INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – March 7, 2017 – Ninety cancer survivors, caregivers and their families from across the state traveled to the Indiana Statehouse today and called on the General Assembly to prioritize the 36,440 Hoosiers who will be diagnosed with cancer in 2017.
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 ask for an increase the price of cigarettes and to improve cervical cancer diagnosis and survival rates.
“Cancer death rates continue to decrease nationwide, but we still haven’t fully implemented proven ways to prevent the disease in the first place,” said Aurmaudra Bradley, a lead ACS CAN volunteer from Westfield. “More than 13,500 Hoosiers will still lose their lives to cancer in 2017 alone. We’re here today to ask lawmakers to help women better access cervical cancer care and to confront one of the leading causes of premature death in our state – tobacco use.”
Matt English – a brain cancer survivor and boys’ basketball coach for Beech Grove High School – joined advocates in urging support for cancer patients and to mark the General Assembly’s annual Suits and Sneakers event. Legislators and staff throughout the Statehouse took part in this awareness effort by wearing sneakers today.
Specifically, ACS CAN volunteers asked lawmakers to:
ACS CAN is the nonprofit, nonpartisan advocacy affiliate organization of the American Cancer Society, dedicated to eliminating cancer as a major health problem. ACS CAN works to encourage lawmakers, candidates and government officials to support laws and policies that will make cancer a top national priority. ACS CAN gives ordinary people extraordinary power to fight cancer. For more information, visit www.fightcancer.org.