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Introducing Brand Central: the new ACS site for marketing and communications resources

With more than 110 years of experience working to save lives from cancer, the American Cancer Society (ACS) has powerful stories to tell. Our iconic brand is central to telling these stories for audiences everywhere.

As the nation's leading nonprofit organization making the most comprehensive impact on the cancer burden and working to ensure everyone has an opportunity to prevent, detect, treat, and survive cancer, we must grow and protect our brand and effectively communicate what we are doing ​every day to end cancer as we know it, for everyone.

On Wednesday, July 24, ACS debuted a new, modern, digital asset management platform, called Brand Central, designed to help make it easier for supporters to find the resources they need to amplify the ACS mission through one convenient point of entry.

This platform is the primary repository for all ACS and ACS CAN materials, brand guidelines, and messaging assets, such as logos, photos, fact sheets, brochures, posters, print and web ads, videos, and more. Brand Central replaces our previous digital asset management system, Brand Toolkit​. Brand Toolkit will be decommissoned at the end of August, 2024. 
​
Watch a sizzle reel​ highlighting some of Brand Central’s features.

“As a 110-year-old organization, our brand is one of our most valuable assets at the American Cancer Society,” said Lauren Hyatt, vice president, Marketing - ACS Brand. “Ensuring our team members, volunteers, and partners are equipped to use the assets associated with that brand and tell the ACS story in the most effective way possible is not just important, it’s essential to our lifesaving mission, and the work we do each day for cancer patients and their families.”

Visit Brand Central​ today and start to explore!


  • ACS CAN prepares to host screenings of In Due Season film

    ​Tune in for in-person and virtual viewings.

    On Wednesday, July 31, from 5:30 - 8 p.m. ET, ACS CAN will host an in-person national screening for the highly anticipated short film In Due Season - Stories from the Medicaid Coverage Gap at the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Library, in Washington, D.C. A virtual viewing of the film will also take place on Wednesday, Aug. 7, from 7:30 - 8:30 p.m. ET. ACS CAN Board of Directors Chair Dr. Kimberly Jeffries Leonard will host the national screening. 

    In Due Season - Stories from the Medicaid Coverage Gap features storytellers Neidre Fears, a Mississippi mom of three who was stuck in the coverage gap for many years despite working three jobs, Pamela Williams, a Georgia resident who due to a physical condition has been unable to work since 2011 lost her health insurance, and Brian Williams, a life coach from Florida who tries to manage his diabetes without health coverage. The film also features Cliff Albright, co-founder of the civic education nonprofit Black Voters Matter, as well as subject matter expert and ACS CAN board member Dr. Karen Winkfield, a radiation oncologist and Executive Director of the Meharry-Vanderbilt Alliance. 

    ACS CAN partnered with filmmaker Ashley O’Shay to develop the film In Due Season - Stories from the Medicaid Coverage Gap to showcase how systemic racism contributes to health care policy decisions for Black Americans in the coverage gap. The film also highlights an urgent need for a remaining 10 states to expand Medicaid, while building on the story collection and amplification work of ACS CAN in 2018, including over 100 short videos and films from diverse groups of people in the coverage gap as well as providers, health systems administrators and businesses impacted by decisions to expand or not to expand Medicaid coverage.

    The in-person screening will be followed by a live panel discussion with storytellers from the film, including the director, along with Dr. Karen Winkfield, Neidre Fears, Cliff Albright and Dr. Patrice Harris, former president of the American Medical Association. The event will be moderated by journalist Andrea Roane. ACS CAN, Black Voters Matter and ACS CAN’s Black Volunteer Caucus (BVC) will host a virtual panel following the virtual screening event  featuring the storytellers from the film along with Dr. Kimberly Jeffries Leonard, Dr. Karen Winkfield and Black Voters Matter National Field Co-Director Fenika Miller. 

    View the film’s trailer that has been accepted to feature in the 22nd Run & Shoot Filmworks Martha's Vineyard African American Film Festival (MVAAFF) an Oscar Qualifying Festival for the Short Film Category August 2-10 in Oak Bluffs, MA.

    "In Due Season - Stories from the Medicaid Coverage Gap"​ film screening events are free and open to the public. To register for the virtual screening, visit fightcancer.org.

    To attend the in-person national screening, please register on fightcancer.org. The agenda for the in-person screening is below. 

