Governor Jerry Brown Urges Californians to Participate in Cancer Screen Week to Lower Cancer Rates in the State

SACRAMENTO, CA —Governor Jerry Brown is putting his support behind Cancer Screen Week, which starts today. During Cancer Screen Week, the State of California joins communities across the nation to increase awareness of the benefits of detecting cancer early and the importance of discussing individual risk factors for cancer with a health care professional.

“I encourage Californians to visit CancerScreenWeek.org to find cancer screening resources and to talk to their health care provider about the risk factors and screening options for all cancer types,” said Governor Brown in a letter of support.

The American Cancer Society and its advocacy affiliate, the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN), declares the first week in December as Cancer Screen Week in partnership with Genentech, Stand Up to Cancer and Rally Health. The goal is to urge California residents to get screenings that will lead to early detection, which saves lives from cancer.

According to the American Cancer Society, 600,000 Americans will die from cancer this year. In California, more than 60,000 will die from the disease. Many of these cancer deaths could prevented through earlier detection.

“Screening is essential to detect cancer early, get appropriate treatment, and help increase survival,” said Autumn Ogden-Smith, government relations director for the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network California. “We are grateful for the governor’s support this week to raise awareness about the life-saving importance of cancer screenings and encourage Californians to talk with their doctors about their screening options.”

For more information about Cancer Screen Week, visit https://www.cancerscreenweek.org/. The American Cancer Society also has information about cancer screening guidelines at www.cancer.org.

About ACS CAN
The American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN) is making cancer a top priority for public officials and candidates at the federal, state and local levels. ACS CAN empowers advocates across the country to make their voices heard and influence evidence-based public policy change as well as legislative and regulatory solutions that will reduce the cancer burden. As the American Cancer Society’s nonprofit, nonpartisan advocacy affiliate, ACS CAN