Sen. Edward Markey, D-Mass., Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., and Rep. Andre Carson, D-Ind., have called on the National Institutes of Health to establish a national strategy to address the rise of cancer among young adults.
The Asal Sayas National Strategy on Young Adult Cancers Act is named after Asal Sayas, who worked for Ms. Klobuchar and Mr. Carson before dying from colorectal cancer in April at 42, according to a June 15 news release from the Colorectal Cancer Alliance.
“Young adult cancer is a growing crisis hiding in plain sight,” Sen. Markey said in the news release. “Rates are surging, diagnoses are delayed and we lack a coordinated national response. That ends today.”
Under the act, the director of the NIH — currently Jay Bhattacharya, MD, PhD, would have 18 months to deliver a national strategy that includes an educational campaign for the public and healthcare providers on cancer symptoms, risk factors and treatment options; a comprehensive research agenda; recommendations to improve screening access, reduce insurance barriers, accelerate diagnostic tools and support innovative treatments; and a plan to establish a National Centers of Excellence for Young Adult Cancers program within the National Cancer Institute.
If passed, the legislation would also establish a Federal Coordinating Committee on Young Adult Cancers to oversee implementation of the strategy and regularly report progress to Congress, the release said.
The Asal Sayas National Strategy on Young Adult Cancers Act is endorsed by the Colorectal Cancer Alliance and 31 other cancer advocacy groups and organizations.
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