We believe that with a national commitment to increasing and improving research into the prevention, screening and treatment of colorectal cancer we will see a cure for colorectal cancer in our lifetimes. Great strides must be taken for that to happen – but it is possible.
We are working on the following legislative priorities:
The Fight Colorectal Cancer Stamp Act (H.R. 893)
Introduced by Representative Charlie Dent (R-PA) this important legislation will authorize the U.S. Post Office to sell a commemorative stamp to raise money for proven federal research programs. Funding from sales of the stamp would go to the Department of Defense, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the National Cancer Institute (NCI). During tight budget times, this legislation would increase federal spending for life-saving colorectal cancer research, without increasing federal spending.
The Colorectal Cancer Prevention, Early Detection and Treatment Act (H.R. 912; S. 494)
This critical legislation introduced by Representatives Kay Granger (R-TX) and Jim McGovern (D-MA) along with Senators Joseph Lieberman (I-CT) and Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX) will expand an existing CDC pilot program nationwide to provide colorectal cancer screenings and treatment for low-income, uninsured and underinsured individuals who are not eligible for Medicare. Approximately 30,000 to 44,000 lives a year could be saved if colorectal cancer screening was fully accessible and utilized. In addition to saving thousands of lives, this legislation has the potential to save billions in Medicare expenditures (according to an independent study by The Lewin Group).
Funding for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Colorectal Cancer Control Program (CRCCP)
For Fiscal Year (FY) 2012, we are asking Congress to, at a minimum, protect funding for the CRCCP. Our request to appropriators, however, has been to increase funding for the program to $70 million. Increasing CCCP funding would allow the education and screening programs currently underway in 25 states and four tribes to expand to more states.
Funding for the National Cancer Institute
For FY 2012, we are asking Congress to, at a minimum, protect funding for the NCI. Our request to appropriators, however, has been to appropriate $5.74 billion for NCI, which represents an 11 percent increase over FY 2011. The NCI funds critical colorectal cancer research and specifically supports colorectal cancer SPORES (Specialized Programs of Research Excellence).
Funding for the Peer Reviewed Cancer Research Program (PRCRP) at the Department of Defense
For FY 2012, we are asking Congress to appropriate $75 million for the PRCRP and to continue to include colorectal cancer as one of the research program areas. This program supports high-quality cancer research for a number of cancers including colorectal cancer. The PRCRP conducts innovative, multidisciplinary research on early detection, screening and treatment of colorectal cancer concentrating its resources on research mechanisms which complement, rather than duplicate, the research approaches of the major funders of medical research in the United States.
Effective Regulation of Colorectal Cancer Treatments and Care
Regulatory agencies such as the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) have a profound impact on the availability of new treatments and access to care for patients. We continually work to provide support and funding for these agencies and to ensure that colorectal cancer patients are well-served by their regulatory actions.
