The race for Sen. Olympia Snowe's seat is wide open. Now is the time the public should make sure all the candidates know where they stand on health care issues, including issues affecting those with chronic diseases such as cancer.

As a cancer survivor, I know first-hand how important the decisions of elected officials can be to people with cancer and their families. That is why it is so important to make the U.S. Senate candidates aware of the impact that issues pertaining to cancer have in Maine.

I was pleased to recently attend a health care forum sponsored by the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network. The candidates were asked to publicly state their positions on health care issues, including cancer research funding, access to affordable health care, protecting seniors with cancer, helping lower and middle income people fight cancer and cancer prevention.

I hope the candidates will commit to making cancer a national priority. The nearly 14 million cancer survivors and their families in this country will be counting on it.

Janet Miles, Livermore