Industry Applauds as Biden Reboots Cancer Moonshot

Almost six years to the day after the Cancer Moonshot Task Force met for the first time, President Joe Biden announced the reignition of the initiative, aiming to reduce the cancer death rate by 50 percent in the next 25 years by bolstering prevention, screening, and research.

In January 2016, then-President Barack Obama tapped Vice President Biden to lead a “moonshot” to end cancer as we know it. In the following weeks, President Obama signed a presidential memorandum creating the first White House Cancer Moonshot Task Force.

In June of the same year, the vice president convened almost 400 cancer researchers, oncologists, nurses, patients, advocates, and others at Howard University in Washington, DC.

According to the Obama Administration archives, “This marked the first time that individuals and organizations spanning the entire cancer community and beyond convened under the national charge of doubling the rate of progress toward a cure and making a decade worth of advances in cancer prevention, diagnosis, and treatment in five years.”

Due to recent progress in cancer therapeutics, diagnostics, and patient-driven care, the Biden Administration stated, “ it’s now possible to set ambitious goals: to reduce the death rate from cancer by at least 50 percent over the next 25 years, and improve the experience of people and their families living with and surviving cancer— and, by doing this and more, end cancer as we know it today.”

Through government action, the Cancer Moonshot will re-establish White House leadership with a White House Cancer Moonshot coordinator in the Executive Office of the President and will form a Cancer Cabinet consisting of different departments and agencies to address cancer on multiple fronts.

Additionally, the White House intends to host a Cancer Moonshot Summit and build upon the White House Cancer Roundtable Conversation Series the administration has been hosting over the last six months.

By focusing on areas of cancer research that are most likely to benefit patients, the Cancer Moonshot has brought together a large community of researchers and clinicians who are dedicated to expanding research and improving the lives of those with cancer.

“I welcome President Biden’s renewed focus on cancer. Cancer care has evolved in dramatic ways that have led to large improvements in patient survival, but there is still much to be done to help patients in this country. The administration’s focus on earlier diagnosis, and the recognition of the importance of advances in precision medicine and immuno-oncology, comes at a time in which care disparities persist,” Joseph Alvarnas, MD, vice president of government affairs at City of Hope, a cancer research and treatment organization, told HealthITAnalytics in a statement.

“It is essential that we ensure all patients affected by cancer can benefit fully from the breadth of therapies that are now available as a result of investments in cancer research. The administration’s goal of decreasing cancer deaths by 50 percent is realistic provided we make the right investments in research and care delivery to patients, especially those who are members of underserved communities.”

Additionally, President Biden and First Lady Jill Biden announced a call to action regarding cancer screenings.

As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, millions of individuals delayed care, resulting in advanced forms of cancer. A critical part of the moonshot reboot is to prompt Americans to resume cancer screenings, allowing for early intervention efforts.

Before President Biden’s press conference,  American Cancer Society CEO Karen E. Knudsen, MBA, PhD, released a statement applauding the president’s announcement on behalf of the organization.

“We commend President Biden for reigniting the moonshot to accelerate his commitment to ‘end cancer as we know it,’ a disease that greatly impacted his family, Vice President Kamala Harris’ family, and nearly every family across the country. President Biden announced goals that require bold action,” the statement continued. “The American Cancer Society (ACS) and the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN) will be standing shoulder to shoulder with the President, the administration and all levels of government, as well as the cancer community at large, to improve the lives of people with cancer and their families.”

While prevention and early detection strategies could significantly reduce cancer death rates, creating such improvements can be financially challenging.

In 2016, Congress provided $1.8 billion for the cancer moonshot, spread out over seven years. With two years of funding remaining, totaling around $400 million, some cancer advocates worry that researcher efforts could fall short without a substantial infusion of money, making proper finances a critical part of the program’s success.

“We can do this. I promise you, we can do this. For all those we lost, for all those we miss. We can end cancer as we know it,” President Biden said in his remarks.