As a result of C3’s advocacy efforts, $15 million for a new peer reviewed cancer research program is included in the final Fiscal Year 2010 Defense Appropriations Bill.

The program will research cancers, like colorectal cancer, that are not addressed in the breast, prostate, lung and ovarian cancer research programs run by the U.S. Army Medical Research and Material Command (USAMRMC).  In addition to colorectal cancer research, the funds will be used to conduct research in the following areas: melanoma and other skin cancers, pediatric brain tumors within the field of childhood cancer research, genetic cancer research and genomic medicine, kidney cancer, blood cancer, Listeria Vaccine for infectious disease and cancer, and radiation protection utilizing nanotechnology.

The $15 million in funding for this new cancer research program was included at the request of Representatives Kay Granger (R-TX) and Jim Moran (D-VA).

Read the rest of this entry »

UPDATE DEC 19, 2009:  Your calls made the difference!  The Brown-Hutchison clinical trials provision is included in the Manager’s amendment.

The Senate is rushing to get 60 votes to wrap up a health care reform bill before the end of the year.

However, the Senate health care reform bill does not currently ensure patients coverage for the costs of routine care in clinical trials like they would if care were provided outside of a trial.  You can help change this!

Senators Sherrod Brown (D-OH) and Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX) have introduced an amendment that would prohibit insurers from dropping coverage because an individual chooses to participate in a clinical trial and it would require insurers to cover the costs of routine care for patients enrolled in clinical trials.  It also ensures that states that have stricter clinical trials coverage rules will not have those rules pre-empted by new federal legislation.

Call Senate Majority Leader Reid at (202) 225-3452 today and tell him to include the Brown-Hutchison clinical trials amendment in the manager’s amendment he is writing.

You can help ensure that the Senate doesn’t rush to pass a health care reform bill without protecting clinical trials coverage!

Read on for talking points you can use during your call.

Read the rest of this entry »

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.

Read the rest of this entry »

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.

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.

Read the rest of this entry »