World Cancer Day – plus, Biden's EPA nominee

February 4, 2021
We have a special World Cancer Day edition, telling you how you can join our advocacy efforts today—and honoring a Black woman who (unknowingly) made an incredible contribution to cancer research and many scientific breakthroughs. We also recap what Biden’s EPA nominee…
BIO

We have a special World Cancer Day edition, telling you how you can join our advocacy efforts today—and honoring a Black woman who (unknowingly) made an incredible contribution to cancer research and many scientific breakthroughs. We also recap what Biden’s EPA nominee Michael Regan said yesterday during his confirmation hearing. (1050 words, 5 minutes, 15 seconds)

 

I am BIO: World Cancer Day

I am BIO: World Cancer Day
 
 

February 4 is World Cancer Day, an opportunity to unite globally in the effort to end the injustice of preventable suffering from cancer. 

Three patient advocates are raising awareness of the patient experience, the need for accessible and equal access to treatment, and working towards cureswatch them tell their stories.

 
 
 
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How you can participate in World Cancer Day

 
 

Today is World Cancer Day. Here are some stats and information on what you can do to fight for patients and cures. 

In 2020, about 1.8 million people in the United States were diagnosed with cancer—and more than 600,000 died, according to the National Cancer Institute (NCI) .

Cancer is a global epidemic with around 9 million dying from cancer each year worldwide—and a new NCI study out yesterday says cancer survivors face increased risk of serious COVID-19 complications.

And just as we’re seeing racial disparities in COVID-19 outcomes, we're seeing them with cancer, too. While cancer death rates have been falling overall, Black Americans still face the highest risk. As just one example, African American men and women face a greater risk of dying from prostate cancer (111%) and breast cancer (39%), respectively, compared to white men and women.

BIO supports the Cancer Support Community (CSC) work to mark World Cancer Day. Here are a few ways you can participate today:

  1. Join CSC live on Facebook at 12:30 PM ET. A live, 35-minute discussion will feature CSC experts taking questions from patients and caregivers about proposed policies that impact patients with cancer.
  2. Chat with CSC on Twitter at 7 PM ET. Hosted by Everyday Health, the Twitter chat will focus on disparities in the cancer community, including racial, economic, and geographic disparities. Follow @CancerSupportHQ and #LetsTalkCancerDisparities.

Watch: First lady Dr. Jill Biden visited Whitman-Walker Health, a federally qualified health center in Washington, D.C., with CSC Executive Chair Kim Thiboldeaux. The visit highlighted the importance of cancer screenings and patient advocacy during a pandemic. Watch on Facebook, LinkedIn, or Twitter, and read more about Dr. Biden’s commitment to cancer patients in The Washington Post.

 
 
 
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What Biden’s EPA nominee said during his confirmation hearing

 
 

Yesterday, the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee held a confirmation hearing for Michael Regan, President Biden’s nominee for Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) administrator. 

Michael Regan has been serving as Secretary of the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality since January 2017. Previously, he worked at the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF), and also worked at the EPA for Presidents Clinton and Bush 43. 

“President Biden has said confronting climate change presents an unprecedented economic and jobs opportunity,” he said in his opening statement. “In North Carolina, we seized that opportunity, partnered with private sectors to provide opportunities and regulatory certainty and harnessing our strength in manufacturing, innovation, and research, which has resulted in the creation of tens of thousands of new jobs.”

As anticipated, there was a lot of discussion about the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS), with some Senators vocalizing the need for small refinery waivers, and Sens. Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Joni Ernst (R-IA) raising the importance of the RFS and biofuels in addressing climate change and the rural economy.  

“You have my commitment that we will take a look at the RFS program and we will introduce some transparency into that program,” said Regan. “We will let science lead us and we will follow the letter of the law as it was intended for that program.”

“President Biden has not been shy that agriculture will have a seat at the table as we tackle climate, and he's been specifically focused on biofuels and advanced biofuels,” Regan added.

When asked whether he would “clear the backlog” of biofuel pathway applications, he said, “I will spend some time with our staff taking a look at this backlog and working on processes of efficiency so that we can make up for lost time.”  

Learn more about biofuel pathways and facility registrations.

When asked about the regulatory approach to innovation by Senator Mike Braun (R-IN), Regan said regulations must be “flexible enough to allow for innovation. We can't achieve our goals without a very strong public-private partnership. And we know that our private partnerships are really on the cusp and drive the markets.”

BIO signed a letter expressing support for Regan’s confirmation—read it here.

 

More Agriculture and Environment News: 

The New York Times: Two Biden priorities, climate and inequality, meet on Black-owned farms
“The administration has pledged to make agriculture a cornerstone of its plan to fight warming, but also to tackle a legacy of discrimination that has pushed Black farmers off the land.”

 
 
 
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BIO Celebrates Black History Month
 
Henrietta Lacks.jpg

On World Cancer Day, we honor a Black woman who made an incredible contribution to cancer research—albeit without her knowledge.

In 1951, Henrietta Lacks was diagnosed with cervical cancer at Johns Hopkins Hospital. Tragically, she passed away on October 4, 1951, at the age of 31—but some of her cells lived on.

Unbeknownst to her or her family, a sample of her cells had been sent to a nearby tissue lab. Typically, these samples would die quickly—but Henrietta’s “doubled every 20 to 24 hours,” says Johns Hopkins.

“Today, these incredible cells—nicknamed ‘HeLa’ cells, from the first two letters of her first and last names—are used to study the effects of toxins, drugs, hormones, and viruses on the growth of cancer cells without experimenting on humans. They have been used to test the effects of radiation and poisons, to study the human genome, to learn more about how viruses work, and played a crucial role in the development of the polio vaccine,” Johns Hopkins explains.

The hospital admits that they should have done more to inform Henrietta’s family about the use of her cells. In 2013, following publication of an excellent book about Henrietta’s story, Johns Hopkins worked with her family and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) “to help broker an agreement that requires scientists to receive permission to use Henrietta Lacks’ genetic blueprint, or to use HeLa cells in NIH funded research.”

 
BIO Beltway Report
BIO Beltway Report
 
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President Biden’s Thursday: President Biden and Vice President Harris will meet with Secretary of State Antony Blinken and State Department staff. 

What’s Happening on Capitol Hill: Senate Republicans are expected to “force Democrats to take tough votes on issues ranging from stimulus checks for illegal immigrants to higher taxes on small businesses when the Senate moves a budget resolution,” reports The Hill. Meanwhile, the House will vote on whether to strip Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) of her committee assignments, due to her “recently unearthed incendiary and violent past statements,” per CNN.

 
 
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