Please Write Your Congressmen

I received this email tonight and I want to share it with you.  I need your help.  If you click on the link below, you can help fight Pancreatic Cancer.  It is a form that you can fill out and submit. Read more about Pancreatic Cancer....this deadly disease below.  I know that you and I can make a difference.

Thank you!
Paige

http://www.capwiz.com/pancan/issues/alert/?alertid=27323501

Information:
We’re excited to announce that the Senate version of the Pancreatic Cancer Research & Education Act  (S. 362) has been re-introduced by Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI)!

During the last Congressional session, the senate-version of the bill gained an impressive 29 co-sponsors in only seven months (the bill was introduced in May 2010).  It was through the incredible activity of advocates, like you, that we were able to be so successful in the last Congressional session – and we need your help again! 

Please write to your two (2) U.S. Senators and tell them why it is so important that they co-sponsor this groundbreaking legislation.  We encourage you to personalize your message to increase its impact by including your personal story in the space provided on the following page.  And remember: we need as many people as possible to join us in this important and urgent effort.  Please forward the link to your friends and family (www.pancan.org/TakeAction) and spread the word on Facebook and Twitter!

 Have any questions? Contact us at advocacy@pancan.org or 202-742-6699.

Pancreatic cancer is unique and therefore requires a unique solution. It is one of the deadliest cancers, killing 94% of those diagnosed within five years and 76% with the first year. The statistics have remained largely unchanged for nearly 40 years. In fact, pancreatic cancer is the only major cancer in the U.S. for which the five-year survival rate is still in the single digits. 

In spite of these alarming statistics, the National Cancer Institute (NCI) currently spends only 2% of its budget on pancreatic cancer - the fourth leading cause of cancer-related death in the U.S. Clearly, the status quo is not working. 

The Pancreatic Cancer Research & Education Act does not tell NCI how to conduct science. Instead, the bill calls on the NCI to develop and implement an appropriate strategic plan for the disease. The bill would also create a new research grant program for the deadliest cancers, piloting it first in pancreatic cancer. This bill is critical to change the status quo and furthering progress regarding this devastating disease.