The following are the details of the Cancer Act of 2002, announced Wednesday by U.S. Sen. Sam Brownback, R-Kan.

SECTION BY SECTION

Findings/Sense of the Congress
Outlines the cost of Cancer in both human and economic terms. Lays out some
recent promising discoveries in the fight against cancer. Sets a target date of
2015 by which cancer Survivorship is the rule and cancer mortality is rare.

Public Health Provisions
SEC 101. Cancer Registries

Enhancing Today’s Cancer Registry System
Authorizes the Secretary to create a single strategic plan for using the
existing cancer registry systems at NCI and CDC with the goal of significantly
reducing the mortality rates of certain types of cancer. Plan shall have an
emphasis ensuring that States’ registries data translates to the SEER Registry.
The plan shall include strategies to engage local health departments. The plan
shall include strategies to ensure patient privacy. The plan is to be concluded
and presented no later than 1 year after enactment.

Preparing Cancer Registries for the future
Requests GAO to report to Congress on specific indicators Cancer registries
should keep and disseminate in order to their usefulness to health professions,
researchers, advocates and cancer patients The study will account for current
studies on registries by ASCO and NCI. The study should take into account the
need to have data that translates between the state registries and the NCI SEER
registry. Also the study should focus on the informatics infrastructure
(hardware and software) needed to collect and disseminate Cancer registry data.
Data should be collected from the greatest number of treatment sights. This
report is to be presented 6 months after enactment.

SEC 102. Enhancing Existing Screening efforts
Breast and Cervical Cancer Program

Reauthorizes the Breast and Cervical Cancer Program at CDC for 5 years. In
addition, this section would allow states to give preference to grantees who
include strategies for colorectal cancer screening and outreach. States may
also be able to give priority to grantees who include strategies for the
provision of treatment for women diagnosed with cancer.

Comprehensive Colorectal Cancer Initiative
Requires the Secretary to report to Congress on the Comprehensive Colorectal
Cancer Initiative currently funded at the Centers.

Authorizes the Secretary, to identify and implement programs that effectively
educates patients and their families about the availability of effective medical
techniques to reduce pain and suffering for those suffering from cancer.
Programs should focus on the entire continuum of cancer care.

Practitioner Education Program
Requires a program for disseminating the latest information about pain
management and palliative care as a standard for participating in the NCI’s
Comprehensive Cancer Center Program.

Elevating the importance of pain management throughout the nation’s cancer
programs
Includes additional references to pain management and palliative care
throughout the National Cancer program.

NCI Office of Survivorship
Authorizes the already-existing NCI Office of Survivorship.

II. Research Provisions
SEC 201. National Cancer Institute
Other Transactions Authority
Under current law the National Cancer Institute may enter into, contracts,
leases and cooperative agreements. Unfortunately, this restricted list
hampers the ability of the Institute to co-fund grant projects with private
entities. This section would add “other transactions” to the list thereby giving
the Institute more leeway increasing the impact of public dollars with private
funds.

B. NCI Report to Congress on the Bypass Budget
Requires NCI to submit the bypass budget directly to House and Senate Budget
Committees and strongly recommends annual hearings by the committees.

C. Increasing the input of outside groups on the Bypass Budget
Requires the National Cancer Advisory Board (NCAB) to accept comments on and
suggestions for the bypass budget from non-government organizations. The NCAB
will compile significant suggestions into a report for the NCI Director, who
shall respond to the NCAB suggestions prior to submitting the bypass budget.

D. Sense of the Congress on a Central Internal Review Board (IRB)
Commends the NCI for their work in centralizing the Internal Review Board
process and expresses a Sense of the Congress that the Internal Review Board
process needs to be streamlined.

E. Patient and Provider Outreach on Opportunities with Experimental Therapies
Requires that NCI expand outreach efforts to patients, providers and
manufacturers for the purpose of integrating private drug trials information
into NCI’s clinical trials online database. Also requires NCI, in collaboration
with FDA, to develop outreach materials to providers and patients regarding a)
awareness-raising about the clinical trials online database and b) the process
for receiving “compassionate use” products when FDA-approved therapies have
failed.

III. Medicare Senses of the Senate
This Title will offer a series of recommendations regarding the way in which
Medicare reimburses for the treatment of Cancer. The section will include
recommendations on:

Section 301:
The Sense of the Senate regarding drug reimbursement and Practice Expense
Reimbursement

Section 302:
Improving the Ambulatory Payment Classification System

Section 303:
Covering Palliative Care Throughout Cancer Treatment

Section 304:
Improving Medicare Coverage of Hospice Care

Section 305:
Covering all treatments for Medicare covered cancer patients