Frequently Asked Questions
About Cancer
1. How many Americans are affected by cancer?
Nearly everyone in America is touched by cancer. Today, approximately 12 million people are surviving a cancer diagnosis. If you consider those individuals’ family members, friends, and co-workers, there are few people who escape cancer’s impact.
One in two men and one in three women will be diagnosed with cancer in their lifetimes. More than 565,000 Americans will die from cancer in the coming year – that’s 1,500 a day. It is expected to replace heart disease as the leading cause of death in the U.S. in the next decade.
At the same time, the number of people surviving cancer has tripled since the first war on cancer was declared 37 years ago. Today, 65% of all adults who are diagnosed with cancer will still be alive 5 years later – up from 50% in the 1970s. Increasing survivorship is good news, but with it comes the need for more research on treating the late effects of treatment, preventing recurrences and second cancers, and addressing the particular emotional and health needs of this growing population.
2. What is the cost of cancer?
Cancer costs America billions. The overall cost for cancer in 2007 was $206 billion, including $78 billion for medical costs, $18 billion for lost productivity because people are too sick to work, and $110 billion due to lost productivity from premature death. And according to a 2005 Harvard study, half of all personal bankruptcies – about 1.5 million – are filed as a result of catastrophic illness costs, often times from cancer.
3. How does cancer affect us?
Cancer can have severe physical effects, both during the treatment phase and later in life. Cancer treatment can have serious immediate and long-term psychosocial and physical effects, as well as related health issues that appear in later years – such as organ and tissue damage (i.e., heart, lung, and digestive problems), osteoporosis, memory and attention difficulties, and second cancers.
In addition, cancer affects us emotionally and spiritually. It changes our plans and even steals our hopes and dreams. It causes us to question a lifetime of decisions – for better and for worse. Cancer impacts our caregivers. And cancer affects our friends and families who live through the struggles of the disease and its many stages – diagnosis, treatment, recovery and the altered life that emerges after a cancer diagnosis.
About the Bill
1. What is the legislation that Sens. Kennedy and Hutchison are working on?
The Kennedy-Hutchison legislation aims to renew and reinvigorate the war on cancer. By addressing a wide range of issues such as research, screening, prevention, treatment, and survivorship care, this proposal will take a comprehensive approach to a complex and far-reaching problem. More details will be available when the bill is introduced. Sign up for news if you would like to stay informed.
2. Why is it so important?
Since the war on cancer was declared in 1971, we have made great advances in our knowledge about the disease and have developed numerous new drugs and treatments that have extended the lives of millions of people with cancer. But it is not nearly enough.
Today, cancer remains the second leading cause of death in the U.S., surpassed only by heart disease. In the next 10 years, the National Cancer Institute, the government body that funds and conducts cancer research, has predicted that cancer will take over as the nation’s biggest killer. It is time to renew our fight and finally win the war on cancer.
About the Effort
1. What are you doing to get new cancer legislation passed?
Several partners in the cancer advocacy community have formed a coalition to make it easy for your voice to be heard in Congress as this bill progresses. When the bill is introduced, this website will keep you up-to-date on its movement and provide easy opportunities for you to write to your U.S. Senators and Representatives encouraging their support for its passage. Sign up for news to be notified when the bill is introduced and to stay posted on how you can join the effort. This website will also provide a variety of ways for you to get involved.
2. What happens next?
Senators Kennedy and Hutchison plan to introduce their bill in the next Congressional session in 2009. Once the bill has been introduced, it will be referred to committees, where the Senators may edit or “mark up” the bill and then vote on whether to allow it to go to the full Senate for a vote. The House may introduce a “companion” bill, which must go through a similar process in the House, or it may take up the bill from the Senate. Either way, the bill will need to pass both chambers and be signed by the President. At each stage of this process, your voice is crucial! If you want to be kept informed about how you can help, Sign up for news.
3. What can I do to help the effort?
There are many things you can do to support this effort. After the bill is introduced, you will be able to contact your Senators and Representatives and ask for their support. Sign up for News so we can notify you when the bill is introduced and how you can help.
In the meantime, you can speak up about why the bill is important. Take a look at the many ways you can get involved. You can tell your story with a photograph or video. We also urge you to tell a friend about this about this effort.
