LEGISLATIVE BEAT
4, ISSUE 4
VOLUME 3, 3 Winning the fight better
Moving towards against colorectal
care cancer
and a cure SPRING 2008
SUMMER 2009
2 www.FightColorectalCancer.org
RESOURCES
LEGISLATIVE BEAT
A new era in
government is
here. Our goal of
eliminating barriers
to colorectal cancer
screening may finally
become a reality.
Representatives
Kay Granger (R-TX) and Patrick
Kennedy (D-RI) have reintroduced the
Colorectal Cancer Prevention, Early
Detection, and Treatment Act and are
calling on C3 to mobilize the troops.
That is exactly what we are doing if everyone aged 50 and older were recruit more than 160 Members of
with our Call-on Congress and our screened regularly, according to CDC Congress to support this bill. While
Congressional Butt-in phone campaign estimates. 1 160 co-sponsors should have been
this month. Not only will this proposed program enough to get the bill passed, Congress
save lives, but it will save dollars, ran out of time. We have high hopes
What the bill will do: too. A preliminary report issued by that this year will be different and we
This bill will establish a program The Lewin Group, in collaboration will see the legislation come to fruition
at the Centers for Disease Control with the National Colorectal Cancer in the 111th Congress.
and Prevention (CDC) to provide Roundtable, looked at how increased But we still need your help to make
colorectal cancer screenings and colorectal cancer screening among that happen! Members of Congress
treatment for low-income, uninsured, pre-Medicare eligible individuals listen carefully to one voice: The
and underinsured individuals who are (aged 50-64 years) could translate into voters. That means you and your
not yet eligible for Medicare savings. family, friends, neighbors, and co-
Medicare. Savings occur when workers. We must all get on the
With this bill, the Medicare
The program is colorectal cancer phones, or get in those offices and
program could translate to is caught early and make sure each Member of Congress
similar to the National
Breast and Cervical an eleven year savings of treatment costs are realizes the importance of this
Cancer Prevention, low. For patients legislation.
$7 to $21 billion, simply by with metastatic
Early Detection, and
Treatment Program
diagnosing people earlier colorectal cancer, For more information on how to
just two months participate in C3’s Butt-in phone
that has been in through screening.
of treatment cost campaign on March 31, see the cover
place for more than a
between $20,000 and story and Page 8 of this issue of
decade. This program
$30,000. Earlier detection saves both Momentum.
has saved the lives of millions of
American women by detecting breast lives and dollars. 2
For more information about
and cervical cancers and following up The report predicts that savings to this legislation, check www.
the diagnosis with treatment. It’s time Medicare will begin in the second FightColorectalCancer.org/
to do the same for colorectal cancer. year of the program, and could crcscreeningbill.
Despite the passage of the Balanced translate into an eleven year savings
Budget Act (BBA) of 1997, which of $7 to $21 billion. 1
The Centers for Disease Control and
authorized coverage for colorectal So why is the Colorectal Cancer Prevention (CDC). Underuse of Screening.
cancer screenings for Medicare Prevention, Early Detection, and Website: www.cdc.gov/cancer/colorectal/
recipients, too many people still Treatment Act being “reintroduced”? statistics/screening_rates.htm
don’t get screened. Yet as many as 60 Last year, during the 110th Congress, 2
Schrag D. The price tag on progress—
percent of deaths could be prevented C3 and our advocates were able to chemotherapy for colorectal cancer. N Engl J
Med. 2004;22;351(4):317-19
4 www.FightColorectalCancer.org
POLICY & ADVOCACY
Advocates in Action:
Introducing An Inspirational Marilia Sardinha
Meet Marilia Sardinha, a 41-year-old failure. Trying to save my life, the
single mom, born in Portugal and doctors put me into an induced coma.
now living in a small town in central I went to sleep in January thinking
Maine. She’s a cancer survivor and I had appendicitis, and woke up in
an amazing advocate. As the new February with cancer and only one leg.
vice-chair of C3’s Grassroots Action
Committee, she’ll be writing regularly Worst of all, my 12-year-old son saw
for Momentum. Marilia’s story and me leave for the hospital one night,
advocacy efforts boggle my mind. But and was told I’d be home the next day.
she should tell her own story... That day turned into a month. He saw
me for a few moments during that
--Joe Arite, Director of Policy
month, but I don’t remember. My baby
In January 2004, I started a wrenching boy. My heart. My joy. My life. Marilia’s son (left) is her inspiration.
physical and emotional journey.
