IŠ—'m pleased to share the following guest blog from ACS CAN volunteer Board member, cancer survivor, and tireless patient advocate Lori Greenstein Bremner.

I was surprised by a CDC study I saw this week that found that in 2012 nearly 28 percent of U.S. adults had not received recommended colorectal cancer screenings. This is a scary statistic considering colon cancer is an easily preventable disease through the removal of precancerous polyps, which are detectable only through routine screening.

For the first time, breast cancer patients and their families also have the security of knowing they no longer have to worry about whether they will be able to get the care they need. Why? Because this Breast Cancer Awareness Month coincides with the opening of state health insurance marketplaces created by the health care law.

The American Cancer Society's Deputy Chief Medical Officer Dr. Len Lichtenfeld posted a great blog on palliative care recently that I wanted to share with all of you. It explains the differences between end-of-life care and palliative care, and highlights the importance of ACS CAN's work to pass legislation that will increase access to palliative care services for cancer patients and their loved ones.

When Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA), chair of the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP), inquired about contributing a patient story to a hearing to discuss the progress being made on implementation of insurance market reforms under the ACA, we knew StacyŠ—'s story was one the committee needed to hear.

ThatŠ—'s why ACS CAN conducted a poll in key states across the country to find out how the public feels about this issue. The results released today show that registered voters in these key states Š—– Florida, Iowa, Kentucky, Michigan, New Jersey, New Mexico and Texas Š—– want their state to accept federal funds that are available to broaden access to health coverage through Medicaid.

IŠ—'ve shared my story with many people Š—– friends, family, fellow advocates Š—– but last weekŠ—'s event in Washington, D.C. was an experience I will never forget.

To quote John Seffrin, chief executive of the American Cancer Society and ACS CAN, today will go down as one of the most important days in the history of the fight against cancer in this country.

This week, I was invited to speak about the realities of MassachusettsŠ—'s health care reform at the American Cancer Society Cancer Action NetworkŠ—'s National Forum on the Future of Health Care in Washington, DC. Because our reform serves as the model for the Affordable Care Act, and because our experience is so often misrepresented in the public discourse, I welcomed the opportunity.

Yesterday was an incredible day at ACS CAN Š—– we held our first-ever National Forum on the Future of Health Care and it was a huge success! The conference focused on how to ensure that people living with cancer and other chronic diseases have access to quality health care.