The views stated here are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of the editors of this newspaper. We welcome supporting or opposing views on any published item. Received October 4, 2024.
As a cancer survivor and American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network advocate, I recently traveled to Washington, D.C. to ask Congress to make fighting cancer a national priority. Among our top asks for Congress was urging members to pass legislation that would create a pathway to coverage for new technology to improve cancer early detection and save lives. At a time when partisanship is at an all-time high, the Nancy Gardner Sewell Medicare Multi-Cancer Early Detection Screening Coverage Act is one of the most bipartisan pieces of legislation in Congress.
Several companies are developing blood tests to detect multiple cancers early. These MCED tests are intended to complement, not replace, existing early detection tests. According to published data, some of these tests can screen for more than fifty cancers simultaneously, including rare ones.
The Nancy Gardner Sewell Medicare Multi-Cancer Early Detection Screening Coverage Act would ensure Medicare recipients don’t face unacceptable delays in accessing these new tests once they are FDA-approved and clinical benefit is shown.
Detecting cancer early could be the difference between life and death. I’m grateful that Congressman Joe Courtney supports these efforts, and I urge him to help push this bill across the finish line before the end of the year.
Donna Rogers, Volunteer, American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, Higganum
