American Cancer Society Thanks Gore, Mack, and Rockerfeller for Cancer Initiative

American Cancer Society
Thursday, 29 January 1998

Members of the American Cancer Society thanked Vice President Gore and Senators Connie Mack and Jay Rockefeller at the White House today for their leadership in calling for additional funding for cancer research and for providing coverage for clinical trials for Medicare patients suffering from cancer.

"More than 1,500 people die each day from cancer - that is a national crisis which deserves our immediate response as a nation. Increased funding for research and access to quality treatment, along with prevention and early detection programs, will help us mount a new attack on cancer through a revitalized National Cancer Program." said American Cancer Society Past President LaMar McGinnis, M.D. while attending the White House event.

The American Cancer Society has committed itself to the goal of reducing age-adjusted cancer mortality by 50% by the year 2015. A Blue Ribbon Advisory Group was formed to study ways to reach that goal. The advisory group reinforced the need for prevention, early detection, increased research, and quality treatment for cancer patients and recommended that the Society facilitate the development and coordination of a collaborative National Cancer Program for the nation.

The proposal to increase funding for cancer research at the National Cancer Institute by 65% is a critical component in the war against cancer. The American Cancer Society has fought for this increased investment in order to move today's knowledge about cancer more rapidly to the next level of breakthroughs, exploiting in particular our understanding of molecular biology and genetics and to enhance clinical research efforts.

The Society has also advocated for full coverage of all costs of participating in cancer clinical trials - often the best treatment option for those patients for whom standard therapies are not satisfactory. The proposed new Medicare demonstration project for coverage of clinical trials will ensure that more older Americans have access to a wider range of new and potentially effective treatment options.

"The American Cancer Society believes that all Americans should have access to high quality cancer clinical trials and we have been working with Senators Rockefeller and Mack to enact legislation that would establish a broad benefit under Medicare for coverage of costs under all approved, quality cancer trials. The initiative announced by the vice president moves us closer to that goal " added Dr. McGinnis.

The vice president did not specify where the funding for the proposals will come from but the Society and other public health organizations are concerned that the revenue for funding might be generated from tobacco control legislation.

We are pleased to have the Clinton administration's support in our efforts." said the Society's current President David S. Rosenthal, M.D. "However, while the Society is fighting to enact bipartisan comprehensive national tobacco control legislation that will protect children and the public health, we firmly believe that the proposals Vice President Gore announced today should be funded independent of any national tobacco control legislation."

The American Cancer Society is the nationwide community-based voluntary health organization dedicated to eliminating cancer as a major health problem by preventing cancer, saving lives from cancer and diminishing suffering from cancer through research, education, advocacy, and service.

For more information, or to contact American Cancer Society, see their website at: www.cancer.org