    5:30 - 6:15 p.m. ET   Check-in & reception 

    6:15 - 7:45 p.m. ET   In Due Season film screening program 

    7:45 - 8:00 p.m. ET   Post screening reception 

    ​

  • Research released on health insurance literacy among patients receiving outpatient cancer treatment

    ​​ACS researchers stress initiatives to expand access to healthcare and screening facilities to improve early detection and treatment for lung cancer.​

    Dr. Jingxuan Zhao led a study published July 17 in the journal Cancer that examines patients’ understanding of health insurance terms and concepts and quantifies health insurance literacy (HIL) levels by key sociodemographic factors.

    Nearly three-quarters of patients had high HIL self-efficacy and high HIL knowledge (70.5%), understanding basic insurance terms, such as premiums and deductibles. Relatively low percentages of patients correctly answered questions about the meaning of provider networks, health insurance formularies, and calculating out-of-pocket spending in scenarios when insurers pay a portion of allowed charges.

    In conclusion, efforts to improve HIL and navigation of health insurance plan features are required, especially for socioeconomically vulnerable patients.

    ACS authors included  K. Robin Yabroff PhD, MBA .

    Like and share the news on X.



  • American Cancer Society, Trial Library, and Prostate Cancer Clinical Trials Consortium collaborate to support recruitment of Black patients for clinical trials

    ​New study shows this may hinder identifying patient financial needs and tracking outcomes of associated referrals.

    Despite declines in overall cancer mortality in the United States, deaths from prostate cancer in Black men represent the greatest mortality disparity in oncology. Black men are two to four times more likely to die from prostate cancer than any other racial and ethnic group. Additionally, less than 5% of participants in oncology clinical trials are Black men. Clinical trials provide an avenue for patients to contribute to research findings for future generations and may offer access to cutting-edge therapies.

    ACS is committed to enhancing racial diversity in clinical trials. To increase Black men with prostate cancer participation in clinical trials, ACS on July 9 announced a funding opportunity to support community oncology practices and hospitals in their efforts for clinical trial enrollment. Eligible practice-based applicants must have direct patient interaction and the capability to participate in clinical trials.

    “Diversifying participation in clinical trials is crucial to decreasing prostate cancer deaths for everyone,” said Dr. William Dahut, chief scientific officer. “It's time to move beyond words and put into action a plan to help clinicians and patients. ACS is committed to supporting research and evidence-based care to improve the health of all communities.”

    To better support efforts toward recruitment of patients to clinical trials, ACS will pair awarded community oncology and urology practices with the Trial Library platform, which provides patient identification and navigation support through software and technology-enabled services integrated in community practices. To build upon existing infrastructure and promote the sustainability of clinical trial enrollment efforts, ACS will support access to the PCCTC to help awarded teams enroll patients on hypothesis-driven trials of novel agents and combinations that could prolong the lives of patients with prostate cancer. “

    Like and share the ACS LinkedIn post and Dr. Dahut's post on X about this news.


  • New study finds 40% of cancer cases and almost half of all deaths in the US linked to modifiable risk factors

    ​ACS researchers stress the need for broad and equitable implementation of known preventive initiatives to reduce the risk of cancer.

    A new study released on July 11 led by researchers at the ACS finds four in 10 cancer cases and about one-half of all cancer deaths in adults 30 years old and older in the United States (or 713,340 cancer cases and 262,120 cancer deaths in 2019) could be attributed to modifiable risk factors, including cigarette smoking, excess body weight, alcohol consumption, physical inactivity, diet, and infections. Cigarette smoking was by far the leading risk factor, contributing to nearly 20% of all cancer cases and 30% of all cancer deaths. The findings are published in the journal CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians. Like and share the ACS post on X about this news.

    “Despite considerable declines in smoking prevalence during the past few decades, the number of lung cancer deaths attributable to cigarette smoking in the United States is alarming. This finding underscores the importance of implementing comprehensive tobacco control policies in each state to promote smoking cessation, as well as heightened efforts to increase screening for early detection of lung cancer, when treatment could be more effective,” said Dr. Farhad Islami, senior scientific director, cancer disparity research, and lead author of the report. 

    Other ACS authors participating in this study include Dr. Emily Marlow, Dr. Marjorie McCullough, and Dr. Alpa Patel.

    In addition, the news was covered by several media outlets, including:



  • Global HPV Cancer Free program reaches milestone

    ​More than 10,000 physicians in India were trained in one year.

    The American Cancer Society’s Global HPV Cancer Free program celebrated a milestone in India. The Federation of Obstetric and Gynaecological Societies of India (FOGSI), Cancer Foundation of India, and ACS reached a shared target of training 10,000 physicians on cervical burden in India, HPV facts, and communications strategies for effectively recommending the vaccine to parents and answering their questions.  

