Things of Interest

"President Vetoes Cancer Funding Bill - House Falls Just Short of Override "

"On November 15, the US House of Representatives fell 2 votes short of overriding President Bush's veto of the Labor Health and Human Services (LHHS) appropriations bill which includes money for the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the National Cancer Institute (NCI). The Prevent Cancer Foundation, along with many other groups in the cancer and broader health community, has advocated for a 6.7 percent increase over the next three years that would bring funding up to their 2004 levels based on biomedical inflation.

Throughout the fiscal year 2008 appropriations process, funding allocated for biomedical research at the NIH and NCI have been low, and well below the 6.7 percent increase we fought hard for. The final version of the bill vetoed by the President contained a 3.1 percent increase in funding over Fiscal Year 2007. While the funding level contained in the vetoed bill was still below biomedical inflation, and well below our original request, it was an improvement over the original numbers. It is not yet clear what the final funding level for medical research at the NIH and NCI will be, although there is a strong possibility that the numbers will remain at the FY 2007 level, and insuffiicient to fund many of the critical intiatives that may lead to reduction in deaths from cancer. We will continue to fight in the future to help increase funding for these important institutes."
www.PreventCancer.org, November 2007

May is Skin Cancer Awareness Month!!

Welcome to CDOC Online!

The California Dialogue on Cancer (CDOC) was formed to design and oversee the comprehensive cancer control planning process in California.

Comprehensive cancer control is based on the idea that people and organizations working together to identify problems and develop solutions will lead to better use of limited resources and generation of new resources through new partnerships.

CDOC is a coalition of leaders in various areas of cancer control concerned with the burden of cancer on Californians.

MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIR

To our new members:

Please allow me (Helene G. Brown) to offer you a few words of welcome as Chair of the California Dialogue on Cancer (CDOC).  I really send you our sincere thanks and deep appreciation for your willingness to join and work with CDOC. We, as individuals, are the ones who can bring about change if we decide to work together. That is what CDOC is all about.

The original thought was that if…a big if… California was able to get all those interested in the control of cancer at one table negotiating, planning, discussing, partnering,  etc. etc. could we really bring cancer under control easier and faster?? The decision was made to try. Thus, the Dialogue was formed.
Our mission is the same as you have heard many times - decrease incidence, mortality, fashion a better quality of life and so forth. In my mind the crucial aim however, is to provide a forum for critical cancer control issues to be brought forth, discussed and actions suggested.

We attract over 200 stakeholders to our annual meetings and CDOC has already tackled some important issues in a new and different manner. For example: many believe and the research seems to indicate that colon cancer could be virtually eliminated if all eligible received colonoscopy exams. CDOC formed a colon cancer team and they have, because of their enthusiasm and desire to move rapidly, morphed into their own 501-c(3) organization. They have made their own plans and are moving more rapidly as their own organization. We are in close contact and CDOC is proud of this accomplishment.

There are giant steps being taken but we need you and are pleased that you are now part of “us”. So, welcome !!!!. We look forward to a long and fruitful relationship…..and thanks again for taking this first step.

Warmly,
Helene G. Brown