I was saddened to hear that Sen. Andy Hill’s doctors discovered a small recurrence of lung cancer. I am confident that he will once again beat it and he and his family are in my thoughts!

Sen. Hill is right when he says tens of thousands of Washingtonians and millions of Americas are fighting and living with some form of cancer. The good news is that with new innovative medicines and treatments people are living longer and in some cases beating cancer all together — think of former President Jimmy Carter’s recent announcement that, thanks to new medication, he is now cancer free.

In order for us to cure cancer once and for all, we must be dedicated to advancing research and development of new medications and treatment. As Vice President Joe Biden is pushing the “cancer moonshot initiative” to end cancer, he has said we can do it now…we can and we must! However, government and public policy must reward innovation and support a marketplace that will see the development of cures come to fruition. That is how all of us, including Sen. Hill, will get to a clean bill of health.

Colette Dow

Issaquah