Pain Relief

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Patient Quality of Life

Cancer patients and cancer survivors shouldn't have to live in pain. Ensuring access to effective pain medications improves their long-term outcomes and enhances their quality of life. 

We are working in state legislatures and with the federal government to ensure that new laws and regulations are balanced, addressing problems with misuse and abuse of opioids, while making sure patients continue to have access to needed pain medication. 

Latest Updates

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New Report Shows State Lawmakers Can Do More to Prevent and Reduce Cancer

August 9, 2018

State lawmakers across the country are missing important opportunities to pass and implement proven legislative solutions to prevent and fight cancer, according to a report released today by the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN). How Do You Measure Up?: A Progress Report on State Legislative Activity to Reduce Cancer Incidence and Mortality grades states on the strength of evidence-based policies that help to prevent cancer, which kills roughly 1,670 people a day nationwide, forces patients to pay nearly $4 billion in out-of-pocket expenses every year and in 2015 cost the country more than $80 billion in direct medical expenditures.

Report: Illinois Falling Short on Policies to Help Cancer Patients Manage Pain

August 9, 2018
Illinois

Illinois falls short when it comes to implementing policies and passing legislation to help cancer patients manage pain, according to the latest edition of “How Do You Measure Up?: A Progress Report on State Legislative Activity to Reduce Cancer Incidence and Mortality.” The American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network released the report today.

Idaho Lawmakers Have Opportunity to Save Lives and Money

August 9, 2018
Idaho

BOISE, Idaho – Idaho is falling short when it comes to implementing policies and passing legislation to prevent and reduce suffering and death from cancer. According to the latest edition of How Do You Measure Up?: A Progress Report on State Legislative Activity to Reduce Cancer Incidence and Mortality,

ACS CAN Encouraged by Balanced Approach in Proposed Opioid Legislation

April 11, 2018
National

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee (HELP) held a hearing on the Opioid Crisis Response Act of 2018. Included in the proposal are several promising provisions that aim to address addiction while maintaining access to necessary relief for individuals fighting pain from cancer and

Pain Relief Resources

Maintaining Access to Pain Management for Cancer Patients & Survivors

February 26, 2018

ACS CAN supports balanced policies that address the public health concerns relevant to the opioid epidemic,  that do not harm patient access to  medications that they need to treat pain appropriately. 

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Achieving Balance in State Pain Policy: A Progress Report Card (CY 2015)

July 11, 2016

The Pain & Policy Studies Group (PPSG) at the University of Wisconsin, the American Cancer Society and the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN) have released a report grading states on their enactment of balanced policies to enhance the delivery of effective pain management

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Achieving Balance in State Pain Policy--2015 Fact Sheet

June 1, 2016

This scorecard evaluates balance between needed access to pain medication for cancer patients and efforts to reduce misuse and abuse of pain medications.

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