As Illinois faces higher cancer mortality rates for most cancer types, a broad coalition of cancer organizations calls for all Illinois cancer patients to have a fundamental right to the latest cancer treatments. Read more >
We live in a groundbreaking era of cancer care innovation, but not all patients benefit equally. Too many people in Illinois can’t access the latest advancements in cancer care because of their means, insurance coverage, location, or socioeconomic status. This is one of the greatest barriers to reducing cancer deaths and contributes to cancer mortality rates in Illinois that are higher than the national average.
Illinois has higher cancer mortality rates than the national average for almost every major cancer type.1
In 2023, an estimated 23,380 patients in Illinois died of cancer related causes. That is about the seating capacity of the United Center.2
Remarkable advances in cancer science, in areas such as genomics and precision medicine, are creating more effective treatments and better outcomes for patients affected by cancer. But there are significant disparities in access to these advanced treatments and cancer mortality rates based on race and socioeconomic status. Cancer patients have drastically different outcomes based on their ability to receive early diagnosis and access to the appropriate treatment, including advanced and sub-specialty care.
Illinois has dramatic racial disparities for cancer mortality rates.3
To cite just a few examples:
Ensuring that Illinois residents can access advanced cancer centers offering the latest research and treatment for their specific cancer type would save lives and provide more equitable access to cancer care.
Addressing access disparities proactively is the first step on a path toward more equitable and effective cancer care for all Illinois residents.
The Illinois Cancer Patients Bill of Rights would declare that patients should be able to access the latest cancer research, treatments and expertise needed to beat their specific cancer type.
WHEREAS, Remarkable advances in cancer science are creating more effective treatments and cures for patients affected by cancer; and
WHEREAS, Unfortunately many cancer patients do not benefit from these treatment advances and some die needlessly as a result; and
WHEREAS, Surviving cancer is directly related to early detection and access to appropriate treatment including advanced and sub-specialty care; and
WHEREAS, Many Illinois residents do not have access to advanced cancer centers offering the latest research and treatment for their specific cancer type due to their insurance, means, or other factors; and
WHEREAS, Of the 2 million Americans the American Cancer Society estimates will be diagnosed with cancer in 2024, more than 78,000 individuals are predicted to be diagnosed in Illinois; and
WHEREAS, Cancer care is increasingly reliant on genetic and genomic testing to direct care for each individual patient; and
WHEREAS, It is now understood that access to multidisciplinary supportive care while undergoing treatment can significantly impact outcomes and survival for cancer patients; and
WHEREAS, There is a growing understanding that there are hundreds of different cancer types and each may require different types of therapy; the complexities of cancer care include relying on the accuracy of the initial diagnosis, the choice of therapy, and access to appropriate clinical trials; and
WHEREAS, There is significant variability in the ability of medical oncologists to stay current with the most recent evidence due to the complexities of cancer care in the precision medicine era; and
WHEREAS, For many cancer patients, the first chance for a cure is the best chance for a cure, highlighting the need for access to appropriate expertise early in the cancer journey; and
WHEREAS, There are disparities in cancer outcomes and access to leading-edge clinical trials based on race and socioeconomic status that are unfavorable to those that are the most vulnerable and disadvantaged; and
WHEREAS, The speed of discovery in cancer diagnosis, treatment, and surveillance is creating a widening gap between the optimal care received by those with means and the substandard care too often received by the most vulnerable residents of Illinois, which will only worsen if it is not addressed; this reality reflects an important truth that cancer care is different from other types of health care and the needs of cancer patients are different from those with other illnesses; and
WHEREAS, It is imperative that Illinois policymakers prioritize appropriate and timely access to expert cancer care for patients; therefore be it
RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED THIRD GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we endorse the following principles as the Cancer Patients' Bill of Rights to express our support that cancer patients in the State receive the best cancer care available:
RESOLVED, That suitable copies be delivered to Governor JB Pritzker and Director Elizabeth M. Whitehorn of the Department of Healthcare and Family Services.
