Senator Therese Murray, President
Massachusetts State Senate
Representative Robert A. DeLeo, Speaker
Massachusetts House of Representatives
Dear Madame President and Mr. Speaker,
We are writing to ask for your support in taking up an override of the Governor’s veto of line item 4590-0925 in the recent supplement budget, H3539. It would provide $1,500,000 for improved early detection of prostate cancer.
Unfortunately, men do not now have accurate diagnostic tools for prostate cancer, which is the most common and the second most lethal malignancy in men. In Massachusetts, it has emerged as the most lethal malignancy in African-American men, even though it is curable when detected early.
This line item exemplifies a prudent public investment and a good public policy: Early detection and accurate diagnosis of lethal prostate cancer will not only save lives and improve the quality of life for millions of men, but will also result in an estimated annual savings of over $275,000,000, currently spent for unnecessary and/or failed procedures in Massachusetts.
We appreciate your consideration of this request.
Sincerely,
William N. Brownsberger Stanley C. Rosenberg
STATE SENATOR STATE SENATOR
Michael O. Moore Barry R. Finegold
STATE SENATOR STATE SENATOR
Carlos Henriquez Jason M. Lewis
STATE REPRESENTATIVE STATE REPRESENTATIVE
Claire D. Cronin David M. Rogers
STATE REPRESENTATIVE STATE REPRESENTATIVE
Kevin G. Honan Sean Garballey
STATE REPRESENTATIVE STATE REPRESENTATIVE
Robert F. Fennell Russell E. Holmes
STATE REPRESENTATIVE STATE REPRESENTATIVE
Linda Dorcena Forry Harriette L. Chandler
STATE SENATOR STATE SENATOR
Katherine M. Clark
STATE SENATOR