State Rep. Ann-Margaret Ferrante, D-Gloucester, who was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2021, is taking on a greater role when it comes to cancer advocacy, using her journey to promote policies that can make a difference in the lives of those dealing with the disease.
Ferrante plans to testify on behalf of a plan by the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, where she has been receiving life-saving treatments, for a new adult, inpatient cancer care-focused hospital in Boston, the first of its kind in New England.
She is also concerned about funding cuts and the release of 1,200 employees from the U.S. National Institutes of Health, and the effect this will have on research and those cancer patients seeking to take part in clinical trials.