How to Get Involved
You can make a difference simply by signing up for our occasional email alerts to stay up to date on legislation that may need your attention and advocacy. Your participation can influence elected officials, as well as the future of cancer research and care.
You don't need special training. You can get involved by simply picking up the phone or sending an email. If you join us, we will send you occasional email messages asking you to contact your elected officials to support specific legislation or public policies that could have an impact on cancer care and research.
Please join us. Every voice makes a difference.
Contact us
If you have questions or comments about Dana-Farber's Legislative Action Network, please write us at advocacy@dfci.harvard.edu.
How You Can Help
Legislative advocacy in the cancer community can be as simple as showing support or voicing concern for public policy initiatives related to cancer care and research. To do this, we may ask you to reach out to your elected representatives with a phone call, email, or letter.
Find your federal and state representatives
If you're not sure who your elected officials are, visit congress.org and enter your ZIP code. You'll get a quick list of your state and federal legislators, including ways to contact them.
Register to vote
One of the most effective ways to ensure that your voice is heard is by exercising your right to vote. If you're not registered to vote, these resources can help:
Spotlight on Dana-Farber Advocates
Eric Rodriguez
Dana-Farber connection
Patient, member of Dana-Farber's Pediatric Patient and Family Advisory Council
Why I'm involved in advocacy
Because I would someday like to tell my grandchildren that when I was young there was a disease called cancer and how it impacted my life as a young adult. I feel like we all can make a difference by speaking out, encouraging change and most importantly curing the disease and improving the outcome effects of cancer treatments.
My advocacy experience
Sending letters and emails to senators, testifying at the Massachusetts State House, being a panelist on the President's Cancer Panel, attending conferences with others who have been affected by cancer.
Advice for anyone interested in advocacy
All you need is a voice and well-organized thoughts to make a difference.
Ellen R. Frank, PhD
Dana-Farber connection
Patient since 1996 and active member of the Adult Patient Family Advisory Council.
Why I'm involved in advocacy
I know that every voice counts and each of us has the power to influence our world. I am deeply concerned about insurance coverage for the costs of cancer treatment and the quality of life for cancer survivors. One of the highest bankruptcy rates is among cancer survivors. There have been deep cuts in cancer research institutions all throughout the United States, and this is a potentially devastating turn of events for all cancer patients. You and I can and will impact these trends.
My advocacy experience
I have successfully worked with members of Congress and the Senate to create a federal mandate to insist every state Medicaid cover a new drug for AIDS. I participate with the ACS in all letter writing campaigns to influence government bills that impact cancer patients. I have worked for non-profit cancer agencies to examine the impact of early detection and screening on the incidence of cancer.
Advice for anyone interested in advocacy
Your voice really does count. It may simply be a matter of emailing a letter or making a phone call. Whenever and whatever you are.
Anne Hristov
Dana-Farber connection
Patient, member of Dana-Farber's Patient and Family Advisory Council
Why I'm involved in advocacy
I want to be cured someday and would like to see more programs and funding invested in improving the quality of life for cancer survivors. So many advances have been made in discovering new cancer treatments and any cuts in federal funding severely impact future progress.
My advocacy experience
Sending letters and emails to senators and representatives, attending mission days on Capitol Hill, testifying at the Massachusetts State House.
Advice for anyone interested in advocacy
No special skills required. Getting involved can be as easy as sending an email to your senator or representative, but it can make such as huge impact.
Trudi Feinstein
Dana-Farber connection
Patient, family member and member of the Patient and Family Advisory Council.
Why I'm involved in advocacy
I am a breast cancer survivor and feel very fortunate each day. I do rounding at Dana-Farber, where I speak to patients going through their own personal struggle with cancer. Patients need advocates. It is critical, and we need to have resources readily available to them.
My advocacy experience
Contacting people in our community who can help us to make a difference as well as raising money for cancer research.
Advice for anyone interested in advocacy
Just a desire to help!
Barbara Holtz
Dana-Farber connection
Member of the Patient and Family Advisory Council, breast cancer patient
Why I'm involved in advocacy
During the course of cancer treatment at Dana-Farber, I started to think of ways I could give back to the medical community that gave me high-quality, focused, compassionate care. Together with other like-minded individuals, I hoped to pool our hearts, minds and skills to ease the burden of cancer patients (and their families and loved ones) everywhere. It's a win-win when we can influence legislators to achieve improvements in access to health care and insurance, when we feel entirely comfortable in reporting uncomfortable side-effects to our physicians (so that they in turn influence scientists to test and produce less toxic drugs), and when we can encourage and help empower cancer patients to take an active role in their own treatment plan.
My advocacy experience
Making calls and sending letters to my state representatives and senators in order to give my view of pending legislation; personally visiting legislators of the Massachusetts delegation on Capitol Hill on behalf of breast and ovarian cancer patients; attending "working group" meetings at the National Cancer Institute (NCI) that may result in expanded budgets for cancer research; in short, being vocal.
Advice for anyone interested in advocacy
Think about experiences that forced you or a loved one to cope with a cancer diagnosis and treatment. Or think about what you might have done differently and want to advise other people (in similar circumstances) to do. Or, think about people from underserved communities who need other people to advocate for them – and what you might do to assist them. The advocacy process usually begins with these kinds of ideas, and gains momentum from that point on. You can do it, and we need you to help us!