(The Center Square) – Cancer patients, survivors and caregivers from across the state traveled to the Illinois Statehouse to meet with their elected officials this week during Cancer Action Day.
“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.
