Dear Editor:

As a two-time cancer survivor, March 1 looms greatly on my mind.  Under sequestration, across-the-board cuts to nearly all government agencies, prevention, public health and funding for cancer research and other medical research supported by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) would be cut.  If the Budget Sequestration is not turned off, the fight against cancer would be dealt a major setback by these cuts.  Past Congressional support for caner research has contributed to the overall reduction in cancer incidence and mortality, and an improved quality of life for survivors, since the 1990s.  Sustained funding in the fight against cancer is critical to achieving long-term and permanent success.

Cancer Prevention and Early Detection are equally as important as research. Sequestration’s large cuts will be devastating to the public health infrastructure cancer prevention programs.  Sequestration would force CDC to cut support for every state in the country and means Americans would have less life-saving cancer screenings and increased health care cost in the long run.

Let your voice be heard, tell your officials to turn off Sequestration.  We need to work together across the country to end suffering and death from cancer.

Lynn Rearden
Volunteer, SC State Lead Ambassador,
ACS Cancer Action Network, Edgefield