California Legislature Passes First-In-The-Nation Cancer Patients Bill of Rights Resolution by Senator Susan Rubio

August 30, 2021

SACRAMENTO – The California Legislature today passed a first-in-the-nation Cancer Patients Bill of Rights resolution by Senator Susan Rubio (D-Baldwin Park).

Senate Concurrent Resolution 11 recognizes that the Legislature supports the Cancer Patients Bill of Rights, which states the right of cancer patients to fully understand their diagnosis and be informed about treatment options in culturally appropriate and understandable languages. In addition, patients have the right to timely access to cancer subspecialists and relevant medical research and cutting-edge innovation.

“Cancer patients need appropriate, timely, and equitable access to expert care,” Sen. Susan Rubio said. “That’s why it was important for the Legislature to pass the California Cancer Patients Bill of Rights. There have been remarkable advances in science creating more effective treatments and cures, and it is unconscionable that people, particularly those most vulnerable and in disadvantaged communities, suffer from a lack of access to these life-saving medications. I am proud to be part of the work needed to address these barriers and help build a healthier California”

“We applaud the adoption of this Bill of Rights resolution as a first step toward addressing the gaps in access to specialty care that affect the more than 187,000 Californians diagnosed with cancer every year, particularly among underserved communities,” said Robert Stone, City of Hope President and CEO, the Helen and Morgan Chu Chief Executive Officer Distinguished Chair. “City of Hope is proud to have driven this effort to build support for the rights of cancer patients and is grateful that the California State Legislature recognizes a fundamental fact: Because cancer care is different, cancer patients deserve these rights. We thank Senator Susan Rubio, Assembly Member Jim Wood and all the California legislators who championed the resolution.”

“The Cancer Patients Bill of Rights stands as a bold statement of what every patient with cancer deserves – a full understanding of treatment options in culturally appropriate and understandable language, timely access to cancer subspecialists, and access to clinical trials and innovative treatments,” said Autumn J. Ogden-Smith, American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN) California State Legislative Director. “We appreciate the California State Legislature for supporting cancer patients throughout the state.”

The Cancer Patients Bill of Rights outlines six key principles, proclaiming that cancer patients have a right to:

  • Understand fully their diagnoses and be informed about treatment options in culturally appropriate and understandable languages.
  • Transparent and timely processes that ensure access to contracting oncology specialists, diagnostic testing and accurate interpretations of those tests.
  • Contracting cancer subspecialists who have expertise in the treatment of their subtypes of cancers when complex decisions are needed.
  • Medical treatments for pain management and other services that support their overall health.
  • Contracting National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer centers and leading academic medical centers for the management of complex cancers that require multiple experts or high-risk or emerging therapies.
  • Relevant clinical trials, medical research and cutting-edge innovation, including evidence-supported precision medicine.

Find more information about the Cancer Patients Bill of Rights at cancercarediff.org

Senator Susan Rubio Represents District 22 in Los Angeles County. The San Gabriel Valley district includes: Alhambra, Arcadia, Azusa, Baldwin Park, Covina, El Monte, Industry, Irwindale, La Puente, Monterey Park, San Gabriel, Rosemead, South El Monte, Temple City, West Covina; and the unincorporated communities of Avocado Heights, Charter Oak, Citrus, East Pasadena, East San Gabriel, Mayflower Village, North El Monte, South Monrovia Island, South San Gabriel, South San Jose Hills, Valinda, Vincent and West Puente Valley.

#

Media Contact: Edward Barrera, edward.barrera@sen.ca.gov