Cancer Survivors Support Legislation to Improve Cancer Care

Comprehensive Cancer Care Bill Would Make Planning and Coordination New Standard of Care

Legislation re-introduced today by Representatives Lois Capps (D-CA) and Charles Boustany (R-LA) could improve the quality of care for millions of Americans surviving cancer and those who are diagnosed in the future.

The Comprehensive Cancer Care Improvement Act, which had 117 House cosponsors in the 110th Congress, would improve care for people diagnosed with cancer by empowering patients with written information necessary to make informed decisions – from the time of diagnosis and throughout their lives – and also by providing documented information that is crucial to coordinating care with other providers.  Many cancer experts have concluded in a series of reports that the type of planning proposed in this bill will enhance the overall quality of cancer care by improving communication between doctors and patients coordinating active treatment and symptom management, promoting information sharing among healthcare practitioners, and ensuring appropriate follow-up care for survivors after primary treatment.

"Cancer survivors in this country have long needed a better system of comprehensive, coordinated care that addresses their distinct needs," remarked NCCS acting president and CEO Ellen Stovall—a three-time cancer survivor. "We applaud the leadership of Reps. Capps and Boustany in bringing these issues to the forefront, and we are hopeful that other members of Congress will soon follow in supporting the Comprehensive Cancer Care Improvement Act."

While advances in treatment increasingly allow people with cancer to live longer than ever before, the distinctive needs for follow-up care of nearly 12 million cancer survivors have gone largely unaddressed. With the aging baby boomer population, this number is expected to grow exponentially since more than 60 percent of people diagnosed with cancer are Medicare age.

The Comprehensive Cancer Care Improvement Act includes a number of provisions that would promote a system integrating primary treatment with symptom management and encouraging more communication between cancer survivors and their physicians. By reforming Medicare reimbursement to encourage care planning and coordination, the Act would greatly improve the quality of cancer care in the United States.

"This legislation is an important first step towards substantially improving cancer care in America," said Congresswoman Lois Capps (CA-23), a registered nurse and Vice-Chair of the Energy and Commerce Committee. "As we continue to aggressively search for a cure for cancer we must also invest in comprehensive care and enhanced treatment plans for patients and survivors. I hope this bipartisan, common sense bill moves quickly through the legislative process and becomes law so we can ensure that all cancer patients and receive the quality care they deserve."

The bill has widespread support from cancer survivors, leading national patient advocacy organizations, physician groups, and comprehensive cancer centers from around the country. 

Although cancer care plans have been recommended in several forums over more than a decade, they gained notable support when the Institute of Medicine (IOM) released its groundbreaking report in late 2005, From Cancer Patient to Cancer Survivor: Lost in Transition.  NCCS acting president and CEO Ellen Stovall is a co-editor of the report, which specifically calls for the implementation of treatment summaries and follow-up care plans for cancer survivors.

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