AboutMesothelioma.Net

On Mar 26, 2009, a new Senate bill was introduced that is intended to “modernize cancer research, increase access to preventative cancer services” and “provide cancer treatment and survivorship initiatives.”

The 21st Century Cancer ALERT Act/Senate Bill 717 was sponsored by Sen. Edward Kennedy, and the full text of the proposed legislation can be found here: http://www.govtrack.us/congress/billtext.xpd?bill=s111-717.

The bill is already attracting strong support from high profile groups and individuals across the country, including Lance Armstrong’s LIVESTRONG Foundation.

The legislation outlines the following purposes:

(1) To reauthorize the National Cancer Institute and National Cancer Program in order to enhance and improve the cancer research conducted and supported by the National Cancer Institute and the National Cancer Program in order to benefit cancer patients.

(2) To recognize that with an increased understanding of cancer as more than 200 different diseases with genetic and molecular variations, there is a need for increased coordination and greater flexibility in how cancer research is conducted and coordinated in order to maximize the return the United States receives on its investment in such research.

(3) To prepare for the looming impact of an aging population of the United States and the anticipated financial burden associated with medical treatment and lost productivity, along with the toll of human suffering that accompanies a cancer diagnosis.

(4) To support the National Cancer Institute in establishing relationships and scientific consortia with an emphasis on public-private partnership development, which will further the development of advanced technologies that will improve the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of cancer.

To read the legislation, contact your congressman, and stay updated on the status of the bill, visit: http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=s111-717.

You may also download a PDF of the bill in its current format here: http://www.mesotheliomahelp.net/mesothelioma-cancer-research-legislation.pdf