Act Now: Making a Difference in Cancer Policy

November 9, 2016
white man wearing a coat and tie in front of white house

This month, we’re continuing our Many Faces of Advocacy campaign by highlighting policy advocacy. Policy advocacy is probably what you first think of when you hear the word “advocacy.” A cancer policy advocate pushes for changes in government that will improve the lives of people affected by cancer. This can come in many forms, from writing a letter to your congressional representatives to spreading the word about important legislation using social media.

At the Cancer Support Community, policy advocacy is a big part of what we do. Our Cancer Policy Institute works with policymakers to ensure that medical care and social-emotional care are available to everyone affected by cancer. Check out our current campaigns here, where you can also write letters to your representatives in Congress urging them to support vital legislation.

The Cancer Policy Institute can’t do this alone. We need people like you to use your voice to tell your personal story to those who can make a difference. You can join our movement here and become part of our grassroots advocacy network. This will give you access to the latest updates on our work and the opportunity to advocate for cancer patients, on Capitol Hill or with your local assembly member. Whether you plan to advocate through our grassroots advocacy network or in a different way, we encourage you to explore our cancer advocacy tool kits and webinars, where you can hear from experienced advocates and policymakers the most effective ways to bring about change.

One of the easiest ways to arm our advocates with the tools to convince policymakers of the changes we need is by participating in our Cancer Experience Registry. Whether you are a patient, survivor or caregiver, you can use the Registry to tell us about the biggest obstacles you’ve faced in your cancer journey. This information helps us provide the most useful resources through our affiliates and also helps our advocates make their case that social and emotional issues are just as much a part of the cancer experience as physical ones.

This week, follow us on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram to participate in our 7-Day Policy Advocacy Challenge. Each day, we’ll be posting a new way to think about how you can be a part of policy advocacy. And if you’re wondering how last night’s presidential election will affect the Cancer Moonshot Initiative, NIH funding, and other important cancer and health issues, check out our blog from last week on the candidates’ stances on cancer policy. Follow along on our blog page for the rest of the month as we’ll continue to discuss policy advocacy and highlight several of the important awareness months which fall in November.