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