Cancer does not discriminate. It is felt in every community, no matter the demographic makeup. I know this all too well — from having been diagnosed with breast cancer twice, at age 25 and again at age 30 — and seeing the reach of the disease in my home state of Maryland where my fellow Marylanders can expect to lose an estimated 10,310 neighbors by the end of 2024. Change is needed. Our federal lawmakers need to use their power and, as a survivor, I’m looking to Senator-elect Angela Alsobrooks to be a champion for the cancer community.

Each day, our elected officials make decisions that affect our ability to prevent and treat cancer. It is up to them whether we can advance essential policies, such as improved access to cancer prevention, increased cancer research funding and guaranteed access to affordable health coverage.

Prior to the election, the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN) conducted a poll of Maryland voters to see which issues were top of mind as they headed to the polls. A majority of voters in Maryland (85%) viewed a candidate’s position on access to affordable, comprehensive health coverage as important to them when deciding who to vote for.

The results also indicated that, outside of the health care space, inflation and the cost of living were voters’ chief concerns. I know personally that the costs of cancer — and health care at large — are tied directly to one’s cost of living. Alsobrooks should heed the call of her constituents and, when considering affordability, bring cancer into the conversation.

Throughout the 2024 election season, my fellow ACS CAN volunteers and I asked then-candidate Alsobrooks and her opponent, former Gov. Larry Hogan, where they stood on public policies that would address such concerns and help end cancer as we know it, for everyone. Both candidates pledged their support for patients by signing onto our Cancer Promise, which outlined what patients expected from candidates.

Some of the questions that the Cancer Promise sought to answer include: Would the candidates support legislation to ensure access to cancer prevention services? By prioritizing early detection, we can ensure that more people can get connected to treatment sooner, improving their likelihood of survival and lessening the financial burden of their disease.

Would they support year-after-year increases in funding for research to sustain breakthroughs and further innovation? Any decrease in funding threatens the progress of ongoing research being done today for tomorrow’s cancer patients.

What was their commitment to ensuring access to affordable, quality health coverage and protecting against threats to the Affordable Care Act (ACA)?

Research shows individuals without health coverage are more likely to receive a cancer diagnosis at a later, more costly stage and are more likely to die from the disease. Therefore, it is imperative that lawmakers help ensure people have access to quality, affordable coverage by making permanent the ACA enhanced tax credits for marketplace plans before they expire in 2025. ACS CAN polling found that 86% of Maryland voters support making the ACA enhanced tax credits permanent. Maryland voters made it clear that they want their newest senator to be a leader in addressing these issues. Senator-elect Alsobrooks has made history as the first Black woman from Maryland to be elected to the U.S. Senate, and she now has the opportunity to make historical commitments to tackle disparities in and barriers to health access.

My fellow advocates and cancer survivors intend to hold Alsobrooks accountable for signing the Cancer Promise and for her commitments to fighting cancer. We look forward to working together with her to ensure that cancer remains a top priority for all in Congress.

Liza Fues lives in Maryland and is a volunteer for the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (https://www.fightcancer.org/).