers to:

• Improve quality and delivery of patient-centered and family-focused care. Palliative care is specialized medical care for people with serious illnesses like cancer. It’s carried out by a team of doctors, nurses and other providers to manage patients’ symptoms, understand their goals and help them select treatment options. Because it has been proven to reduce health-care costs, boost patient satisfaction and improve overall outcomes, palliative care is one of the fastest-growing trends in health care. But many states, including Missouri, fall short in offering adequate access to it.

• Protect funding for breast and cervical cancer screenings. Missouri’s Show Me Healthy Women Program offers low-income, uninsured women with access to lifesaving breast and cervical cancer screenings and follow-up services. Despite the availability of screenings, deaths from breast and cervical cancer occur more frequently among women who are uninsured or underinsured.  Maintaining funding for this program would ensure more women receive their doctor-recommended mammograms and Pap tests in a timely manner, giving them a better chance at detecting cancer early.

• Maintain funding for tobacco prevention and cessation programs. Tobacco use claims the lives of 9,600 Missourians each year and causes $3 billion in annual health-care costs. Unfortunately, Missouri ranks 50th in the nation for spending on tobacco prevention and cessation. Comprehensive, adequately funded tobacco cessation programs help smokers quit and ultimately save lives.

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