House Bill has the Potential to Save Thousands of Lives26 Feb
C3: Colorectal Cancer Coalition would like to thank Representatives Kay Granger (R-TX) and Patrick Kennedy (D-RI) for their continued leadership on colorectal cancer issues in Congress. With the recent reintroduction of The Colorectal Cancer Prevention, Early Detection and Treatment Act (HR 1189), they have taken the initial steps needed to pass legislation that in the end has the potential to save thousands of lives.
The bipartisan legislation would establish a program administered by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and would authorize $50 million in funding for grants to the states. The grants would be used to conduct programs to provide vital colon cancer screenings, information and follow-up services to those ages 50-64, with a focus on those most at risk, such as low-income, uninsured and underinsured men and women.
It is estimate that colorectal cancer will claim over 50,000 lives in 2009 alone which makes it the second leading cause of death from cancer in the United States. When screened early, however, colorectal cancer patients have a 90% survival rate. Disparities play a significant role in these staggering statistics, as being uninsured often impedes access to colon cancer screening tests, which would detect the disease at an earlier, more treatable stage or even prevent it before it starts.
Similar programs such as the National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program (NBCCEDP) have been extremely successful. From January 2001 to December 2005 the NBCCEDP screened over 1.7 million people and was able to detect over 13,000 breast cancers and over 21,000 cervical cancers.
The bill also requires grantees to provide the full range of cancer care, including follow up of abnormal tests, access to diagnostic and therapeutic colonoscopy and treatment for detected cancers. As a result, the program will boost testing rates, reduce colorectal cancer disparities and save lives. This terrible disease can and will be beaten.
3 Responses to “House Bill has the Potential to Save Thousands of Lives”
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Thank you for making is so very easy to contact legislators and the president about making colo-rectal cancer a thing of the past.
As a colo-fectal cancer survivor this issue is extremely important to me.
Catherine
Thank you, Catherine, for taking action. Your support is so important to us. Please urge your friends and family to do the same.
I was fortunate enough to have a kind employer who kept my Blue Cross & Blue Sheild coverage in force right after he had to permanently lay me off when he closed down the warehouse I worked at for three years ago. Getting laid off with just two months of insurance coverage for serverance deal made me run to my family doctor for a referral for the bladder specialist before my two months of health insurance coverage would end. I knew I had a infection in my bladder that just kept coming back after getting antibotics to end it. My employer’s generosity saved my life! I could have neglected to get medical attention due to my unemployment like most unemployed people do everyday. That’s why I am advocating this bill to all my friends and family and even casual friends here on Facebook. Share this with others to save lives!