I testified today in front of the Texas Senate Committee on Health and Human Services in regards to the bill that Lance posted about last night.  Below is my testimony that I wanted to share with you all.

LIVESTRONG,

Doug

Chairwoman Nelson, thank you for holding this hearing today. I want to thank you for your leadership in the Texas Senate in support of cancer research, prevention, early detection, treatment and survivorship. I would also like to thank the other Members of the Health and Human Services Committee for allowing me to appear before you today.

As the President of the Lance Armstrong Foundation, it is indeed an honor for me to appear before such a distinguished panel to testify on SB 1292.

The Lance Armstrong Foundation is a 501(c)(3) national nonprofit organization based in Austin, Texas. The LAF helps people with cancer focus on living; we believe unity is strength, knowledge is power and attitude is everything.  From the moment of diagnosis, the LAF provides the practical information and tools people affected by cancer need to live life on their own terms.

We have joined with the American Cancer Society, Susan G. Komen for the Cure, Kill Cancer and the Texas Medical Association in support of this bold initiative.

We lose almost 560,000 Americans to cancer every year – including 34,000 Texans. 1.4 million Americans will be diagnosed with cancer this year – 91,000 in the state alone. And this doesn’t account for the impact the disease has on the families, friends, and neighbors of those diagnosed. This disease truly affects us all. And according to a report conducted by the University of Texas, LBJ School of Public Affairs, the cost of cancer in Texas approaches $14 billion each year.

Individually, we know a man has a one in two chance that he will be diagnosed with cancer at some point during his life. A woman has a one in three chance that she will hear the words “you have cancer.”

Nearly one-third of deaths from cancer occur because people didn’t have access to timely screening, care, or preventative services that exist today. This is not acceptable. And with the passage of SB 1292, we would be committing the necessary resources we need to ensure this trend does not continue in Texas.

The cancer research outlined in SB 1292 would not only include the search for a cure, it would also include a number of other important research activities - research into how to prevent, detect and treat cancer, as well as how to improve the quality-of-life of people affected by cancer.

In addition, this legislation will allow Texas to invest in translational research that will teach us how to apply these discoveries for maximum effectiveness, turning discoveries in lab into solutions in our hospitals and communities. It does no good for new discoveries to sit on a shelf. We must learn how to apply them to make people’s lives better.

But the benefits won’t only be realized for those affected by cancer. For example, with increased research into tumor angiogenesis, the mechanism that causes tumors to grow, we will also expand our understanding of diseases such as diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease, asthma, stroke, chronic obstructive lung disease, and other inflammatory disorders. And research into vascular tumors could also lead to understanding and treatment of HIV/AIDS.

Finally, we are extremely pleased that important cancer prevention, early detection and control programs funded by the Texas Cancer Council will not only continue, but be strengthened by this legislation. The work that the Council is doing to implement the Texas Cancer Plan deserves our support.

When the scientific research, public health, non-profit and public sector communities collaborate, we can better ensure that the research priorities in the state are integrated with the overarching strategy to improve the health of all Texans.

The LAF stands in support of SB 1292 and looks forward to working together to pass legislation that can have the greatest impact on people affected by cancer today and in the future.

Thank you for your time and for your commitment to truly improving the health of all Texans.