Senator Feinstein, Legislators & Cancer Research Advocates Unveil New National Battle Plan Against Cancer

Senator Feinstein, Legislators & Cancer
Research Advocates Unveil
New National Battle Plan Against Cancer

- Legislation is sponsored by bipartisan
group of 30 Senators -
February 27, 2002

Washington, DC - Surrounded by a host of cancer survivors, research advocates and lawmakers, Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) today unveiled legislation at a Capitol Hill news conference and rally to create a new comprehensive national battle plan to modernize and re-energize the nation's war on cancer.

The bipartisan legislation (S. 1976) is cosponsored by 29 other Senators. These include the lead cosponsor, Senator Gordon Smith (R-OR), and Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle (D-SD), Jim Jeffords (I-VT), Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX), Hillary Clinton (D-NY), Olympia Snowe (R-ME), Barbara Mikulski (D-MD), Barbara Boxer (D-CA), Susan Collins (R-ME), Mary Landrieu (D-LA), Blanche Lincoln (D-AR), Patty Murray (D-WA), Lincoln Chafee (R-RI), Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Jean Carnahan (D-MO), Robert Torricelli (D-NJ), Charles Schumer (D-NY), Ben Nelson (D-NE), Tim Johnson (D-SD), Jack Reed (D-RI), John Breaux (D-LA), Jon Corzine (D-NJ), Patrick Leahy (D-VT), Harry Reid (D-NV), John Kerry (D-MA), Bob Graham (D-FL) and Bill Nelson (D-FL) Christopher Dodd (D-CT).

Senator Feinstein's legislation will update and improve the 1971 initiative of former President Richard Nixon to win the "war on cancer." The goal of the Feinstein legislation is to transform cancer from a terminal illness to a fully treatable disease, 100 percent of the time.

"This important legislation will form our new battle plan to fight cancer and help us find a cure," Senator Feinstein said. "The measure will: improve basic cancer research; create incentives for the transformation of that research into new, effective treatments; and prevent cancer when possible and improve the quality of care to patients."

"The battle plan takes into account the advances that have been made in understanding the human genome, making it possible to move forward with a whole new series of drugs -- such as Gleevec - that could stop cancer as the devastating disease that it is today," said Feinstein. "I believe the promise of these drugs is now so bright that we might well be able to find a cure for cancer in my lifetime."

The legislation grew out of Senator Feinstein's work as the chair of the Senate Cancer Coalition and vice-chair of the National Dialogue on Cancer when it became clear that it was necessary to update the National Cancer Act and develop a new battle plan. The National Cancer Legislative Advisory Committee was then created by Dr. John Seffrin, CEO of the American Cancer Society and Dr. Vincent DeVita, Director of the Yale Cancer Center, who brought together the foremost experts on cancer.

"It is my hope that this legislation will become the rallying cry for the entire cancer community. In order for this bill to pass Congress, we need a united front. I urge all Americans to rally behind this measure so that we can soon find a cure."

Increase the percentage of National Cancer Institute research grants approved from 28 percent to up to 40 percent over 5 years. Includes a 15% increase over the FY 2002 for the budget of the National Cancer Institute (NCI) in FY 2003. NCI scientists believe it this level is optimal for achieving a balanced research portfolio which will lead to more breakthroughs, treatments, and ultimately, to a cure.

The explosion in knowledge about the human genome and molecular biology will enable scientists to better target cancer drugs. Based on the successes of Gleevec, Herceptin, and similar drugs, the legislation funds the basic scientific research needed to find cures, to develop new treatments, and to improve the treatments now available.

Provide $100 million a year for 5 years in grants and other incentives to take that basic research from the laboratory and bring it into hospital rooms and clinics. There are approximately 400 new drugs that are held up in the development process because the resources are not available to fund clinical research to test those drugs. In fact, only 5% of adult cancer patients (versus 60% of children) are currently enrolled in clinical trials. It also requires that private and public insurance programs cover the routine costs of clinical trials.

Increase the number of cancer researchers. Every year, young physicians and researchers avoid the field of cancer research because they can make more money in other fields of medicine. This provision seeks to stem that trend by:

Including a grant program of $190.5 million to alleviate the medical school debts of 100 physicians who commit to spend at least 3 years doing cancer research; and

Boosting the salaries of 1,000 postdoctoral fellow over 5 years beyond the current salary level of $28,000.

Encourage Production of "Orphan Drugs." Provides tax and marketing incentives to encourage pharmaceutical companies to produce "orphan drugs," or drugs targeted to small patient populations. This provision would create incentives for those companies to produce and market the drugs targeted to patient populations of less than 200,000. Gleevec, for instance is targeted to a specific form of cancer -- Chronic Myeloid Leukemia -- which only affects 4,500 people a year.

Provide patients with a "Cancer Quarterback." Requires public and private health insurance plans to pay doctors, preferably oncologists, to become the overall managers of patients' care, in effect to become a "cancer quarterback." Senator Feinstein developed this concept after meeting Dr. Judy Schmidt, an oncologist from Montana. Dr. Schmidt cares for her patients from diagnosis to treatment. Cancer patients need one doctor to be in charge, to coordinate care, and to guide them in making the difficult decisions.

Require Food and Drug Administration Regulation of Tobacco. Provides meaningful regulation of the content of tobacco products by the FDA and their marketing to children. It is estimated that 30% of cancer deaths are related to the use of tobacco products, and approximately 165,000 annually.

Create New Preventive Measures. Prevention and early detection can save lives and money. The bill will accomplish this by:

Requiring all insurers to pay for cancer screenings, smoking cessation, nutritional counseling, and genetic testing (among people with demonstrated risk).