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Statement from Chris Hansen, American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN) President
March 1, 2016
WASHINGTON, D.C. March 1, 2016 President Obama today issued a proclamation naming March National Colorectal Awareness Month. The presidential proclamation notes the importance of supporting both survivors and those at risk of being diagnosed with the disease.
A statement from ACS CAN President Chris Hansen follows:
The president 's proclamation underscores the importance of educating the public on this dangerous but highly preventable disease. This year, nearly 135,000 people in the U.S. are expected to be diagnosed with colorectal cancer and nearly 50,000 will die from the disease. Screening and early detection tools are available, but are too often out of reach because individuals are forced to pay out of pocket for a portion of the procedure.
Over 500 health-related organizations, led by the American Cancer Society, have committed to increase the nation 's colorectal cancer screening rate to 80 percent of eligible individuals by the year 2018. To achieve this goal, we must remove the obstacles that prevent Americans from getting tested.
ACS CAN supports the Removing Barriers to Colorectal Screening Act that would lift a financial burden for people living on a fixed income by ensuring men and women on Medicare receive these lifesaving screenings without unexpected cost sharing. Congress should quickly move this bipartisan legislation that already has the support of nearly one third of the Senate and 220 members of the House of Representatives. Eliminating the cost burden in Medicare will increase access to screening that can detect colorectal cancer early and in many cases prevent it altogether.
ACS CAN, the nonprofit, nonpartisan advocacy affiliate of the American Cancer Society, supports evidence-based policy and legislative solutions designed to eliminate cancer as a major health problem. ACS CAN works to encourage elected officials and candidates to make cancer a top national priority. ACS CAN gives ordinary people extraordinary power to fight cancer with the training and tools they need to make their voices heard. For more information, visit www.fightcancer.org.
For More Information, Contact:
Alissa Crispino
American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network
Phone: 202-661-5772
Email: [email protected]
#acscan #cancer #coloncancer
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