ONS Supports Bipartisan Resolution to Recognize November as National Lung Cancer Awareness Month
Lung cancer knows no state boundary or political ideology. But it can bring the two sides together, like it did (https://www.smith.senate.gov/sen-smith-introduces-legislation-expand-coverage-lung-cancer-screening%22%20HYPERLINK%20%22https://www.smith.senate.gov/sen-smith-introduces-legislation-expand-coverage-lung-cancer-screening) when U.S. Senators Tina Smith (D-MN), member of the Senate Health Committee (https://www.help.senate.gov/about/members), and Marco Rubio (R-FL) introduced a resolution (https://www.smith.senate.gov/us-senators-tina-smith-marco-rubio-introduce-bipartisan-resolution-recognize-november-national-lung) to recognize November as National Lung Cancer Awareness Month. The resolution, which ONS supports, promotes (https://smithsenate.app.box.com/s/2269zpjgebt003lo8hfndv05k5d98w3l) the importance of and need to improve lung cancer early detection.
The resolution supports efforts to increase:
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Research on lung cancer
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Awareness and education about the disease
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U.S. lung cancer screening rates
U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), John Boozman (R-AK), Tim Scott (R-SC), and Shelley Capito (R-WV) cosponsored the resolution. Several other cancer associations also support it, including the Minnesota American Cancer Society/Cancer Action Network, the American Cancer Society, American Lung Association, American Lung Cancer Screening Initiative, and GO2 Foundation for Lung Cancer.
“This Lung Cancer Awareness Month Resolution will add momentum to efforts to build national awareness, advance earlier detection and personalized treatments, and help increase research funding to discover breakthroughs and cures,” Laurie Fenton Ambrose, cofounder, president, and chief executive officer of GO2 Foundation for Lung Cancer, said.
Earlier in 2020, Smith introduced legislation (https://www.smith.senate.gov/sen-smith-introduces-legislation-expand-coverage-lung-cancer-screening) to expand coverage for lung cancer screenings to help with early detection.
“We need to take every possible step to fight this terrible disease that kills tens of thousands of people in Minnesota and across the country each year,” Smith said (https://www.smith.senate.gov/us-senators-tina-smith-marco-rubio-introduce-bipartisan-resolution-recognize-november-national-lung).