Gore sets agenda to fight cancer
August 2000
Democratic presidential candidate Al Gore recently unveiled his five-point plan for fighting cancer in the 21st century.
STEP ONE: ENHANCE RESEARCH TO SPEED UP THE SEARCH FOR THE CURE
As scientists unravel the human genome and the inner workings of cancer cells, there are historic new opportunities to target the molecular makeup of each cancer leading to new approaches to prevention and treatment carefully tailored to each specific type of cancer. To assure we realize new possibilities for revolutionary progress in preventing, detecting, and treating cancer, Al Gore is proposing to:
Double funding for cancer research over the next five years. To step up the fight against cancer, Al Gore is proposing to double cancer research at the National Institutes of Health over the next five years. This investment, which would consist of an increase of nearly $9 billion over five years in spending in cancer research, will be part of a similar commitment to all medical research. It will help assure scientists have the resources to develop new cutting edge treatments, prevention, and detection tools, including identifying the molecular basis for the prevention and treatment of all major cancers in the next five years; developing a whole new class of prevention and therapies within the next decade; and tripling the number of new drugs and therapies that enter clinical trials.
Double the progress over the next ten years in reducing cancer deaths and new cancer cases. After steady increases in cancer rates since the 1930s, in the 1990s, for the first time, progress in cancer prevention and treatment led to unprecedented declines in the number of new cancer cases and deaths. Still today, 1.3 million Americans are diagnosed with cancer each year and 560,000 will die from it. This new investment aims to double the rate of progress by 2010 — doubling the rate of decreases in cancer deaths and cancer incidence. This would mean that by 2010 each year, 700,000 fewer Americans would get cancer and 200,000 less would die from it.
STEP TWO: DIAGNOSE AND DETECT EVERY MAJOR CANCER SOONER SO THE CORRECT TREATMENT CAN BEGIN IN ITS EARLIEST STAGES
The Cancer Genome Anatomy Project, the historic effort that Vice President Al Gore unveiled in 1997 to unravel the genetics of cancer, has already more than doubled its original goals. Now we must apply the breakthroughs of that project to more precisely diagnose and detect each cancer early when we have a better chance of effective treatment. To achieve this goal, Al Gore is issuing three specific challenges to the scientific community:
Identify every gene that predisposes people to cancer by 2002. With the completion of the Human Genome Project in sight, the next challenge is for scientists to identify every major human gene that predisposes people to cancer and the genetic variations that affect cancer risk by 2002.
Develop precise blood tests for virtually every cancer within five years to revolutionize early detection. New information about genetics has the potential to revolutionize the way that we detect cancer or even any early signs that indicate a likelihood of cancer. New blood tests would give signs that would enable cancer to be detected much earlier than virtually any screening available today by pinpointing genetic alterations that indicate early signs of cancer. This is a challenge to scientists to use breakthroughs in genetics to develop these tests in the next five years.
Develop diagnostic tests for every major kind of cancer within five years. With new progress in the genetics of cancer, now the challenge is for scientists to develop new diagnostic tests for every major kind of cancer within the next five years. Today, we cannot distinguish many types of cancers that would enable us to answer critical questions such as how fast will the cancer grow, will it respond to therapy, and which therapy is likely to work. These tools will enable health professionals to diagnose cancer far more precisely than is currently possible so that more targeted new treatments can begin right away.
STEP THREE:
ASSURE CANCER PATIENTS ACCESS TO CUTTING EDGE TREATMENTS
Only three percent of cancer patients currently participate in clinical trials. Many scientists believe that higher participation in clinical trials could lead to faster development of new therapies, as it often takes between three and five years to enroll enough participants in clinical trials to make them statistically meaningful – and for the patients themselves, access to these trials can mean the difference between life and death. We need to assure cancer patients can access these top quality treatments. Al Gore has three specific proposals:
Increase the number of patients by fivefold participating in cancer clinical trials at the National Cancer Institute. Over the past two years, the National Cancer Institute has speeded up admission to clinical trials by launching a new program to enroll patients on the spot. New investments should increase the number of patients participating in clinical trials funded by NCI by 500 percent in the next five years to a total of 120,000.
Pass legislation to assure Medicare patients can participate in clinical trials. America’s seniors make up half of all cancer patients, and are ten times more likely to get cancer than younger Americans. Older Americans, however, frequently cannot participate in cutting-edge cancer clinical trials because Medicare does not pay for experimental treatments. Al Gore is calling on Congress to pass the legislation that would provide Medicare patients with coverage to participate in cancer clinical trials which has been proposed by Senators Rockefeller and Mack.
