Congress: Increase funding for lifesaving CDC cancer screening programs

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Dear [Decision Maker],

As a volunteer for the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN), I am writing to you today regarding funding for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, including critical funds for the National Breast & Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program.

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About half of the over 600,000 cancer deaths that will occur this year could be averted through the application of existing cancer control interventions. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC's) Division of Cancer Prevention and Control (DCPC) provides key resources to states and communities to prevent cancer by ensuring that at-risk, low-income communities have access to vital cancer prevention programs.  However, access to potentially lifesaving screenings is not always equitable, creating significant disparities in cancer outcomes. The consequence of such disparities is that cancer is more often diagnosed at later stages when options for treatment may be limited and the odds for survival are lower.

Although we have seen declines in the cancer death rate overall, progress is slowing for cancers that are amenable to early detection through screening (e.g., breast cancer, prostate cancer, and colorectal cancer), and substantial racial and geographic disparities persist for highly preventable cancers, such as those of the cervix and lung. COVID-19's impact on screening and the early-detection of cancer in this program will only exacerbate these disparities. Additionally, job losses resulting from the pandemic have left many Americans without health insurance, increasing the need for robust cancer screening programs at the CDC.

Addressing the backlog of cancer screenings for those without adequate health coverage will place a new burden on the existing CDC cancer screening programs, which have long been underfunded. CDC's programs help ensure that Americans have options for cancer screening regardless of income or insurance status. Increased investment in the equitable application of existing cancer control interventions as spearheaded by CDC's DCPC will accelerate progress in the fight against cancer. For this reason, I am asking that you provide $559 million overall for DCPC, including $275 million for the National Breast & Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program when considering the Fiscal Year 2022 appropriations bill.

Sincerely,
[Your Name]
[Your Address]
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[Your Email]