I joined with ACS CAN to ensure the Budget wasnŠ—Èt devastating for cancer patients. HowŠ—Èd we do?

Right now, I feel both relieved and concerned for the future in the fight against cancer.

After months of partisan bickering, Congress finally passed a budget for 2011 last week -- but only after making sizable cuts to cancer programs we care deeply about.

We can claim one important success. Thanks to pressure from volunteers like you, Congress rejected far deeper cuts to research funding at the National Institutes of Health, which would have jeopardized promising scientific advances in the research pipeline.

Unfortunately, the deal does make significant cuts to proven cancer prevention and screening programs at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). As many as 40,000 Americans could be denied lifesaving cancer screenings for breast cancer, colon cancer and other deadly cancers.

Cutting these programs makes no sense. Every day, 1500 people die from cancer, and yet 60 percent of those deaths are preventable. These cancer programs save lives and reduce suffering for millions of people.

Make no mistake: This was a political fight, so compromise was inevitable. I know one thing is for certain: this compromise could have been so much worse without your help.

We're a nonpartisan organization, and we don't care who wins politically. We just want lawmakers to give cancer patients the support they deserve.

If the original House budget proposal had become law, it would have severely undermined the nation's fight against cancer.

• One-third of all phase III clinical trials on cancer would have been eliminated
• 60 percent fewer grants for lifesaving cancer research would have been funded by the National Cancer Institute
• Valuable research would have stalled or been eliminated, including studies looking at the long-term effects of CT scans, and at the relationship between obesity and cancer

These cuts could have been devastating. But when we asked for your help to fight them, you answered the call.

Every time we asked (and we asked plenty of times), you jumped at the chance to make a difference. You made phone calls. You sent emails. You asked your Representatives and Senators to work together to find a better way -- and they did.

Now here's the kicker: All those devastating cuts we just defeated will be back on the table for the 2012 budget -- and we have to be ready for that fight.

Cuts impacting the fight against cancer will be proposed on many fronts Š—– from research to Medicare to cancer screening programs.

We can beat this, though. You know it as well as I do. In the coming weeks and months, we have to redouble our efforts. You've already shown how much power your voice has -- you just have to use it.

Thank you for all you've done. I'll be in contact soon.

Erin OŠ—ÈNeill
ACS CAN

p.s. If you know someone Š—– perhaps a friend, family member or colleague Š—– who would also be interested to know how last weekŠ—Ès budget vote impacted the fight against cancer, feel free to use the Share buttons in this email to post this information in Facebook, on Twitter or in an email.