Pass long overdue legislation that requires all health plans to allow patients to participate in clinical trials. Many health plans also do not reimburse patients who participate in clinical trials that give patients access to the most cutting edge treatments. As part of the patients’ bill of rights, Congress should pass legislation right now that requires all health plans to cover patients who participate in clinical trials.
STEP FOUR: EXPAND PREVENTION AND DETECTION FOR CANCER
There is much more to do to assure that Americans are using the tools we have today to fight cancer, such as screening those at risk and preventing smoking. Unfortunately, many Americans do not benefit from this information. Al Gore is proposing a national effort to address this issue. Four specific proposals are to:
Expand access to mammograms, colorectal screening and other well proven screening tests. There are already effective detection methods in place for many of the major cancers.
To assure Americans have access to effective cancer screenings, Al Gore is proposing to expand public health programs at the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) that provide screenings at low-cost, such as mammography, colorectal, and cervical cancer. Al Gore also believes we should continue to work to assure Americans have access to affordable health care.
Second, even those with access to these tests often do not benefit from them. Some are unaware that they may be at risk. Others fear these tests, or don’t know where to go to receive them. To address this issue, Al Gore is proposing a national informational campaign to educate all Americans about the importance of early screening and detection. Both these efforts will have a particular emphasis on eliminating the disparate proportionate of cancer rates. For example, African-Americans are 30 percent more likely to die of cancer than whites and twice as likely to get prostate cancer, while Hispanic women are twice as likely to get cervical cancer.
Take special steps to insure that all older Americans get the most up-to-date screening benefits that detect cancer early. Older Americans are most vulnerable to cancer and are often less likely to get preventive benefits that could help detect and treat cancer early. For example, only 60 percent of older women receive regular mammograms and even less receive treatment for colorectal cancer -- one of the most treatable cancers when detected early. This proposal would eliminate all cost-sharing for Medicare cancer preventive benefits – including the deductibles and coinsurance for colorectal and prostate cancer screening as well as coinsurance for mammography. He is also challenging health plans cover effective screening procedures. Taken together all these efforts could lead to a decrease the number of Americans who do not get the recommended screenings by 50 percent.
Increase efforts to improve diet and nutrition to help prevent cancer. Thousands of cancer cases could be prevented through improved diet and exercise and other healthy behaviors. This proposal would include increases of about $25 million per year in school-based prevention programs and other public health efforts to encourage Americans to take measures that would reduce the likelihood of cancer. Also, as scientists learn new information about prevention, this challenges to assure that this new knowledge is quickly translated into national practice.
Renew our commitment to stop children from smoking. Tobacco is still the largest preventable cause of cancer and causes about 30 percent of all cancer deaths, and most Americans begin to smoke when they are children. Al Gore is committed to fighting on all fronts to prevent our children from smoking, including the following steps:
Launch a $200 million new counter advertising campaign to help fight against the millions of dollars that tobacco companies spend to get children to smoke.
Penalize tobacco companies that market to children so that they pay the price.
Call on the Congress to reaffirm FDA’s authority to keep cigarettes out of the hands of children and give our leading consumer protection agency the full authority to help stop young people from smoking before they start by eliminating advertising aimed at children and curbing minors’ access to tobacco products.
Double efforts to prevent children from smoking through programs that are proven to work and call on states to enhance their efforts. Provide more research to understand why tobacco is so addictive as well as improve current cessation efforts to help those who want to quit now do so.
STEP FIVE: WE MUST GUARANTEE FAIRNESS FOR CANCER PATIENTS
We must assure that cancer patients are treated fairly. They should have access to the doctors and specialists they need, and should not have to fear discrimination because they have cancer. In 1996, the Administration took steps to assure cancer patients could keep health insurance when they changed jobs. Al Gore is calling for legislation that achieves three objectives:
Protect medical privacy. Cancer patients should not worry about who will see their medical records. Al Gore is challenging Congress to pass comprehensive privacy legislation right away. If they don’t pass it, Al Gore will do everything in his power to implement these protections.
Assure quality health care by passing a strong Patients’ Bill of Rights. These protections are critical to cancer patients because they assure those in the middle of chemotherapy are not forced to stop treatment because their employer changes health plans; or cannot see a cancer specialist.
Prevent genetic discrimination. Studies have shown that a leading reason that women do not get the latest genetic breast cancer tests is that they fear these tests will be used to discriminate against them. We must assure that Americans do not avoid taking advantage of critical advances in cancer by passing legislation that prevents employers and health insurers from using genetic information to discriminate.
Source: Al Gore Campaign 2000
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