Cancer treatment bill advances

CARSON CITY — The Nevada Assembly today unanimously advanced a plan to require county hospitals to provide outpatient cancer treatment.

AB433 was brought as a response to Las Vegas-based University Medical Center ending its outpatient cancer treatment at the hospital, a story highlighted recently by "60 Minutes."

In hearings on the bill, hospital officials said their own budget crisis caused them to cut services. To re-establish services the hospital will have to raise an additional $3.5 million in revenue per year.

In Assemblywoman Debbie Smith's words: "It is indeed a life-or-death decision. And in these cases, a week or two weeks can mean death for some of these patients.

"We need to bring this service back to this hospital."