Cancer in all of its forms can be a devastating disease to be diagnosed with. The American Cancer Society's Cancer Action Network estimates that nearly 570,000 people die from cancer each year in the United States.

Despite this, many states do not have enough policies in place to help their residents prevent and battle cancer, says ACS CAN. There are currently six benchmarks highlighting care for certain types of cancer, smoking laws and tobacco taxes.

Twenty-three states have met none or only one of the established benchmarks says, ACS CAN.

"As advocates, we have the responsibility to educate the public on how to prevent and treat cancer effectively, but we cannot do it unless state and local policymakers take action," says cancer survivor and volunteer chair of the ACS CAN board of directors Robert Youle. "The most effective solutions will save countless lives and potentially millions of dollars in health care costs, and in many cases, it costs a state little or nothing to do the right thing."

Earlier this month, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced new regulations that will require new health insurance plans to completely cover preventative care screenings.