Congressional Update
June 18, 2009

Coalition meets with NCI Director to advance research into the deadliest cancers
Recognizing that the five-year survival rates for several deadly cancers are very low, the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network assembled a coalition of advocates for several of the “deadliest cancers” last year. Under our leadership, the coalition has been very active in the development of the ALERT Act, cancer legislation that has been introduced by Senators Ted Kennedy (D-MA) and Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX). Please see below for more information on this important bill.

In May, the coalition met with Dr. John Niederhuber, director of the National Cancer Institute (NCI), to discuss the Institute’s plans for advancing research for the highest mortality cancers. During the meeting, the groups presented strong data indicating that the NCI’s commitment to research into these cancers has lagged far behind other types of cancers. The coalition also shared data illustrating that the incidence of many of these same cancers is projected to rise dramatically by 2030, so it is critical that the NCI increase its investment in these cancers now. While Dr. Niederhuber did not make any promises, he did extend an invitation to continue the dialogue.

The Pancreatic Cancer Research & Education Act (H.R. 745) Gains Momentum!
The groundbreaking legislation introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives last January currently has 152 co-sponsors. As with all legislation, this bill faces several more hurdles before it reaches the floor of the House of Representatives for a vote. The most important activity that you can do right now is to help us secure more co-sponsors by Taking Action here! We are also continuing to work on getting a bill introduced in the Senate and are currently focused on finding the best possible bi-partisan Senate champions.

The ALERT Act
Senators Kennedy and Hutchison introduced the 21st Century Cancer Access to Life-Saving Early Detection, Research and Treatment (ALERT) Act in late March of 2009, just in time for our Advocacy Day.

Since the bill’s introduction, we have worked tirelessly to see that the Senate bill incorporates the priorities of the pancreatic cancer and deadly cancer communities and have made important progress. While work on the Senate bill has temporarily stalled while legislators focus on Healthcare Reform, we are also working with the House sponsors to ensure that their bill includes strong legislative language for pancreatic cancer and the other deadly cancers.

Please visit our Take Action Now page to see how you can help with these and other efforts.