Summary
National Cancer Act of 2002 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to develop a plan that outlines strategies by which State cancer registries can share information.
Modifies provisions concerning preventive health measures with respect to breast and cervical cancers to permit priority to be given to certain projects involving: (1) colorectal cancer screening and outreach; and (2) treating uninsured women diagnosed with cancer during such screening.
Extends the breast and cervical cancer program through FY 2007.
Permits the Secretary to award grants to educate cancer patients and their families about the availability of effective medical techniques to reduce and prevent pain and suffering for cancer patients.
Amends various provisions of the Act to emphasize the importance of pain and symptom management throughout the nation's cancer programs.
Establishes within the National Cancer Institute (the NCI) an Office on Cancer Survivorship.
Authorizes the Director of the National Cancer Institute to co-fund grant projects for various cancer programs.
Directs the NCI to undertake specific measures to enhance access by cancer patients to experimental therapies.
Expresses the sense of the Senate that: (1) the Administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services should address the consequences of proposed payments rates for certain drugs and biologicals in 2003; (2) a payment source is needed for patients requiring palliative care who are terminally ill but do not meet medicare hospice criteria or who still want aggressive treatment; and (3) the Senate should consider a targeted outpatient prescription medication benefit under medicare for cancer patients if a comprehensive outpatient prescription drug benefit is not enacted.
Lifecycle of the Bill
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