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Ossining Resident Lobbies Congress To Make Cancer Top Priority

OSSINING, N.Y. -- Last week more than 750 cancer patients, survivors, volunteers and staff from all 50 states, including Ossining resident Marcia Earle, came together in Washington, D.C., as part of the annual American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network Leadership Summit and Lobby Day. 

Ovarian cancer survivor Marcia Earle, left, of Ossining joins with ACS CAN Board Member John Manna, right, of Upper Nyack to discuss cancer issues with Dana Miller, legislative counsel for U.S. Rep. Nita Lowey during recent ACS CAN Lobby Day.

Ovarian cancer survivor Marcia Earle, left, of Ossining joins with ACS CAN Board Member John Manna, right, of Upper Nyack to discuss cancer issues with Dana Miller, legislative counsel for U.S. Rep. Nita Lowey during recent ACS CAN Lobby Day.

Photo Credit: Courtesy of American Cancer Society

Earle met with Dana Miller, U.S.Rep. Nita Lowey’s legislative counsel, to discuss the need to support an increase in federal funding for cancer research. She also asked them to co-sponsor legislation that supports patients’ quality of life, and would close a loophole in Medicare that often results in surprise costs for seniors when a polyp is found during a routine colonoscopy. Earle is a five year survivor of ovarian cancer. 

“This year, more than 1.6 million Americans will hear the words ‘you have cancer.’ Congress has a critical role to play in helping us reduce that number in the future. As a cancer survivor, I let our representatives know that Congress can demonstrate a commitment to the fight against cancer by increasing federal funding for cancer research, co-sponsoring patient quality of life legislation and eliminating surprise costs for seniors getting colorectal cancer screenings," said Earle, a volunteer for the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network. “Making these lifesaving policies a priority will help eliminate death and suffering from cancer.” 

The group urged Congress to take specific steps to make cancer a national priority and help end a disease that still kills 1,600 people a day in this country including: Support a $6 billion increase for the National Institutes of Health with $1 billion of that for the National Cancer Institute over the next two years. 

 “We need a full and unwavering commitment from Congress to take action to help prevent and treat cancer,” said Earle “With this many lives in this country being impacted by these decisions, we can’t afford further delays. We want our lawmakers to know that volunteers from New York State, and from every state across the country, are counting on them to take action now.” 

For more information, visit www.acscan.org.

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