According to a new report, Tennessee is falling short in its legislative efforts to combat cancer. How Do You Measure Up?: A Progress Report on State Legislative Activity to Reduce Cancer Incidence and Mortality evaluates each state’s legislative activity on six issues key to winning the fight against cancer. Developed by the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN), the advocacy affiliate of the American Cancer Society, the report finds that Tennessee met none of the benchmarks set for six issues.

“Our state legislators can play an important role in the war against cancer by passing legislation that can help reduce the toll this disease takes on our state and save lives,” said Bill Evans, an ACS CAN volunteer. “We all have a responsibility to fight back against a disease that kills 13,340 in Tennessee each year by enacting laws and policies that eliminate barriers for the proper diagnosis, treatment and care of cancer patients.”

How Do You Measure Up? details state efforts around health care coverage, prevention and quality of life measures. The report measures state policies (as a result of a legislative vote or a ballot initiative) on six specific issues: breast and cervical cancer early detection program funding; access to care for the uninsured; colorectal screening coverage laws; smoke-free laws; pain management; and tobacco taxes. A color-coded system is used to identify how well a state is doing. Green represents the benchmark position with well-balanced policies and good practices; yellow indicates moderate movement toward the benchmark and red shows where states are falling short.

In addition to the specific areas that were rated, the report also examines how states are measuring up on issues such as the affordability of health coverage on the individual market or through Medicaid for low-income populations. It also details state efforts to fund tobacco prevention and cessation programs and as well as state investments in nutrition and physical activity promotion.

“As advocates, we have the responsibility to educate the public on the many ways to prevent and fight cancer effectively at the state level, but we cannot do it unless state and local policymakers take action,” said Mr. Evans. “In most cases, the solutions we offer will save the state millions of dollars in health care costs and increased worker productivity. In many cases, it costs the state little or nothing to do the right thing.”

This past legislative session, volunteer advocates worked to pass comprehensive colorectal cancer screening legislation that would have created the framework for a screening program for the underserved and would have required insurance companies to cover colorectal cancer screenings. However, the proposed legislation got rolled over to the second half of the legislative session, which begins in January 2010.

How Tennessee measures up:
Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program Funding: Yellow

The Uninsured: Red

Colorectal Screening Coverage Laws: Red

Smoke-free Laws: Red

Pain Management: Red

Tobacco Taxes: Red

Throughout the past year, state legislatures across the country have made great advances in the fight against cancer. In the last year, 12 states and the District of Columbia have passed or implemented tobacco tax increases, bringing to 46 the total number of states with tobacco tax increases since 2002. Six more states implemented comprehensive smoke-free laws, protecting workers and patrons from the hazards of secondhand smoke. And many states are working on policies and programs to reduce cancer risk related to poor nutrition, lack of physical activity and obesity.

In addition, many state legislatures fought hard to preserve coverage for lifesaving cancer screenings and treatments and to stave off attempts to cut state funds that support these programs, such as the National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program.

In 2009, more than 1.4 million people in the United States will be diagnosed with cancer and more than 562,000 people will die from the disease. In Tennessee this year, 32,570 people will be diagnosed with cancer and another 13,340 will die of the disease.

For state-by-state details or a copy of the complete report, please visit www.acscan.org.