Controversial Issues
ACS and NCCC Urge Congress to Fund CDC Breast and Cervical Cancer Program
National Cervical Cancer Coalition (NCCC) and American Cancer Society (ACS) Urge Congress to Fund CDC's Breast and Cervical Cancer Program
October, 2005-The American Cancer Society and the National Cervical Cancer Coalition (NCCC) is asking Congress to reauthorize the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program and increase funding by $45 million.
The National Cervical Cancer Coalition (NCCC) strongly endorses the efforts of The American Cancer Society and also urges Congress to reauthorize the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program and increase funding by $45 million.
The program provides critical breast and cervical cancer screenings, follow-up services and information to women 50 to 64 who are most at risk - poor, low-income, uninsured, underinsured and minority women. To date, the program has provided 5.8 million screening tests to 2.5 million women and diagnosed 22,878 breast cancer cases, 76,921 pre-cancerous cervical lesion cases and 1,502 cervical cancer cases. Women who are diagnosed can enroll in Medicaid for treatment coverage.
The American Cancer Society's advocacy organization, the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, is working to ensure that all women who are eligible for the NBCCEDP program receive access to these lifesaving screenings. Currently, only about one in five women eligible for the program receives lifesaving screening and treatment.
October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. The American Cancer Society is also urging the public to advocate for increased funding for the program.
January is Cervical Health Awareness Month. The National Cervical Cancer Coalition (NCCC) is also urging the public to advocate for increased funding for the program.
Call the National Cervical Cancer Coalition (NCCC) www.nccc-online.org for more information at (818) 909-3849 or call the American Cancer Society at 1-800-ACS-2345 or visit www.cancer.org for more information.
