Today President Barack Obama signed the economic stimulus package into law. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 included a number of items of interest to the Lance Armstrong Foundation (LAF):

$10 billion to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) for biomedical research (including at least $1.2 billion for cancer research).

$1 billion to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for prevention and wellness programs including cancer screening and education programs.

65% federal subsidy for COBRA health insurance premiums for up to nine months for workers who lose their jobs from September 1, 2008 through December…

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This week we lost a key figure in the fight against cancer. Retired Representative Paul Rogers (D-FL) passed away from lung cancer on Monday. Representative Rogers served in Congress from 1955 to 1979 and played a major role in the passage of the National Cancer Act of 1971 as chairman of the House Subcommittee on Health and the Environment.

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Great news from the White House. President George W. Bush signed the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act into law yesterday.

Genetic technologies can help clinicians identify individuals who may be at higher risk of developing certain cancers and propose medical interventions to prevent cancer from ever occurring. They can also be used in personalized medicine strategies to identify people who may be more likely to respond to a particular therapy or drug dose and tailor a treatment strategy to that person.

Unfortunately, cancer survivors are at increased risk of experiencing discrimination from employers and insurers. Many fear the…

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On Tuesday afternoon, Adam Clark and I stopped by Russ Dudley√¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢s LIVESTRONG Day event in Washington, D.C. With the U.S. Capitol Building as their backdrop, Russ, Janice Cessna, Nathan Staley and David Bender set up their bikes and trainers on the National Mall grounds by the Capitol reflecting pool. Spinning in LIVESTRONG gear, the goal was to spread the word about the LAF√¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢s work to make cancer a national priority. They managed to hand out dozens of wristbands, distribute literature about the LAF and recruit some folks to join them at the Philadelphia LIVESTRONG Challenge on August 24.…

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Congress came one step closer to protecting cancer survivors from the misuse of genetic information when the Senate passed the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act today. The LAF supports this legislation as people living with cancer are at increased risk of experiencing discrimination from employers and insurers. This legislation would address these concerns by providing protections against the use of genetic information in health insurance coverage and employment decisions. Check out this Associated Press article on the bill.

Senate passes genetic nondiscrimination bill

By JIM ABRAMS –

WASHINGTON (AP) √¢‚Ǩ‚Äù People learning through genetic testing that they might be susceptible…

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