    Trainers and the leadership of FOGSI recently met to enthusiastically celebrate this achievement. The goal was achieved in 12 months with the support of ACS. 

    • 14 Core Trainers trained by ACS’s Global HPV Cancer Free program through a virtual training that leveraged HPV Roundtable leaders as expert faculty.
    • 102 Master Trainers (pictured above receiving their recognition) were trained by the 14 Core Trainers. 
    • 292 training sessions were conducted (184 virtual and 108 in-person) by 102 Master Trainers. 
    • 10,253 member physicians trained as a result.

    The effort was supported by strategic thinking, resources, coordination and technical assistance from the Global Cancer Support team including Sara Comstock, program manager, global HPV cancer prevention, Nina Batista, senior program manager, global cancer prevention, Meenu Anand, director, global cancer prevention, and from the Implementation Science team including Ashleigh Hayward, data and evaluation manager, cancer prevention, Jennifer Nkonga, senior director, regional strategy and implementation, Michelle Burcin, senior director, data and evaluation. 

    This effort is funded in part in part by Cancer Research UK and has a second component that is in-progress at the Indian Academy of Pediatrics (IAP). Conversations are underway to explore other opportunities in Asia. 



  • HPV Roundtable Emerging Leaders program applications are open

    ​Build your leadership portfolio with the National HPV Vaccination Roundtable.  

    The American Cancer Society National HPV Vaccination Roundtable has launched its 2025 Emerging Leaders Program search with newly opened candidate program applications. As this year will be only the second ever cohort of emerging leaders for ACS HPV Vaccination Roundtable, the program is eager to invite another group of early career professionals who are interested in enhancing their leadership skills within HPV vaccination efforts. 

    As an opportunity to enlarge your network nationally, engage in new learning possibilities, and shape the future of HPV vaccination best practices and outreach, program participants can expect to connect with national HPV vaccination and public health leaders and enhance their skills, tools, and habits to amplify leadership qualities through the one-year program.   

    To further capitalize on learning opportunities, program participants will be offered paid travel to the 2025 ACS HPV Roundtable National Meeting. Fellows represent a diverse group of partners both internal and external to ACS. Employees who engage in HPV vaccination and cancer prevention efforts substantially in their role are encouraged to apply. Applicants should be within a 5- to 10-year period after completion of their last degree or 5 to 10 years since transitioning to the immunization and cancer prevention field.

    Applications must be submitted by July 31. Click here to apply. Learn more by checking out the flyer attached below, visiting the website, and watching the 2023 Emerging Leaders Showcase Webinar recording. Any questions may be directed to hpv.vaccination.roundtable@cancer.org. 


  • July Advocacy Update

    ​Highlights include Cancer Votes in action, a major milestone for Major Milestone for MCED, and the documentary In Due Season.

    Thanks to all who submitted feedback on this monthly communication last month. We continue to need your thoughts on how we can make the Monthly Advocacy Update as impactful as possible. If you haven’t already, please take a moment to fill out this quick 2-minute survey. Monthly Advocacy Update Feedback 

    A message from ACS CAN President Lisa Lacasse

    Cancer Votes Action

    While these past weeks have brought scorching temperatures to D.C. and around the country, ACS CAN's Cancer Votes program has continued to heat up this election cycle. As a direct result of our team’s advocacy, 34 candidates, including 14 U.S. Senate and 20 U.S. House candidates, have already signed the Cancer Promise. Ahead of the first presidential debate in June, we rallied our online advocates to urge the debate moderators to pose questions centered on health care, resulting in volunteers taking almost 900 online actions. Although our issues weren’t the focus of the debate, we will continue to elevate cancer and health care affordability issues in the 2024 election cycle.

    Next week we are looking forward to a coffee chat with U.S. Senate Candidate Sen. Tammy Baldwin in Wisconsin on July 16, moderated by Phil O'Brien, our Cancer Votes National Ambassador and Board member. We have held other successful coffee chats with candidates, including former Maryland Governor Larry Hogan, a U.S. Senate Candidate and cancer survivor. These chats are key opportunities for our volunteers to pose questions to candidates regarding our cancer priorities. See photo above.

    We currently have 486 Cancer Votes volunteers activated across 46 states and territories. And we are gearing up for our Power to Impact: Essential Briefing for Cancer Votes Volunteers call on July 16 at 7:30 p.m. EST open to all volunteers. I encourage you to follow our Cancer Votes work and share your voice on your social accounts using #CancerVotes and tagging @ACSCAN. 

