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Congresswoman Debbie Dingell (MI-06) and Congressman John James (MI-10) today introduced a resolution to recognize February 4th as “National Cancer Prevention Day.” Dingell and James serve as Co-Chairs of the Congressional Cancer Prevention Caucus, which aims to educate policymakers about best practices for cancer prevention.
 
The resolution recognizes the devastating effect cancer has on families and the importance of expanding knowledge, encouraging early detection, and working with experts in the medical and scientific fields to put an end to this deadly disease.
 
“Cancer is the second leading cause of death in the United States, and nearly every family has been touched by cancer in some way, but not enough people know many kinds of cancers can be prevented,” Dingell said. “Through research and our own individual actions, we can prevent cancer and save lives. The goal of National Cancer Prevention Day is to educate ourselves and our neighbors about efforts we can all take to reduce the prevalence of cancer in our communities."

“Not only is a healthy America a strong America – it’s vital to our national defense. I am proud to be co-leading the efforts to raise awareness for cancer prevention with my friend, Debbie Dingell," James said. "In a time when our military struggles to recruit and retain personnel, and we are still searching for a cure to cancer, raising awareness for this deadly disease is both in the best interests of the American people and the health of our nation.”
  
According to the American Cancer Society, there will be an estimated 2,001,140 new cancer cases diagnosed and 611,720 cancer deaths in the United States this year. Cancer is the leading disease-related cause of death among children ages 1 to 14 years in the United States, and in 2024 an estimated 9,620 children in this age group will be diagnosed with cancer, and 1,040 will die from it.
 
View the full text of the resolution here.
 
The Congressional Cancer Prevention Caucus is a bipartisan forum to engage Members of Congress, their staff, the medical community, advocacy groups, academia and the public on lifestyle and environmental factors that can reduce cancer risk. It seeks to increase education and awareness and advance policy solutions that improve public health and help prevent cancer before it starts. This week, the Caucus co-hosted a workshop with Less Cancer on efforts to prevent cancer.