Two weeks ago, I traveled to Washington, D.C., to represent the voice of cancer patients in District 3 and SC.

As a two time cancer survivor (Ovarian 13 years ago and less than 1 year Breast cancer) it wasn’t hard to speak out. There I joined more than 600 American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACSCAN) volunteers from across the nation to call on lawmakers to sustain funding for cancer research and prevention and early detection programs.

Thanks to past investments in research, we have made tremendous progress in our ability to detect cancer early and treat it so that it is no longer an automatic death sentence. But if we want to eliminate death and suffering from this disease altogether, we cannot rest on past success- We must commit to funding research that makes existing tests and treatments more effective and works to find answers for cancers for which we don’t have answers.

When I met with the staff for Congressman Barrett, Senators Lindsey Graham and Jim DeMint and met with Congressman Spratt, I told them that cancer research is about saving lives. We made it loud and clear that Congress needs to put aside partisan politics and commit to funding research that makes existing tests and treatments more effective on behalf of the more than 11 million cancer survivors in the United States.

Lynn Rearden, of Edgefield, is SC State Lead Ambassador and Volunteer for the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network.