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“As a breast cancer survivor, I know the importance of
preventing cancer and improving access to care all too well,”
said Maggie Powell, cancer survivor and American Cancer Society
Cancer Action Network volunteer. “My fellow advocates and I let
our lawmakers know that they must do all they can to reduce the
toll of cancer on Illinoisans. Illinois can and must do better.”
The Cancer Action Network is asking lawmakers to support $1
million in state funding solely dedicated to colorectal cancer
screening and prevention, the second-leading cause of cancer
deaths in the United States.
Government relations director Ally Lopshire said they are also
asking for an increase in taxes on other tobacco products.
“By raising the taxes and streamlining the way these products
like e-cigarettes are taxed, not only are we going to generate
revenue, but it is really aimed at preventing people from going
from one tobacco product to another,” said Lopshire.
An estimated 78,870 Illinoisans will be diagnosed with cancer
this year, and 23,170 are expected to die from the disease.
Improvements in cancer prevention and screening have averted
more deaths from five cancer types combined over the past 45
years than treatment advances, according to a modeling study led
by researchers at the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
In total, the modeling showed, 5.94 million deaths were averted
from these five cancers between 1975 and 2020. Of these,
prevention and screening interventions accounted for 4.75
million, or 80%, of the averted deaths.
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