"The Association for Clinical Oncology (ASCO) applauds President Biden for his decision to relaunch the Cancer Moonshot with ambitious and worthy goals of reducing the death rate from cancer and improving the experience of patients and families living with cancer.
"We’ve already seen how much progress can be made when the weight of the Administration and Congress joins experienced and dedicated oncologists, cancer researchers, and the patient community in our important work against cancer. Since the Beau Biden Cancer Moonshot was announced in 2016, the National Cancer Institute has provided more than $1 billion to more than 240 research projects to speed advances in cancer prevention, diagnosis, and treatment. A reinvigorated Cancer Moonshot could help us make even greater progress towards these goals, and drive action on new opportunities.
"We are especially glad to see that the proposal includes a major focus on equity, diversity, and inclusion. For all the progress we’ve made to improve cancer prevention, screening, care, and outcomes for patients, stubborn disparities continue to persist. ASCO and other stakeholders have been working on this issue for more than a decade, and with support from the Administration, we hope that we’ll be able to accelerate this progress and make headway towards true equity in cancer.
"We are also encouraged that the Administration specifically acknowledged that the COVID-19 pandemic has caused delays in routine cancer screenings. As oncologists, we see the result of these delays every day, as more new patients enter our offices with advanced cancer. We need to reverse this trend – and quickly – to give patients the best long-term outlook.
"ASCO is grateful for President Biden’s continuing leadership and personal commitment to reducing cancer’s burden on patients and families. Today’s announcement is just the starting point, but we are hopeful that it will be a catalyst to reinvigorate our collective progress against cancer. ASCO stands ready to offer our full support and expertise to the Biden Administration as we work together to conquer cancer.”
About ASCO:
The Association for Clinical Oncology (ASCO®) is a 501 (c)(6) organization that represents nearly 45,000 oncology professionals who care for people living with cancer. Established by the American Society of Clinical Oncology, Inc. in 2019, ASCO works to ensure that all individuals with cancer have access to high quality, equitable care; that the cancer care delivery system supports optimal cancer care; and that our nation supports robust federal funding for research on the prevention, screening, diagnosis, and treatment of cancer. Learn more at www.ascoassociation.org and follow us on Twitter at @ASCO.