“Share my voice and experience for a disease that is preventable, treatable, and beatable. Advocates from across the country joined together wearing Cover Your Butt t-shirts and descended upon Capitol Hill to encourage legislators to support three legislative proposals that will help us win the fight against colorectal cancer.”

Read more about Suzanne’s Call-on Congress experience in Cure Magazine.

When Suzanne met with her Members of Congress, she asked them to cosponsor legislation that will create a national screening and treatment for colorectal cancer similar to what we currently have in place for breast and cervical cancer.

Is your Representative a cosponsor of this important legislation?  If not, today is your chance to call your Representative and get them to cosponsor H.R. 1189.  Call 1-866-615-3375 anytime from 9 AM to 5:30 PM EDT, and ask your Representative to cosponsor H.R. 1189.

Don’t know what to say when you call?  We have a detailed script that you can use.

Rochelle took time off from work to participate in the 2010 Call-on Congress because:

“I believe that awareness, education, and early screening and detection are paramount with a preventable disease like colon cancer.”

Read more about Rochelle’s story at Fredricksburg.com.

When Rochelle met with her Members of Congress, she asked them to cosponsor legislation that will create a national screening and treatment for colorectal cancer similar to what we currently have in place for breast and cervical cancer.

Is your Representative a cosponsor of this life-saving legislation?  If not, today is your chance to call your Representative and ask him/her to cosponsor H.R. 1189.  Call 1-866-615-3375 anytime from 9 AM to 5:30 PM EDT, and ask your Representative to cosponsor H.R. 1189.

Don’t know what to say when you call?  We have a detailed script that you can use.

Josh and Kimberly Wimberly

Josh and Kimberly Wimberly traveled from Alabama to Washington DC, and participated in C3′s 4th Annual Call-on Congress earlier this week.  They met with Representative Spencer Bachus’s health policy staff and asked for the Representative’s support of legislation that will help save thousands of lives and increase awareness regarding the importance of early detection and screening for colorectal cancer.

As a direct result of their efforts, Representative Bachus signed on to cosponsor the Colorectal Cancer Prevention, Early Detection, and Treatment Act (H.R. 1189).

Is your Representative a cosponsor of this important legislation?  If not, call the Capitol Switchboard at 202-224-3121 and ask your Representative to cosponsor H.R. 1189.  Or take a minute to email your Representative and ask them to cosponsor H.R. 1189.

* * * Remember, the House of Representatives is set to vote on health care reform Sunday afternoon.  As a result the House email system and Capitol Switchboard are experiencing high volumes of traffic.  If you can’t get through today please try again next week.  We need your voice to win the fight against colorectal cancer!! * * *

Theresa Vawter, Legislative Assistant for Representative Kay Granger (R-TX) who is the sponsor of the Colorectal Cancer Prevention, Early Detection, and Treatment Act (H.R. 1189) which would put in place a national colorectal cancer screening and treatment program participated in a panel along with Tom Wharton, Health Care Legislative Assistant and Speechwriter for Representative Dan Boren (D-OK).  Representative Boren is the sponsor of the Colorectal Cancer Screening and Treatment Act (H.R. 1330) which will help to increase population-based screening rates for colorectal cancer by requiring all health insurance plans, both individual and group, to cover a colonoscopy for anyone age 50 or older.

Theresa and Tom spoke with the advocates about why each of their bosses is such a champion for colorectal cancer issues.  Like too many Americans, both Representative Granger and Representative Boren have lost family members to this disease.  Each is using their position as Member of Congress to push legislation that if enacted will lower the cost of colonoscopies and expand access to screening and treatment services.

The tips and advice they shared with the advocates helped to prepare them to head to Capitol Hill and meet with their Members of Congress.

