Cancer Prevention

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More than half of all cancer deaths can be prevented by fully leveraging the knowledge, tools and medical breakthroughs we have today.

Providing everyone with the opportunity to have a healthy lifestyle and true access to cancer screenings - like mammograms and colonoscopies - could save thousands of lives every year.

We are working to pass laws at every level of government that are proven to help prevent and detect cancer.

Half of all cancer deaths can be prevented.

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Let's save more lives by reducing obesity, improving nutrition and increasing physical activity

Being overweight or obese is the number one cancer risk for people who don't use tobacco. 

Latest Updates

May 1, 2023
New York

ALBANY, NY – MAY 1, 2023 – Earlier today New York State leaders released details on the agreed upon 2023-24 budget and will soon adopt each of the budget bills—the contents of which are a mixed bag at best in the fight against cancer. While the state made sound investments

April 21, 2023
Pennsylvania

HARRISBURG, PA –APRIL 21, 2023 – Cancer survivors, their families and caregivers from across Pennsylvania will gather at the Capitol building on Tuesday, April 25 to ask legislators to maintain the historic funding levels for the Breast & Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program and statewide tobacco prevention and cessation programs.

April 13, 2023
National

Patient groups representing millions of people with serious health conditions released a statement today to thank the DOJ for requesting a stay in the ruling of the Braidwood v. Becerra case, which threatens coverage of USPSTF recommended preventive services without cost sharing as required under the ACA.

April 3, 2023
National

Today’s announcement of the National Cancer Plan is another exciting step toward advancing cancer research, prevention and treatment. The American Cancer Society (ACS) and its advocacy affiliate, the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN) , commit to working alongside the Moonshot Initiative to improve the lives of cancer patients and their families.

Cancer Prevention Resources

The undersigned public health, medical and professional organizations write in strong support of your recent announcement that FDA will issue a proposed rule to reduce the nicotine level in cigarettes to non-addictive or minimally addictive levels. Such a standard would generate massive public health benefits, preventing millions of young people from smoking and dramatically reducing the number of people who die from tobacco-caused diseases. We urge you to move forward with this proposal as quickly as possible.

The undersigned organizations write to express our concern that FDA has yet to issue any decisions on applications for marketing orders for menthol-flavored e-cigarettes or e-liquid products. We believe granting any such orders would be inconsistent with the agency’s marketing denial orders for other non-tobacco flavored products and would be harmful to public health, particularly to the health of young people.

Colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer in men and women and the second leading cause of cancer death in men and women combined in the United States. Yet, about 1 in 3 adults aged 50 to 75 are not getting tested as recommended. This factsheet discusses the importance of screening for colorectal cancer and what can be done to improve screening in the U.S.