Prevent Cancer Foundation supports House and Senate bills on multi-cancer early detection

Screening for certain cancers (breast, cervical, colorectal, lung and prostate) is essential to our efforts to reduce cancer deaths. At Prevent Cancer Foundation^®, we’re focused on helping patients and their health care providers find cancer early, before it has spread to other parts of the body. This increases the likelihood treatment will be successful, lowers the cost of treatment and improves quality of life for patients and their caregivers.

Today, we have recommended screenings for only a few of the more than 200 cancers, leaving most cancers undetected until symptoms appear in later stages. It’s time to embrace new technologies, like multi-cancer early detection tests, that can dramatically increase our cancer screening capabilities. The House and Senate bills on multi-cancer early detection screening coverage will put this new and important innovation in cancer screening into the hands of health care providers and patients.

Scientists have developed revolutionary screening technologies, which are currently in widespread clinical testing by multiple companies and are showing positive results. With a single blood sample, multi-cancer early detection tests can identify multiple cancers in early stages. Recognizing the public health impact of this innovation and the strength of the science, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has granted these tests breakthrough device designation.

Once multi-cancer early detection tests are approved by the FDA, we must make sure patients have access to them and can afford them. With the introduction of H.R. 8845 in the House and S. 5051 in the Senate, a bipartisan group of forward-thinking representatives and senators are leading on this issue. Cancer affects so many Americans and access to cutting-edge screening could make a real and lasting impact on the age group at greatest risk of cancer—our seniors.

This past year has been a particularly difficult one for cancer detection because of the impact of the coronavirus pandemic. In addition to advocating for access to the latest advances in cancer screening, the Prevent Cancer Foundation is focused on ensuring Americans get any missed or delayed screenings Back on the Books. Learn more about the resources and tools to get your routine cancer screenings done safely.