I survived thanks to a surgeon who 16-year-old son, and I’m engaged to be
Despite having no family history of
fought hard to save my life, and my married.
colon cancer, I found myself with stage
“mother’s will” to not leave my child.
IIIb colon cancer at age 36. I believe my life purpose is to use
But I had changed from an active, self-
employed single mom to a 90-pound these experiences to support and lift
I had known something was wrong.
person too weak to walk. I was even and maybe even save someone else.
For 16 months before my diagnosis,
too weak to start chemotherapy for Since my treatment ended, I started
I had abdominal cramping and pain.
several months. an amputee support group; became
Despite repeated doctor appointments,
a certified peer counselor for new
with diagnoses and treatment for
In 2005, I finished cancer treatment amputees; and have supported newly
both anemia and an ulcer, my pain
and my life began to look up. But in diagnosed colorectal cancer patients in
got worse. Finally, just days before
early 2006, tests showed that I had new Maine. I testified in support of a Maine
a scheduled colonoscopy, my pain
tumors in my abdomen. Chemotherapy law requiring insurance coverage for
became unbearable. Doctors in
helped, but one tumor kept growing. colorectal cancer screening, which
the emergency room decided I had
My best friend, an incredibly smart and passed and has just taken effect.
appendicitis and needed surgery.
persistent advocate, found out about
Instead of appendicitis, the surgeon In March 2007, I became involved
Cyberknife—robotic radiosurgery used
found a three-centimeter tumor in my with C3 through the Call-on Congress.
for certain cancers. She finally found
colon, plus cancer in two of 27 lymph For the first time, I met colorectal
an Oklahoma surgeon
nodes. cancer patients and survivors my age.
who was willing to try
That was just the first
I urge you to become a it on my type of tumor.
I never imagined that I would be in
Washington DC, sharing my story with
step in my journey. To C3 advocate—not just Against my physicians’
Congress, but the other advocates
this day, I still have in March but through advice and despite
inspired me with their strength and
few memories of the refusal of insurance
the year. Respond to passion. Today, I meet regularly with
following month. coverage, the procedure
my elected officials and help new
Right after surgery, I
action alerts. Spread the successfully eliminated advocates understand how to raise
the tumor. However,
developed a serious word. Together, we are another small tumor
their voices effectively.
infection throughout tremendously powerful. appeared two months I urge you to become a C3 advocate—
my body and multiple later, so I did another 9 not just in March but throughout
blood clots. I was rushed to another months of FOLFIRI treatment. the year. Respond to action alerts.
hospital, but the damage was already Spread the word. Together, we are
done. My right leg was amputated Since then, three scans have shown tremendously powerful.
below the knee. I also needed an aortic no evidence of cancer. I celebrated my
stent and an ileostomy. At that point, I 40th birthday—a day I wasn’t supposed I have HOPE…and I am sharing it with
was critically ill with acute respiratory to see. I am raising a wonderful, caring you. Join me!
Political and Policy Advocates C3 Policy Director Joe Arite posts to ensure that every American
legislative and policy news stories receives screening. Find the facts plus
Both governmental and medical
regularly on C3 Policy & Advocacy action links at C3’s special website
leaders recognize C3 as one of the most
News, and responds to questions www.CoverYourButt.org.
reliable, accurate, and effective voices
posted by readers at the website. Sign
in national and local efforts to fight These are just some of C3’s resources.
up at www.FightColorectalCancer.org/
colorectal cancer. Check out the continually updated
subscribe.
website. Sign up for email updates at
The C3 website’s Policy section is a
C3’s Action Center (under Policy www.FightColorectalCancer.org/
rich source of practical advocacy tools
at the C3 website) helps you make an subscribe. And you can always call the
(see the Advocate’s Toolkit); a review
immediate impact. Today’s top issues C3 Answer Line with any question.
of how government funds colorectal
pop up, complete with a factual email
cancer research and how the political
you can send automatically to your
machine works; and fact-filled position
government representatives just by
papers on current legislation (at
adding your name and zip code. Check
Where We Stand). For inspiration, read
it out at http://advocacy.fightcrc.org.
profiles of advocates in action all over
the nation (see Advocates at Work). Cover Your Butt is C3’s campaign
1-877-4CRC-111
6 www.FightColorectalCancer.org
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