Download American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network

American Cancer Society
Cancer Action Network
Making a Difference and Saving
Lives
Overview
•  Who is ACS CAN?
•  What is the difference between
ACS CAN and ACS?
•  Why Advocacy?
•  What are ACS CAN’s priorities?
•  What is ACS CAN doing around
skin cancer?
Who is ACS CAN?
ACS CAN is helping to protect and increase public
investment in groundbreaking medical research, and
improve access nationwide to the latest prevention
and early detection measures, treatments, and
follow-up care that are proven to save lives.
As the nation’s leading voice advocating for public
policies that are helping to defeat cancer, ACS CAN
works in a non-partisan way to encourage elected
officials and candidates to make cancer a top
national priority. ACS CAN utilizes its expert capacity
in lobbying, policy, grassroots, and communications
to amplify the voices of patients in support of laws
and policies that save lives from cancer.
What is the difference between
ACS CAN and ACS?
The American Cancer Society and ACS
CAN are independent organizations that
share the same goal: to save lives and to
diminish suffering from cancer.
What is the difference between
ACS CAN and ACS?
ACS CAN
American Cancer
Society
Non-profit 501 c 4
Non-profit 501 c 3
Leads a national grassroots movement of
cancer survivors and their families to support
policies that help fight cancer
Funds Research
Works with Lawmakers from all political
parties at all levels of government to make
cancer a national priority
Provides cancer information to
the public
Joins with diverse stakeholder groups in public
campaigns supporting our advocacy priorities
Educates the public on cancer
treatment, prevention, and early
detection
Educates the public, lawmakers, candidates
and the media about cancer issues
Works in local communities to
help cancer patients.
Provides funding for advocacy
and public policy work.
What does ACS CAN do?
•  Lobbying and Public Policy Efforts (ex.
Lobby days and policy conferences)
•  Fights for Federal Funding for Cancer
Research
•  Education on cancer issues for the
public, the media, and candidates
•  Lawmaker accountability
•  Voter Guides on Health Issues
•  Debates and Town Forums
What does ACS do?
•  Research
•  Cancer Information Services
•  Public Education on Cancer Treatment,
Prevention, and Early Detection
•  Community Programs and Services
•  Examples: Relay for life, Patient
Centered Programs (Hope lodge),
Academic meetings
Why Advocacy?
•  Lawmakers play a critical role in determining how
much progress we make as a country to
defeating cancer.
•  By encouraging lawmakers at all levels of
government to join the fight we can make cancer
a national priority.
•  ACS CAN works to raise issues of importance
among lawmakers, raise funds, educate voters
and rally others to the fight against cancer.
What are ACS CAN’s priorities?
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
Cancer Research Funding
Tobacco
Nutrition and Physical Activity
Breast Cancer
Colorectal Cancer
Access to Care
Quality of Life
What is ACS CAN doing to fight
skin cancer?
•  State Level
–  Restrict indoor tanning bed use
among minors
•  Federal level
–  Encourage the FDA to further
regulate tanning beds
–  Sunscreen
Thank you.
For more information please visit
our website www.acscan.org