06.14.22

Durbin, Duckworth Announce Nearly $8 Million For Cancer Prevention And Control Programs In Illinois

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today announced nearly $7.791 million in Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) grants. The funding will go to three programs in Illinois that promote cancer prevention and reduce the incidence of cancer.

“This federal funding will support critical work being done to treat cancer in Illinois,” Durbin said. “Strong investments in medical research – which lead to new cures and treatments for cancer patients and so many others – has long been a top priority of mine. I will continue advocating for this life-saving and life-improving work.”

“Far too many Americans have either gone through the horrible battle with cancer themselves or endured the heartbreak of watching a loved one go through cancer treatments,” Duckworth said. “To ensure we continue building on the progress our nation has made to prevent and treat the disease, we must prioritize equitable and accessible care and research. I will continue working with Senator Durbin to help make sure all Illinoisans and Illinois’s medical research institutions have the resources they need help keep communities healthy.”

Under this announcement, Illinois will receive the following funding:

  • $6.5 million to support the National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program to fund screening services for underinsured women and the implementation of evidence-based interventions in screening practices.
  • $950,000 to support the National Program of Cancer Registries to help identify which populations are most affected by cancer and evaluate the success of programs designed to prevent cancer and treat it at the early stages.
  • $341,420 to the University of Chicago to support the CDC’s National Comprehensive Cancer Control Program, which runs coalition-based programs that implement plans to prevent and control cancer.

In March 2021, Durbin introduced the American Cures Act, which would provide annual budget increases of five percent plus inflation at America’s top four biomedical research agencies: the National Institutes of Health, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Department of Defense Health Program, and the Veterans Medical and Prosthetics Research Program.

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