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Statement of Christopher W. Hansen, President of the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN)
July 18, 2012
WASHINGTON, D.C. July 18, 2012 -People with cancer and their families are disappointed that appropriators in the U.S. House of Representatives plan to flat line cancer research and eliminate funding for critical programs that would improve access to chronic disease prevention and treatment in the FY 2013 Labor, Health and Human Services Appropriations bill.
Continued advances in early detection and treatment of cancer are completely dependent on consistent funding for research that keeps up with the growing cost of medical research and leverages past progress. This bill fails to keep pace and puts the continued preeminence of American leadership in medical discovery at risk.
With 1 in 2 men and 1 in 3 women expected to be diagnosed with cancer in his or her lifetime, and 577,000 Americans projected to die from cancer this year, the federal government has a critical role to play by helping patients afford the cost of medical care and promoting advances in early detection and treatment of chronic diseases like cancer. Resurrecting barriers to care by defunding grants to help set up marketplaces where people can shop and compare options for quality coverage and stripping funding for the Prevention and Public Health Fund which is refocusing the nation on staying well rather than waiting to treat people until they are sick collectively undermines our ability as a nation to eliminate death and suffering related to cancer.
This proposal could increase the number of cancer patients and survivors who forgo lifesaving treatment because they lack health coverage. Cancer still kills 1,500 people every day in America. On behalf of the 13.7 million cancer patients and survivors across the country, ACS CAN urges lawmakers of both political parties to work together to increase funding for cancer research and prevention in a way that will do more than maintain the status quo, and restore funding to programs that will improve patients ' access to adequate, affordable health care.
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 or Steven Weiss
American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network
202-661-5772 or 202-661-5711
[email protected] or [email protected]
#acscan #cancer #research #accesstocare #aca
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