On Wednesday, March 17 the advocates marched to Capitol Hill to ask their legislators to support:

• $50 million in funding for the Peer Reviewed Cancer Research Program (PRCRP) at the Department of Defense for Fiscal Year 2011.  This program at the Department of Defense funds research for a number of cancers including colorectal cancer.
• The Colorectal Cancer Prevention, Early Detection, and Treatment Act of 2009 (H.R. 1189) which would establish a national colorectal cancer screening and treatment program administered by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
• The Colorectal Cancer Screening and Detection Act (H.R. 1330) would require all health insurance plans, both individual and group, to cover a colonoscopy for anyone age 50 or older.

Their voices were heard on Capitol Hill, and will continue to make a difference in the fight against colorectal cancer!

Dr. Jeffery Chou is a medical oncology fellow in the Program in Immunology at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center. Early in his research career as an undergraduate student, he studied the use of radiolabeled anti-CEA antibodies as therapy for colorectal cancer at the City of Hope which fostered in him an interest for colorectal cancer immunotherapy.  He joined the lab of Dr. Edus H. Warren at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center to study the immunobiology of colorectal cancer and develop adoptive T cell therapy against colorectal cancer. His project “Epigenetic modulation of colorectal cancer stem cells for immunotherapy” is sponsored by the 2009 AACR/C3 Colorectal Cancer Coalition fellows grant in memory of Lisa Dubow and provides pre-clinical evidence supporting the combination of the epigenetic drug decitabine and T cell therapy against the cancer-testis antigen NY-ESO-1 to treat colorectal cancer. He has also received awards from ASCO and the Cancer Research Institute to support his work.

Dr. Chou spoke to C3 Advocates about the research he has been doing into treatments for late stage colorectal cancer using funding he received from the C3: Colorectal Cancer Coalition’s Lisa Fund Grant.

Laura Seeff, M.D., is the acting branch chief for the Comprehensive Cancer Control Branch in the Division of Cancer Prevention at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Prior to taking on this position in October 2009, she was CDC’s associate director for Colorectal Cancer Programs and the medical director of the agency’s new Colorectal Cancer Control Program.

Dr. Seeff provided an overview of the successful CDC colorectal screening program.  The program began as a pilot program in 5 sites, and has been expanded to 26 sites.  It is the model for legislation (H.R. 1189) introduced by Representative Kay Granger (R-TX) which would put in place a national screening and treatment program for colorectal cancer similar to what we currently have in place for breast and cervical cancer.  According to conservative estimates, the legislation would save thousands of lives a year and save Medicare billions.

Dr. Donna Kimbark joined the Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs in 2002 as Grants Manager for the Breast Cancer Research Program. In 2008, Dr Kimbark became the Program Manager for the new Peer Reviewed Cancer Research Program. Her areas of expertise include cancer therapeutics, pharmacology, proteomics, and lay participation in the scientific processes.

Dr. Kimbark provided advocates with an overview of how the Peer Reviewed Cancer Research program functions and the types of research that has been funded in the past through this important program.

Grassroots Action Committee Members (left to right) - Liz Dennis, Arlene Murphy, LaRisha Baker, Florence Kurttila, Pam Seijo, and Dave Larson helped to plan and organize the 2010 Call-on Congress

Today, colorectal cancer survivors, caregivers, physicians, and nurses brought their fight against colorectal cancer to Washington, DC.  C3 President Carlea Bauman described the importance of their voices in the war against cancer, “colorectal cancer advocates who speak up and demand change will be the ones who make a difference in the fight against this disease.”

Even with advances in screening technology colorectal cancer continues to be the second leading cancer killer of men and women combined.  In 2010, nearly 50,000 people in the United States will die from colorectal cancer.  The real tragedy is that many of these deaths could be prevented if more people took advantage of colorectal cancer screening and early detection.

Over the next two days, the advocates will hear from experts about current research and cancer control programs aiming to decrease both incidence and mortality rates from colorectal cancer.

In addition, the advocates will receive briefings on bills currently pending in Congress which if enacted will help to increase population-based screening rates for colorectal cancer and increase funding for cutting edge cancer research.

