U.S. SENATE: Save the Prostate Cancer Research Program
Now it is time to write your U.S. Senators – TODAY!

A few weeks ago I requested that you write to your member of the House of Representatives, now it is time to write to the other side of congress, the Senate. Write your U.S. Senators today and urge them to support funding for the PCRP by signing the Johnson “Dear Colleague” letter to the Appropriations Committee.

Federal research funding for prostate cancer accounts for around $400 million per year. The Prostate Cancer Research Program at the Department of Defense has received about $80 million per year since 2001. Funding at the PCRP has accelerated the clinical trial process for several drugs over the past couple of years including the recently approved Zytiga (Abiraterone) Additionally, the program has accelerated several other drugs currently in Phase III clinical trials.

In my personal opinion, the PCRP is the most important government funding program for prostate cancer research that exists. PCRP funding also can jump start new innovative research that can be further developed with NIH funds because the program focuses on high-risk, high-reward research that has not traditionally been funded through NIH grants. Despite the great promise this program brings to prostate cancer patients, some in Congress want to eliminate it. The loss of this program will hasten the death of many of us, perhaps your death or the death of your loved one.

PLEASE, DON’T LET THIS HAPPEN!

Email your Senator today to ask that they sign the Johnson “Dear Colleague letter” to the Appropriations Committee.

You can email your member by going to:
https://web.archive.org/web/20181229034527/http://www.congressmerge.com:80/onlinedb/

For those who are not familiar with the funding process, “Dear Colleague Letters” are the first step in getting congressional support together for having an appropriation put into the budget proposal. The more members of congress who sign the letters, the more that other members are inclined to also sign. Members of congress do not want to be seen as supporting unpopular issues, so we need as many as possible to sign the Johnson letter. Budget proposals which have a lot of support as demonstrated by the “Dear Colleague Letters” have a much better chance of making it into the budget proposal.

Once we manage to get the proposal included in the budget, you will again have to contact your members in congress and DEMAND they support the budget item. We will have more to say about this step when the time comes.

The following is some proposed text for you to use in your email to your member. You can use this text, edit it or write your own. I do ask that you include the first three lines of text I have provided.

Please use email, and please due this now.

(Proposed Text):

Re: Please Sign the Johnson Letter to Support Prostate Cancer Research

Please stand with me in protecting research funding for prostate cancer – sign the Johnson letter to continue funding for the Prostate Cancer Research Program.

Prostate cancer kills over 30,000 men per year and is the 2nd leading cause of male cancer-related death in the United States. Recent research has linked exposure to Agent Orange as well as depleted uranium used in ammunition to prostate cancer. Active duty servicemen are at increased risk of prostate cancer than are their civilian counterparts.

The Prostate Cancer Research Program funds high-risk high-reward research that leverages research funding at the NIH. Through a clinical trials consortium funded by the PCRP, a number of drugs have been accelerated through the clinical trials process including Zytiga which was recently approved by the FDA for the sickest.

The PCRP is an important piece of our arsenal in the war against prostate cancer. The research conducted there ensures that our war fighters are healthy, that our veterans are protected and that American men can keep our country running by being healthy, productive members of society.

Please contact Senator Johnson today to sign the letter to the Appropriations Committee to maintain funding for the Prostate Cancer Research Program.

Thank you.

(YOUR NAME)

Email your Senator at:
https://web.archive.org/web/20181229034527/http://www.congressmerge.com:80/onlinedb/