Invest in cancer research
We all know someone who has heard the words, “You have cancer,” and many of us have faced a diagnosis ourselves. As a stage 3A melanoma skin cancer survivor, I heard those three words at the age of 27 while I had a 5-year-old son. It was 2021, and we were in the middle of a worldwide pandemic. As I traveled to Washington, D.C., recently to let my voice be heard and to call on Congress to make investments in cancer research a top priority, I thought about those three words.
Lives are at risk. Roughly 611,000 people in the U.S. will die from cancer this year alone. But with over 18 million cancer survivors alive today, we know that past investments in cancer research have made a real difference for millions of Americans. The American Cancer Society predicts that for the first time ever, more than 2 million will be diagnosed with cancer in 2024. Further investments in research hold the key to saving more lives and, one day, ending cancer as we know it — for everyone.
I met with the offices of U.S. Sen. Bob Casey and U.S. Rep. Guy Reschenthaler and explained to them that each dollar Congress puts toward cancer research offers hope to so many Americans. Breakthroughs in treatment and prevention will not only be realized through increased funding and investment, but delivered to those who need them the most.
Congress must act now. By increasing medical research funding at the National Institutes of Health to $51.3 billion, we can continue to make progress in the fight against cancer.
Brittanny Groover
Dilliner
Groover is a volunteer with the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network.