On Wednesday they will head to the hill to meet with their Representatives and Senators and encourage the legislators to support of the following three legislative proposals that will help us win the fight against colorectal cancer:

• The Colorectal Cancer Prevention, Early Detection, and Treatment Act of 2009 (H.R. 1189).   This important legislation would establish a national colorectal cancer screening and treatment program administered by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).  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, the provisions in this bill will save Medicare billions of dollars.

• The Colorectal Cancer Screening and Detection Act (H.R. 1330).  This legislation would require all health insurance plans, both individual and group, to cover a colonoscopy for anyone age 50 or older.  The coverage this important legislation requires is similar to the coverage that almost all states require health plans to provide for breast cancer screening.  Enactment of this bill will help to increase population-based screening rates for colorectal cancer (currently less than half of those who should be screened do get screened).

• $50 million in funding for the Peer Reviewed Cancer Research Program (PRCRP) at the Department of Defense for Fiscal Year 2011.  This program at the Department of Defense funds research for a number of cancers including colorectal cancer.  The program supports high-quality cancer research, 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.  Last year alone approximately 422,600 Americans were diagnosed with one of the cancers included in the PRCRP and 127,730 Americans lost their life to one of these diseases.

Stay tuned for updates from the 2010 Call-on Congress and follow the Call-on Congress fun on Twitter!

We already have a number of great speakers confirmed -

• Public relations expert Caitlin Carroll will be leading a breakout session on media advocacy.
• Dr. Jeffrey Chou will be speaking about the innovative research he has been doing with stem cells using a grant he received last year from C3′s Lisa Fund.
• Author and CRC survivor Brenda Elsagher will be talking about her battle with cancer.
• Donna Kimbark, PhD, PRCRP Program Manager, Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs IPA of Battelle Memorial Institute will update attendees regarding colorectal cancer research in the Peer Reviewed Cancer Research Program and the Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs.
• Dr. Laura Seeff, Acting Chief, Comprehensive Cancer Control Branch, Division of Cancer Prevention and Control, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will be talking about the program’s recent expansion and what is in store for 2010.

Register today, to hear from these and lots of other great speakers!

The fourth annual Call-on Congress is your chance to hear from leading experts about current issues affecting the colorectal cancer community and to meet with federal legislators and ask them to make colorectal cancer a top priority.

Register today, to reserve your space at the 2010 Call-on Congress.

And, help us recruit new advocates to attend Call-on Congress by distributing this one-pager to your friends and colleagues.   The more people you send it to the better!  Thanks.

Look forward to seeing you in DC in March!

Imagine yourself in the Halls of Congress…fighting for an end to colorectal cancer. It can happen. You CAN do it.

This is your chance to meet fellow colorectal cancer advocates, develop the skills you need to be a better advocate back home, and learn what Congress’ role is in fighting colorectal cancer.
Most important, you’ll put what you learn into practice in meetings on Capitol Hill with your Members of Congress and/or their staff that we will schedule for you.

Schedule of Events

Sunday, March 22
Registration
“Getting to know each other” dinner

Wednesday, March 25
Leave at your own leisure

Don’t miss your chance. Registration closes on February 2, 2009 or when we have reached meeting capacity. Your cost is $150, plus travel and lodging. See our registration page for more details.

If you have any questions please feel free to email Joe Arite or call at 703-548-1225. See you in March!

From left to right, Carlea Bauman (C3 President), Rep. Kay Granger (R-TX) and Joe Arite (C3 Policy and Grassroots Manager)

Representative Granger, who’s father was affected by colorectal cancer, is the lead sponsor of The Colorectal Cancer Prevention, Early Detection and Treatment Act (HR 1738). HR 1738, will create a national screening program at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) with a focus on uninsured and underinsured Americans.

We would like to once again thank Representative Granger for everything she does and ask all of you to TAKE ACTION and urge your Representative to sign on as a cosponsor of the bill.