Press Room

Share

Senate Hearing on Cancer to Highlight Critical Need for Sustained Investment in Research

Statement of Chris Hansen, president, American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN)

May 7, 2014

WASHINGTON, D.C. May 7, 2014 Today 's Senate Special Committee on Aging hearing on the fight against cancer represents the first time in more than five years that Congress has focused specific attention on a disease expected to kill more than 585,000 people in America and cost the economy an estimated $216 billion this year. The bipartisan hearing brings important attention to the winnable fight against cancer and demonstrates the need to get federal investment in research back on track after years of static funding that has not kept pace with our potential for innovation. ACS CAN is launching a new advertising campaign this week emphasizing the lifesaving importance of federal funding for the National Cancer Institute. The ad, which appears in publications aimed at Capitol Hill, features Jacqueline Beale, a 12-year, two-time cancer survivor from Glenn Dale, MD Jacqueline, an ACS CAN volunteer advocate, holds a laboratory beaker in the ad, which asserts that research funding must be increased so promising discoveries can make it to the more than 1.6 million people who will be diagnosed with cancer this year. As the single largest funder of cancer research in this country, the federal government plays a critical role in our ability to make continued advances in early detection tests and new treatments that can help to eliminate death and suffering from the disease. Patients, survivors and their loved ones urge lawmakers to make cancer a national priority by increasing funding for research at the National Cancer Institute this year. 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 Phone: (202) 661-5772 or (202) 661-5711 Email: [email protected] or [email protected] #acscan #cancer #NCI #research

More Press Releases AboutCancer Research Funding

Related Press Releases

May 2, 2025

Hawai’i Cancer Advocates Celebrate Passage of Bill to Fund Study on Multiethnic Cancer Disparities

With Friday marking the end of the legislative session in Hawai’i, cancer survivors, patients, and advocates with the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN) commend the state legislature for  committing to health equity by passing a bill that enables researchers to study why cancer disproportionately impacts Native Hawaiians, Pacific Islanders, and Asian Americans including Filipinos in Hawai’i. 

Read More
May 2, 2025

President’s Proposed 26.2% Cut to Department of Health and Human Services Budget Devastating to Fight Against Cancer

Today, the president released his proposed budget for Fiscal Year 2026 which contains a 26.2% cut to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). This includes a 37% cut to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and eliminates the National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Read more
April 8, 2025

Maryland State Budget Produces Mixed Results in Fight against Cancer

Maryland state lawmakers have released details on the agreed upon 2025-26 budget—the contents of which are a mixed bag in the fight against cancer. While the state made sound investments in cancer research and protected Medicaid recipients’ ability to access biomarker testing, it missed an opportunity to save the lives and lungs of Maryland’s youth by cutting funding for the state’s tobacco prevention and cessation programs.

Read more