Why Is This Bill So Important?

Since the war on cancer was declared in 1971, we have made great advances in our knowledge about the disease, developing numerous new drugs and treatments that have increased survival and extended the lives of millions of people.  

But it is not nearly enough.

Nearly 1.5 million people are diagnosed with cancer every year – and one in three women and one in two men will be diagnosed in their lifetime. Half a million Americans lose the battle each year. And while the number of American cancer survivors has risen to 12 million, those surviving cancer must navigate a complex set of healthcare needs while they cope with side effects of treatment, a higher risk of recurrence and second cancers, and late-term effects that can emerge years after their successful treatment. 

Today, cancer remains the second leading cause of death in the U.S., surpassed only by heart disease. The National Cancer Institute, the government body that funds and conducts cancer research, has predicted that in the next 10 years cancer will take over as the nation’s biggest killer. Read more cancer facts and statistics.

The Kennedy-Hutchison cancer bill will modernize the war on cancer by reinvigorating the country’s commitment to research, prevention, treatment, and quality care for people with cancer. Here are the types of undertakings the bill is expected to include:

• Significantly enhancing research efforts through increased funding to the National Cancer Institute, incentives for private investments in research, and programs encouraging collaboration among government and private researchers;

• Raising participation in clinical trials, which currently stands at only five percent of adults with cancer, even though clinical trials often represent the best treatment options;

• Investing in programs to promote healthy behaviors that are known to decrease cancer risk, such as smoking cessation and healthy nutrition;
  

• Improving access to early detection and care, including developing ways to expand access to screening and treatment for underserved, uninsured, and underinsured populations;

• Helping patients navigate the healthcare system and better coordinating their care;

• Addressing a workforce shortage in oncology by encouraging more doctors and nurses to enter the oncology field.

By taking a comprehensive approach to the complex issues surrounding cancer, this bill may be the most far-reaching cancer legislation of the 21st century and one of the greatest opportunities we have as a nation to win the war on cancer. Find out more about CancerBill.org and the partners involved in this effort.