Dennis F. Marco, Executive Vice President of Porzio Governmental Affairs, LLC, presided over the Public Policy work sessions at the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s Eighth Annual Mission Days in Washington D.C. on April 7 and 8 in his capacity as Chairman of the Public Policy Committee.

Mr. Marco explains that the Mission endorsed three key legislative initiatives for 2008 to accelerate the progress toward better therapies and a cure for leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin’s disease, and myeloma and to improve the quality of life for individuals with blood cancers. The priorities for this year include:

• Increase Funding for National Institutes of Health and National Cancer Institute – ($1.9B for NIH and $455M for NCI)
• Create Blood Cancer Research Program at the Department of Defense - $10M
• Insurance Company Support for Access to Clinical Trials by Covering “Routine Care Costs”

The charge to members around the country is to approach their legislators in person and by mail urging them to support bills to fund and meet the association’s objectives. Nearly 300 LLS advocates, staff and volunteers attended Mission Days and urged their members of Congress to support and fund blood cancer research and increase access to lifesaving clinical trials.

Mr. Marco is himself a leukemia survivor and has served on the Board of Trustees of The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society for 11 years.