Push for more cancer research

To the editor:As a loved one, caregiver and friend of someone with cancer, I have seen first-hand the impact cancer has on individuals and families, young and old. And as a volunteer advocate with the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN), I recognize the importance of the government's role in helping to prevent and fight cancer.

I am excited to be part of the grassroots army that ACS CAN is mobilizing to encourage elected officials at all levels of government to enact policies that help people fight cancer and ultimately save lives. On Sept. 24 in Washington, D.C., I joined more than 500 cancer advocates from every state for national lobby day.

We met with our representatives in Congress and asked them to join us in the fight against cancer. Specifically, we asked our federal legislators to increase access to cancer screenings and treatments, boost federal funding for cancer research, raise the federal tax on tobacco products and give the Food and Drug Administration the long-overdue authority to regulate tobacco products. With 1.4 million Americans being diagnosed with cancer every year and 560,000 dying needlessly, elected officials must commit to helping in the fight against this deadly disease.

SHARON ANN SPENCE, Perryville, Mo.