Cancer Organizations Urge the Senate to Approve the Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act
(July 14, 2006)

July 14, 2006

Dear Senator:

The undersigned organizations representing cancer patients, providers, and researchers are writing to express their support for the Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act (H.R. 810/S. 471). Although stem cell research is still in its early phases, it is increasingly clear that embryonic stem cells offer tremendous potential to address human suffering from a wide range of diseases, including cancer.

The Administration has already recognized the theoretical advantages of stem cell research by permitting federal funds to be used in research involving the limited number of stem cell lines in existence at the time the policy was announced. Subsequently, however, these existing stem cell lines have proven to be insufficient to explore effectively the use of the technology in cancer and other serious and life-threatening illnesses. Federal policy governing embryonic stem cell research needs to be modified to reflect advances in scientific knowledge and the development of new stem cell lines. The Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act will allow the use of additional stem cell lines and appropriate expansion of the scope of stem cell research.

Although other stem cell measures will be considered by the Senate when it debates the Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act, those measures do not address the pressing need for additional embryonic stem cell lines essential to advancing this research. The Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act represents an incremental, but important, step toward wider federal support of embryonic stem cell research, and we urge you to vote for this bill.

Sincerely,

Cancer Leadership Council

American Society of Clinical Oncology
Association of American Cancer Institutes
Bladder Cancer Advocacy Network
C3: Colorectal Cancer Coalition
Cancer Care
Cancer Research and Prevention Foundation
Fertile Hope
Gilda's Club Worldwide
International Myeloma Foundation
Kidney Cancer Association
Lance Armstrong Foundation
The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society
The Lung Cancer Alliance
Lymphoma Research Foundation
Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation
National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship
National Prostate Cancer Coalition
North American Brain Tumor Coalition
Ovarian Cancer National Alliance
Sarcoma Foundation of America
Us TOO International Prostate Cancer Education
and Support Network
Y-ME National Breast Cancer Organization

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