Another Voice / Cancer treatment
Nation must renew its commitment, provide access
Updated: 08/08/08 6:48 AM
It’s been 35 years since our nation declared war on cancer. During the more than three decades since, researchers have learned a great deal about the nature of cancer and its many causes.
Yet the sad fact is we are still facing an enormous cancer crisis — cancer will kill more than a half million people this year — about 1,500 people a day.
Sen. Edward Kennedy’s recent diagnosis of brain cancer is a stunning reminder that no one is immune to cancer’s reach. I know this from experience. I am a seven-year breast cancer survivor.
I was diagnosed at age 37, a mother of 4-year-old twins. I was fortunate to have health insurance, a supportive husband and family and friends to help me navigate through the medical system and all of my treatments.
I recently joined 300 other survivors and activists from Susan G. Komen for the Cure in speaking with members of Congress about the importance of renewing our nation’s war on cancer.
Ironically, before his diagnosis, Kennedy, D-Mass., was spearheading a bipartisan movement, along with Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, R-Texas, to evaluate our nation’s progress on cancer research and treatment, address our shortcomings and renew our commitment to discovering and delivering the cures.
Early detection in many cases is the closest thing we have to the cures. Unfortunately, most cancers do not have effective early detection methods.
It’s time to unleash the amazing power of science, technology and medicine to discover new ways to detect cancer of any type as early as possible — earlier than we can currently imagine.
At the same time, we have to remind ourselves as we push for science to dream up the early detection methods that will save lives tomorrow, millions of our friends and loved ones do not have sufficient access to the detection and treatment methods that are available today.
Forty-seven million Americans are uninsured, and you are 60 percent more likely to die from cancer if you are uninsured. That’s an access issue.
Lack of health insurance is not the only barrier, however. Education, transportation and cultural issues play a role as well.
While the statistics are staggering, the stories behind these numbers are tragic, and should compel us into action. We owe it to our children to put forth the financial and political commitment needed to energize science to discover and deliver the cures.
We owe it to our neighbors to show a similar commitment to close the gaps in access that exist today.
If we don’t talk about them together, as the science surges, the gaps will only widen.
Tracy Fischer, a seven-year breast cancer survivor, is volunteer chairwoman and public policy co-chairwoman of the Western New York Affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure, the world’s largest breast cancer advocacy organization.
