The American Cancer Society, the largest US voluntary health organisation, will devote its entire advertising budget for 2008 to telling Americans and presidential candidates that lack of health insurance or inadequate insurance prevents many people receiving early detection, treatment, and cure of cancer.

US residents with chronic diseases such as heart problems and diabetes face similar problems, said Richard Wender, national president of the society.

The society will spend $15m (£7m; €11m) on what it calls an aggressive and emotive advertising campaign on television, in magazines and newspapers, and online. The society found that previous public service announcements didn't attract attention but that paid-for aggressive advertising did.

The cancer society …