Friday brings to an end National Minority Cancer Awareness Week – a campaign first initiated by Congress in 1987 to bring awareness to the higher incidence rates of cancer in the racial and ethnic minority communities.

Colorectal cancer is a disease that has a greater mortality rate among minorities, especially within the African American and Hispanic communities.

Colorectal cancer will claim over 52,000 lives in 2008, making it the second leading cause of death from cancer in the United States. When Americans are screened according the American Cancer Society guidelines and diagnosed early, they have a 90% survival rate. Sadly, the truth is that fewer than 40% of patients are appropriately screened. One major reason for low screening rates is the lack of coverage for screenings and treatment.

If the majority of Americans age 50 or older were screened regularly for colorectal cancer, the death rate from this disease could fall by up to 80 percent.

The Colorectal Cancer Prevention, Early Detection, and Treatment Act of 2007 (HR 1738) would establish a screening and treatment program administered by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and would authorize funding for grants to the states. The grants would be used to conduct programs to provide vital colon cancer screenings, information and follow-up services to those ages 50-64, with a focus on those most at risk, such as low-income, uninsured and underinsured men and women.

Take Action today and write your Members of Congress urging them to support this critical legislation.

Click here to contact your Members’ office directly through our site.

Governor Steve Besher signed into law two critical pieces of colorectal cancer legislation last week. House Bill 415, which would create colorectal cancer screening program at the Department of Health for uninsured individuals between the ages of 50 and 64 as well as others at high risk; and Senate Bill 96, which would require health benefit plans to provide coverage for colorectal cancer screenings.

C3: Colorectal Cancer Coalition would like to thank Governor Beshear, the Kentucky Legislature and all of the hardworking colon and rectal cancer advocates in Kentucky who helped to pass this legislation.

To read more about this click here.

The Genetic Information Non-Discrimination Act (GINA) passed in the Senate on Thursday with a vote of 95 – 0. Senator Coburn (R-OK), who had put a hold on the legislation, came to an agreement with his colleagues paving the way for the bill. GINA has had large support in the past, but has never managed to pass both houses in the same session.

The bill makes it illegal for health insurers to deny coverage or charge a higher rate or premium to an otherwise healthy individual found to have a potential genetic condition or genetic predisposition towards a disease or disorder. GINA also makes it illegal for employers to use an employee’s genetic information when making hiring, firing, placement, or promotion decisions.

GINA now now goes to the House, which passed it by a wide margin last year and is expected to do so again.

President Bush has indicated that he will sign the bill.

To read The Hill Article click here

It looks like the hold placed on The Genetic Information Non-Discrimination Act (GINA) by Senator Tom Coburn (R-OK) will be lifted and the Senate will vote on the legislation either tonight or tomorrow.

The Genetic Information Non-Discrimination Act (GINA) makes it illegal for health insurers to deny coverage or charge a higher rate or premium to an otherwise healthy individual found to have a potential genetic condition or genetic predisposition towards a disease or disorder. GINA also makes it illegal for employers to use an employee’s genetic information when making hiring, firing, placement, or promotion decisions.

Please click here to see if your Senators support the legislation.

If not…Get on the phone and urge them to vote in favor of the bill.

Click here to find your Senator’s office number..

The mission of the Kentucky Colon Cancer Prevention Project (C2P2) is “to eliminate preventable colon cancer death and suffering by increasing screening rates.” On Wednesday, April 2 C2P2 came closer to achieving this when the Kentucky Senate passed the Kentucky Colon Cancer Screening Act (HB 415) with a 38 to 0 vote. The House passed the bill February 26 with a 94 to 0 vote.

The Act will establish a colon cancer screening program within the Kentucky Department of Public Health to provide screening services to uninsured individuals age 50 to 64 and others at high risk. A sample letter C2P2 encouraged constituents to send to their legislators said HB 415 will:

“…ensure that all Kentuckians will be educated as to the need for this cancer screening. It will assist and navigate the uninsured to seek the screening necessary to save lives.”

The letter went on to make the economic point that the very expensive cost for late stage colon and rectal cancer treatment can be greatly reduced with adequate screening. To support this C2P2 listed the following points made by Dr. Tom Tucker on November 19 in testimony presented to the Interim Joint Health & Welfare Committee:

• Approximately half (1378) of all colon cancer cases are diagnosed with late stage disease each year in Kentucky.
• It costs an average of $30,000 to treat each case of early stage colon cancer and an average of $120,000 to treat each case of late stage colon cancer. This is $90,000 more in direct treatment costs for each case of late stage colon cancer.
• If just 200 more new cases of colon cancer were diagnosed at an early stage rather than a late stage each year for the next five years, there will be a savings of $90 million in direct treatment costs.

Angela Champion, C2P2 Executive Director said, “Our efforts will continue to make sure that this legislation will result in a funded statewide screening and education program.”

C3: Colorectal Cancer Coalition gives a pat on the back to all the people who made this possible and urges constituents to contact their Kentucky Legislators and thank them for passing this bill.

Go here to read more about HR 415 and to see how your Kentucky Legislators voted.

Go here to read an op-ed piece authored by Alan Stein in favor of HB 415 published in the Lexington (Kentucky) Herald-Leader.

Go here to learn more about the Kentucky Colon Cancer Prevention Project.