    Major Milestone for MCED

    June also brought critical progress for our work to advance access to exciting innovation in early detection for Medicare enrollees when the U.S. House Committee on Ways and Means marked up and passed the Nancy Gardner Sewell Medicare Multi-Cancer Early Detection (MCED) Screening Coverage Act by a vote of 38-0. (See photo at right.) This strong model of bipartisan supported legislation, championed by Representatives Jodey Arrington (R-TX) and Terri Sewell (D-AL), has the backing of 292 members of the House of Representatives and 62 senators, two-thirds of the Congress. In addition to congressional support, more than 520 organizations from across the country, in every state, have signed on to one or more formal letters of support.

    ACS CAN volunteers who flew in from key congressional districts joined the D.C. team for the markup hearing on June 27. ACS CAN was acknowledged as a strong supporter of the bill publicly and repeatedly by members of the Ways and Means Committee during the markup. We posted a video wrap up demonstrating our powerful presence that day. Take a look!

    Join the In Due Season Movement 

    This month I’m excited about special screenings for In Due Season, our new short documentary highlighting how systemic racism contributes to health care policy decisions for Black Americans in the Medicaid coverage gap. Join ACS CAN on Wednesday, July 31, at a special film screening and reception in Washington, D.C. at MLK Jr. Memorial Library. RSVP here. You can also join us August 7 at 7:30 pm for a virtual screening hosted by ACS CAN’s Black Volunteer Caucus in partnership with Black Voters Matter. Register here. Interested in hosting a screening? Please contact, Carter Steger, VP, State and Local Campaigns. 

    Thank you, as always, for your continued commitment to ACS CAN, 

    Judicial Updates

    • The U.S. Supreme Court announced on July 2 that it will hear the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) appeal of the e-cigarette case (FDA v. Wages and White Lion Investments dba Triton Distribution) in which the Fifth Circuit vacated marketing denial orders (MDOs) issued by the agency for flavored e-cigarette products. ACS CAN and other public health partners urged the high court to take the case in an amicus brief after the Fifth Circuit decision leaves products like Jimmy the Juice and Strawberry Astronaut on the market. Flavors like these are proven to attract youth and make it harder for adults to quit. Seven other circuit courts have let MDOs issued by FDA stand, so there is a circuit split. ACS CAN plans to continue to engage in the case. 
    • In June, the FDA dealt a blow to public health by authorizing the sale of four menthol e-cigarettes manufactured by NJOY LLC. Before then, the FDA had issued MDOs for every flavored e-cigarette product it has reviewed, previously finding the applicants failed to produce reliable evidence their product benefits public health and had not yet authorized any menthol flavored e-cigarettes. ACS CAN will continue strongly advocating to urge prohibition of all flavors in all tobacco products at all levels of government.  
    • ACS CAN criticized a U.S. Supreme Court decision in a joint statement on Loper Bright Enterprises, as the case undermines federal agencies’ authority to issue and defend regulations. The decision overturned a 40-year-old precedent that required courts to defer to executive agencies when a statute is ambiguous. This could lead to major challenges for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and the FDA. 
    • ACS CAN and 24 other organizations, applauded the U.S. Supreme Court decision in Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine et al. v FDA et al, that allows the drug mifepristone a drug prescribed for the treatment of a variety of life-threatening conditions, including cancer, to remain on the market. The case was thrown out on the grounds that the plaintiffs don’t have standing in their challenge concerning the use and availability of the drug, but ACS CAN remains concerned that other challengers could continue the lawsuit and undercut FDA’s scientific expertise in issuing other drug approvals. 

    Federal Updates

    • The House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor Health and Human Services considered and approved its draft FY25 appropriations bill that includes increases for federal cancer research funding at the National Cancer Institute (NCI). The House spending bill includes: $48.581 billion for the National Institutes of Health (NIH), which is the same as FY24 funding, which included $7.875 billion for the National Cancer Institute (NCI), an increase of $651.1 million, and $500 million for the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H), which is a $1 billion cut from FY24 levels. See our statement. 
    • ACS CAN recently hosted a corporate partner briefing and a Congressional Briefing, Exploring Clinical Trials and Cancer Screenings, with the National Hispanic Medical Association to build support for the Clinical Trail Modernization Act. The recently introduced legislation will ensure that more patients—regardless of their economic means or their geographic location—have a chance to enroll in clinical trials. The briefing featured Congressman Raul Ruiz (D-CA) the lead sponsor of the bill. ACS CAN volunteer and cancer survivor Dulcely Tavarez of New York presented her survivor story along with ACS CAN volunteer Beatrice Cardenas-Duncan of California. The briefing was moderated by ACS CAN’s Director of Federal Relations James Williams and other speakers included Juan Santamaria, MD, FACS, University of Nebraska Medical Center and Estelamari Rodriguez, MD, MPH, University of Miami Health System.
    • ACS CAN was a pivotal sponsor for the National Indian Health Board’s 2024 National Tribal Health Conference and Public Health Summit in Rapid City, SD. Our sponsorship underscored the importance of cancer research, prevention, and treatment for Indian Health. ACS CAN contributed to the conference's content and educational and networking opportunities by hosting a cancer track. Our rich content included a fireside chat, during the opening plenary, and three workshops: Cancer Screening, Medicaid Unwinding and Protecting Access to Coverage, and Effective Advocacy. We also engaged with the over 1,200 attendees through our exhibit table. ACS CAN and ACS colleagues and ACS CAN volunteers also attended and actively participated in the conference. 

