Contact Your Elected Officials! Get Active! Help Motivate the NCI to Invest in Finding a Cure for Mesothelioma

The time is now to contact your elected officials about the need to invest federal tax dollars in finding a cure for mesothelioma. Please copy the contents of the letter pasted below into your preferred word processing application, edit for content and mail/email to your elected officials.

You can locate your politicians by contacting the Legislative Action Center

or by following the following links:

Dear [Congressman (or) Congresswoman (or) Senator _______],

[Describe your relationship to the politician: e.g "I am a resident of (politician's area)."] I am writing to you to request your assistance in creating awareness of a horrible disease, mesothelioma, and the urgent need for funding of research toward a cure. [Describe the facts about how you or someone you know was diagnosed with mesothelioma, what medical information was initially received, what additional medical research you or the person had to do, what medical treatments were received and where, and how you or the person is doing now.]

The only known cause of mesothelioma is exposure to air-borne asbestos fibers. As I'm sure you know, asbestos has been prevalent in industry, construction and the military. As a result, the disease strikes particularly the tradespeople and workers who have helped build our country, and those who have served our country in the military (navy shipyards, ships and submarines have used asbestos heavily). About 3-4000 Americans are diagnosed with mesothelioma each year, and given current medical knowledge, it is a virtual death sentence.

The Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation has been created to enhance public awareness of the disease, and support research toward finding a cure. [Describe your relationship with MARF, for example "I am one of MARF's financial supporters." or "MARF has been a source of hope to my family and me as we struggle with this disease."} MARF's website, which further describes the disease, its victims, and exciting research into potential cures, is at http://www.marf.org

As you may know, a very well respected Congressman, Bruce Vento, 4th District, Minnesota, was recently diagnosed with mesothelioma. A speech he gave describing the need for more research funding, and endorsing MARF, is at http://www.marf.org/Documents/2000BventoSpeech.html

A moving essay by Roger Worthington, the founder of MARF, reflecting on the tribute to Congressman Vento at his retirement, is at http://www.marf.org/Tributes/SaluteToBvento.html

One reason increased awareness of this disease is so urgent is that, currently, the NCI only very rarely funds research concerning mesothelioma. For example, the NCI recently denied funding to a proposed clinical trial concerning a copper chelate based anti-angiogenesis drug. This clinical trial might have directly benefitted Congressman Vento and other mesothelioma patients, but it might also have had broader application to cancer tumors in general.

I would be very grateful if, for the sake of [name of person related to you diagnosed with mesothelioma], Congressman Vento and the many others whose lives are being tragically and painfully cut short by this disease, you would do whatever is in your power to obtain proper funding of medical research into this disease and how to cure it.

If you would like to follow up, you may contact me at [phone and email address]. You may also obtain more information about mesothelioma and MARF from Christopher E. Hahn, Executive Director, The Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation, 1609 Garden Street, Santa Barbara, CA 93101, (805) 560-8942, http://www.marf.org

I thank you for your time and attention to this urgent health issue.

Sincerely,
[your name]

*** UPDATED AUGUST 9, 2000 ***