Posted on January 11, 2017
I was honored to travel to Washington, DC for the annual meeting of the Deadliest Cancers Coalition on January 12. The coalition is a collaboration between national nonprofits that do policy work around some of the most “lethal, or recalcitrant, cancers, defined as those that have five-year relative survival rates below 50 percent.” With so much change in the works and on the horizon in Washington, this year’s meeting took on new magnitude as we brainstorm, organize, and collaborate.
Dr. Doug Lowy, director of the National Cancer Institute (NCI), spoke at the meeting, giving encouraging about cancer research progress. He discussed Vice President Joe Biden’s exciting Cancer Moonshot, which is providing much-needed additional funding to cancer treatment and prevention research. This funding is so important for many reasons, but for these deadliest cancers with such high mortality rates, it allows for treatment trials to bring us closer to curing these tragic diseases. Keytruda for example, was initially just approved for melanoma, but after rigorous testing it was eventually approved for leukemia treatment and finally for mesothelioma.
ADAO has been a proud member of the coalition representing lung cancer and pleural mesothelioma since it was founded by the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network in 2008. Sadly, most of the cancers represented in the coalition are among those diseases caused by asbestos exposure, such as lung, ovarian, esophageal, stomach, and GI cancers. Fellow members include the Lung Cancer Alliance, American Liver Foundation, National Brain Tumor Society, and dozens more. The opportunity to collaborate with such respected and effectual nonprofits such as has been an invaluable source of education, insight, and support for our work in Washington over the years.
Each member of the coalition, as well as the group as a whole, is a phenomenal example of how people can make change happen. We at ADAO know exactly how powerful a group of dedicated people can be, and the track record of the Deadliest Cancers Coalition is further proof. Though comprised largely of lean nonprofits like ADAO, the Coalition — aided by the strong leadership of PanCAN’s Megan Gordon Don and staff — has managed to move mountains through advocacy, leading to promising research-based policies like the Cancer Moonshot and the Cures Act. They’ve also established and maintained a Congressional Caucus on the Deadliest Cancers with nearly 100 members from both houses.
I look forward to reporting back soon on what come of this meeting of the minds! Remember — together, we can make change happen!
Linda