    Take Action

    Urge Congress to increase funding for cancer research. For the first time ever, there are expected to be more than 2 million cancer diagnoses in the U.S. this year alone. Certain types of cancers are on the rise in younger people. Cancer research is one of our best tools to combat these trends. Join us to advocate for more federal funding for cancer and biomedical research.

    State Updates 

    • Governor Shapiro signed an access to biomarkers bill into law, securing a major win for patients across Pennsylvania. The new law will require all state-regulated health plans, including Medicaid, to cover comprehensive biomarker testing, which will enable more Pennsylvanians to access biomarker testing that can open the door to precision medicine. 
    • The California State legislature passed, and Governor Newsom signed the budget that includes funding to implement biomarker testing beginning this month. 
    • In Ohio lawmakers allocated $50,000 for the Cleveland Hope Lodge in the capital budget to provide structural updates to the American Cancer Society Hope Lodge and the House-passed biomarkers legislation is now headed to the state senate. 

    In Case You Missed It

    • ACS CAN celebrated Juneteenth, which marks the end of slavery in the United States and commemorates the independence of all Black Americans. As part of the lead-up to this important holiday, ACS CAN staff and volunteers across the country participated in Juneteenth events in their local communities. See our recap post on social media. 
    • ACS CAN, along with our volunteer LGBTQIA+ and Allies and Engagement Group, proudly participated in 35 Pride events across 23 states in June with many more planned throughout the year. See our recap post. 
    • ACS CAN hosted the 17th Annual American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN) Research and Health Equity Breakfast on Tuesday, June 25 in Boston, highlighting the importance of biomarker testing to help end cancer as we know it, for everyone, as well as seizing the opportunity to network with leaders from life sciences, health care, business, policymaking, and American Cancer Society funded cancer researchers. Speakers included ACS and ACS CAN CEO Dr. Karen Knudsen, John F. Crowley, President and CEO of the Biotechnology Innovation Organization, Representative Meghan Kilcoyne, Dr. Naomi Ko, cancer survivor Jung A Han, and ACS CAN Board member and emcee Dana Bernson, MPH.

    Advocacy in the News

    •NYT: Here’s What the Court’s Chevron Ruling Could Mean in Everyday Terms

    •Washington Post: What the Supreme Court Chevron decision means for environmental rules

    •CNN: How the Supreme Court’s blockbuster ‘Chevron’ ruling puts countless regulations in jeopardy

    •PBS: How banning medical debt from credit reports could help millions of Americans

    •Salon: Cancer risks are far higher for LGBTQ folks. Here's how health justice groups are fighting back

    •Pink Sheet: SCOTUS' Mifepristone Decision Sets High Bar For US FDA Suits

    •Law 360: 5th Circ. Knocks Out National Block On ACA Preventive Care

    •Penn Live: The Pennsylvania Senate must ensure patients have access to biomarker testing - Opinion

    •CBS 6 Albany: New paid leave bill fails to pass N.Y. Assembly, advocacy group expresses disappointment

    •KTNV Las Vegas: Two-time survivor urges screenings for prostate cancer

    •Daily Memphian: It’s time for Tennessee to expand Medicaid 



  • Partnership provides free estate planning tools for patients

    ​The Giving Docs platform provides safe and secure access.

    Traditionally, creating a will can be both time consuming and costly. To solve this, ACS is teaming up with Giving Docs to provide free access to a suite of estate planning essentials. The suite is now available for cancer patients and survivors and includes a guide on creating a free will and a durable power of attorney.

    The tools can be accessed safely and securely on cancer.org or GivingDocs.com/cancer. In addition to a will, patients and survivors can access resources for beneficiary designation – as well as advance healthcare directive. There is no obligation for users to make a charitable contribution when accessing the tools.
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