[Date]
Dear [Name of Senator],
I am writing on behalf of myself as a cancer [patient/advocate] and constituent of the state of [add State] to convey my strong opposition to efforts to strip user fee legislation of important public health protections in favor of a “clean” user fee bill. I urge that as you work to reconcile these bills, you address urgent public health challenges by maintaining critical protections in the FDA Safety and Landmark Advancements Act (FDASLA), S. 4348.
This legislation must include provisions that will help ensure the safety and efficacy of cancer drugs, as well as accuracy and reliability for cancer-related diagnostic tests. Accelerated approval reform is necessary to protect patients such as [myself/ my relative/other] from harmful and possibly ineffective treatments. Reform to diagnostic tests will provide the FDA with the authority and resources necessary to ensure that the highest-risk diagnostic tests are valid and reliable. Increasing numbers of patients make life-altering decisions based on diagnostic tests, which can be used to predict cancer or fetal abnormalities.
We urge you not to forgo this key opportunity to advance long-awaited solutions for the American public. While some provisions could be strengthened still further from the Senate version, we express our continued support for the meaningful reforms contained in the bill, and hope that Congressional and committee leadership remain committed to negotiating these protections as you advance this important legislation.
Thank you,
[Name]
[Affiliation if applicable]