WASHINGTON — It has been 44 years since Pam Pilgrim of Wolfe County was diagnosed with melanoma.

What You Need To Know

  • More than 700 volunteers, advocates and patients are meeting with lawmakers on Capitol Hill about cancer research funding and early detection tests

  • They include Pam Pilgrim, a melanoma survivor from Wolfe County 

  • Advocates said they're asking Congress for the highest possible funding increases for cancer research at the National Institutes of Health and the National Cancer Institute

  • They’re also pushing for passage of legislation that would expand Medicare coverage for early detection screening tests

“I was given a 50/50 chance of living five years,” she said. “I had a 5-year-old daughter, and it was it was very frightening. I was afraid I would not see her grown.”

Pilgrim is now cancer-free and serves as Kentucky's state lead ambassador for the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN).

This week, she’s among more than 700 volunteers, advocates and patients on Capitol Hill, meeting with lawmakers about cancer research funding and early detection tests.

“I think it's very important for Kentuckians to know that they have people here advocating on their behalf," Pilgrim said. "I think it's important that they know that we are asking for funding for cancer prevention and testing programs.”

“Nearly 2 million people this year are going to hear the words, ‘You have cancer,’ and that translates into nearly 1,700 people dying from cancer every single day,” said Lisa Lacasse, president of ACS CAN.

Advocates said they’re asking Congress for the highest possible funding increases for cancer research at the National Institutes of Health and the National Cancer Institute. They’re also pushing for passage of legislation that would expand Medicare coverage for early detection screening tests.

According to the legislation, Medicare benefits for early cancer detection have been limited to five cancers.

New tests are being developed to screen for multiple types of cancer, and the legislation would create a pathway for Medicare coverage once the tests are FDA-approved and shown to have clinical benefit, according to ACS CAN.  

“There's incredible innovation that's coming on the market, and we want to make sure that innovation is equitably accessed," Lacasse said. "The way that happens is to make sure that health insurance and Medicare will reimburse those tests." 

The legislation has bipartisan and bicameral support, along with more than 300 co-sponsors in the Senate and House, including Rep. Morgan McGarvey, D-Louisville.

Advocates hope to see the bill passed before the end of the year.

Related Stories