The fiscal year 2010 Labor-HHS-Education portion of the omnibus appropriations conference report funds the Colorectal Cancer Screening, Education and Outreach program at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) at $45 million.  This is a $6 million increase over fiscal year 2009 (14.3 percent increase).

We need your help to get Congress to continue to increase funding for colorectal cancer programs next year!  Register now to join us at the 2010 Call-on Congress, and continue reading for more details on fiscal year 2010 funding for cancer programs and research.

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Although the fiscal year ended on September 30, to-date Congress has only completed 5 of the 12 annual appropriations bills.  This week, Congress moved forward with a couple of important steps and it looks like they are now on track to complete the remaining 7 bills before the end of the year.

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A video can help patients make personal decisions about end-of-life care.  Cancer death rates are falling in Europe, partly led by recent colorectal cancer declines.

Avastin will now be covered for a longer time for people with advanced colorectal cancer in Ontario.  The Wellness Community in Valley/Ventura, California has a free workshop scheduled for December 19th featuring Dr. Heinz-Josef Lenz. Read the rest of this entry »

After three days of general debate, the Senate voted on four amendments to its health care reform bill today.  The Senate will continue with debate on additional amendments this evening.  

As the Senate moves forward with consideration of additional amendments, Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH) is planning on offering an amendment requiring that all third-party payers cover routine patient care costs incurred by patients enrolled in clinical trials.  The amendment will apply to all phases of clinical trials for cancer and other life-threatening illnesses.

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It doesn’t help patients to add Erbitux to FOLFOX chemotherapy after surgery for stage III colon cancer a data monitoring committee for a clinical trial testing the new treatment has decided.

Because the analysis showed that patients were not benefiting from adding Erbitux to FOLFOX chemotherapy, the trial has been closed according to a news release from the National Cancer Institute. Read the rest of this entry »