Susan G. Komen for the Cure® Advocacy Alliance Responds to President Barack Obama’s Address to Congress

Discovering and Delivering the Cures to Cancer Must Be a Top National Priority

WASHINGTON, D.C. – February 24, 2009 – Martina Hone, president of the Susan G. Komen for the Cure® Advocacy Alliance, issued the following statement in response to President Barack Obama’s address to a joint session of Congress this evening:

“This is a critical time in our nation’s history. We are confronted with large health care challenges. Yet the potential to significantly improve access to critical health care services for all and to make meaningful progress in discovering the cures to cancer provide us with the hope of an exciting and healthier future.

Taking the first step in addressing the growing health care crisis
“We were grateful Congress and the Administration took the first step in addressing the growing health care crisis in the states with the recent economic stimulus legislation. These funds give states the opportunity to avoid cuts to potentially life-saving breast cancer education, screening and treatment services for underserved women.

“Yet there is so much more to do. As the non-partisan voice for over 2.5 million breast cancer survivors and the people who love them, we look forward to working with President Obama to establish a health system that ensures access to affordable, high-quality health care for all – including underserved populations and people with chronic or pre-existing conditions like cancer.

“We must ensure that everyone has access to breast cancer screening and treatment. For breast cancer, as is the case for many diseases, early detection is the closest thing we have to prevention. Detecting cancer early not only increases a patient’s chance of survival, but also considerably reduces the cost of their treatment.

“We were also thankful for the considerable investment in health research contained in the stimulus legislation. We urge the Administration to intensify this commitment to discovering the cures, as funding has remained essentially flat since 2003. We must signal that discovering and delivering the cures for cancer is a top national priority.”

The Susan G. Komen for the Cure® Advocacy Alliance is a voice for change on Capitol Hill, in state legislatures and on the campaign trail. With the help of nearly 200,000 Komen Champions and Komen’s network of 122 domestic affiliates, we are aggressively seeking increased funding for research and greater access to screening and treatment. The Komen Advocacy Alliance engages policymakers and leaders at all levels of government to advocate for an increased investment in breast cancer research and greater access to breast health services.