The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's Office of Public Policy is charged with pursuing the Society's mission through advocacy aimed at governmental decision-makers. The Society's strategic plan for 2008-2011 identifies advocacy as one of the organization's core avenues to achieve its mission.

 Current Updates

Congress Shorting Cancer Research
If there was optimism that the new Congress would reverse the recent downward trends in cancer research funding, that hope was shattered last month when both the House and Senate issued meager funding projections for the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the National Cancer Institute (NCI) for fiscal year 2008. 

Society Launches Clinical Trials Policy Initiative!
This month formally begins the expansion of the Society's public policy agenda to include state issues in addition to its traditional focus on federal affairs. A key goal in that expansion is to increase the numer of states that guarantee insurance coverage for patients entering clinical trials.

In Other Developments....
Stem Cell Research Bill Passed - and Vetoed and New Medicare Clinical Trials Policy

In Depth - FDA Takes Center Stage in Washington
In the wake of recent news reports on drug safety, Congress has focused attention on a number of issues related to the Food and Drug Administration this year that have special importance for cancer patients.

From the National Cancer Institute
Important news regarding blood cancer clinical trials, a community cancer care program is launched and Medicare to test public health records program.