American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN)

Our annual Advocacy Accomplishments Report is now available! This showcases the tremendous impact ACS CAN volunteers and staff had on our cancer mission throughout 2024.??? ??? Because of you, together we advocated at every level of government and passed public policies proven to help cancer patients, survivors and their loved ones. Thank you for advancing our work to end cancer as we know it, for everyone.? ??? Let us know which accomplishment you are most proud of in the comments. #CancerAdvocacy

Cancer advocates, volunteers, and donors like you are key to our success. That’s why we want to make sure you get the information and action opportunities you need and want on our website, FightCancer.org. Will you take 5-10 minutes to complete this short survey and share your experience taking action and engaging with ACS CAN online???? https://lnkd.in/ebUhDNbE We're currently exploring potential improvements to FightCancer.org, and we value your feedback. The survey is completely anonymous. Thanks in advance for completing the survey, and most importantly, thank you for everything you do in the fight against cancer!

For our March Volunteer Spotlight, we are thrilled to recognize DonnaMarie Woodson from ACS CAN North Carolina! DonnaMarie currently serves as Ambassador Constituent Team Lead and is a member of the Black Volunteer Caucus. This year, she’s celebrating 10 years of survivorship from breast and colon cancer. DonnaMarie is proud to have been part of the amazing volunteer team that spent 10 years advocating for #MedicaidExpansion in North Carolina. Their advocacy efforts helped lead to the North Carola legislature voting to expand Medicaid in 2023. DonnaMarie understands that access to affordable, quality care is critical for cancer patients across the country. She will continue advocating to protect Medicaid in the years to come. If you’re as inspired by DonnaMarie as we are, consider joining us in the fight against cancer! Find volunteer opportunities in your area: https://lnkd.in/d38aPaTA #BreastCancer #ColonCancer #ColorectalCancerAwarenessMonth #ProtectMedicaid #CancerStories #CancerAdvocacy #MedEx

Last week, Congress passed a budget bill that includes cuts to cancer research that will jeopardize progress in the fight against cancer. Any cuts to research funding, reductions in key staff, and spending freezes all jeopardize progress in the fight against cancer and undermine decades of momentum. But we are not powerless. Together, we will fight back. Please join us and sign our new petition to urge Congress to oppose cuts to cancer research funding. It's essential that they prioritize the fight against cancer in their next budget bill:

We are a proud member of the newly formed Alliance for Breast Cancer Policy, a coalition which will work to advance evidence-based policies that improve access to care and advance research for treatments for those living with #BreastCancer. To learn more, follow their page.

Breaking: Today, the U.S. House passed the Full-Year Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act. It contains no increases for federal #CancerResearch or prevention funding and significant cuts to Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs (CDMRP), in which cancer is the largest recipient of funds. “A 57% reduction in CDMRP appropriation will most certainly risk vital advances in cancer research, halting much needed innovation,” says Lisa A. Lacasse, president of ACS CAN. “CDMRP is responsible for several clinical cancer advancements, especially for prostate cancer, the most diagnosed cancer and the second most common cause of cancer-related death for men in the United States. Cancer patients and their families rely on Congress to maintain the critical role of government in the cancer fight, because robust funding is not just an investment in science but a commitment to patient’s lives. ACS CAN calls on Congress to reinvest in the fight against cancer by prioritizing investments in research and prevention that will end cancer as we know it, for everyone.” Read more: https://lnkd.in/e6W_MGmR

Outdoing cancer is a team sport. While cancer deaths in the U.S. have declined in recent years, some populations are being left behind—facing complicated challenges to accessing the care they need. It’s going to take all of us working together to end cancer as we know it, for everyone. At #SXSW, panelists from ACS CAN, Pfizer, and the Healthcare Businesswomen’s Association discussed the importance of collaborating with cancer patients, community leaders, health care providers, technology innovators and more in the fight against cancer. “Cancer is taking too much from too many. Over 2 million people will be diagnosed with cancer this year, and over 600,00 will die from cancer. These are people we know and love. It’s imperative that we work together, not separately, to make a difference against this disease.“ -Pam Traxel, Senior Vice President for Alliance Development and Philanthrophy at ACS CAN From facilitating access to affordable, quality health care and supporting patient navigators, to addressing bias in health care and connecting patients to resources related to their social determinants of health, cross-sector collaboration is more important than ever. A huge thanks to moderator Tyrone McClain, Senior Director, Public Affairs, Pfizer; and speakers Carmen White, U.S. & Global Oncology Health Equity Lead, Pfizer; Pam Traxel, SVP, ACS CAN; and Mary Stutts, MHA, CEO, Healthcare Businesswomen’s Association. Stay tuned for the podcast episode next month to hear the full conversation. #CancerAdvocacy #PublicHealth #CancerCare

Over 2 million people in the United States are expected to be diagnosed with cancer in 2025. Now is not the time to halt investments in cancer research, prevention and early detection programs. We call on Congress to prioritize the fight against cancer by pivoting to a short-term continuing resolution (CR) to fund the government while they work to draft full appropriations bills that include robust investments in cancer. “The proposed year-long CR includes unacceptable cuts to cancer research supported by the Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs and fails to include increases for research and programs at the National Cancer Institute (NCI) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,” says Lisa A. Lacasse, president of ACS CAN. “Advancements in treatment and early detection are largely reliant on sustained research efforts, and any reduction in federal support could significantly impede progress and jeopardize the lives of millions facing this devastating disease.” https://lnkd.in/eAtc9xVE #CancerResearch #CancerPrevention #CancerAdvocay #EarlyDetection

Excited to see ACS CAN volunteers join One Voice Against Cancer and other advocates on Capitol Hill today! They will meet with lawmakers and urge them to prioritize #CancerResearch and #CancerPrevention programs in the FY25 spending bill. Together, we're calling on Congress to provide the highest possible increases for cancer research and prevention at the National Cancer Institute (NCI), the National Institutes of Health, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Division of Cancer Prevention and Control (DCPC). We also ask Congress to maintain funding for the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H). Although a record number of Americans are surviving cancer today due to previous research investments, cancer is still the nation’s # 2 killer and will claim the lives of an estimated 618,000 Americans this year alone, which equates to almost 1,700 deaths per day. There is huge demand from scientists for research funding from the NCI, however, the NCI only has enough funding to grant 1 out of 8 applications it receives. Not only is cancer research important, but so is prevention—nearly 45% of cancer deaths that will occur this year can be prevented using evidence-based prevention and early detection strategies, many of which are supported by the CDC's (DCPC). We can’t afford to pause progress on funding for critical cancer research and prevention programs. #OneVoice2025

In his joint address to Congress last night, the president elevated the importance of the fight against #ChildhoodCancer. Because of investments in #CancerResearch and breakthroughs in treatment, we’re making progress in survival—the cancer mortality rate among children and adolescents younger than 20 years declined by more than 50% from 1975 to 2022, according to the National Cancer Institute (NCI), though lasting effects from treatment persist. “The evidence is clear that the most effective pathways to improving not only survivor rates, but quality of survivorship and ending cancer as we know it, for everyone, are through sustained and robust government investment in cancer research and prevention and ensuring everyone has access to affordable, comprehensive health care,” says Lisa A. Lacasse, president of ACS CAN. We look forward to working with partners in the childhood cancer community, The White House and Congress to drive further progress to end cancer as we know it, for everyone.?