WASHINGTON, DC – President Biden is scheduled to deliver a speech in Boston this afternoon, sharing the latest developments in the Cancer Moonshot initiative to, “End cancer as we know it.” The speech, to be delivered on the 60th anniversary of President Kennedy’s famous Moonshot remarks committing to land on the moon, marks the latest public commitment by President Biden to change the trajectory of the 200 diseases known as cancer. The remarks also coincide with the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network’s (ACS CAN) Leadership Summit and Lobby Day, where more than 600 cancer advocates are in Washington, D.C. urging Congress to make cancer a national priority.
ACS CAN is also launching a new advertising campaign this week in Washington, D.C. to urge Congress to commit to robust and sustained investment in cancer research at the National Cancer Institute (NCI) and National Institutes of Health (NIH).
The following is a statement from ACS CAN President Lisa Lacasse:
“The President’s ongoing commitment to changing the trajectory of cancer is critical, as we need a national commitment to enact policies that will have wide reaching impact. We’ve made tremendous strides in how we prevent, detect, treat and survive cancer, but there is still much work to be done to improve the lives of those touched by this disease.
“The nomination of Dr. Renee Wegrzyn as the inaugural director of Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H), is a critical step in moving forward the important work on an agency developed to accelerate innovation and translate discovery from the lab to the patient’s bedside together with critically important federal investment in core biomedical and cancer research at the National Institutes of Health and National Cancer Institute.
“This year more than 1.9 million people will hear the words “You have cancer” and more than 609 thousand Americans will die from the disease. The President understands the ongoing impact of this disease on families across this country - having endured the loss of his son Beau following a cancer diagnosis. And he’s not alone. Everyone knows someone who has been impacted by this disease, whether a family member, friend or being diagnosed themselves.
“As the president delivers his remarks, hundreds of cancer advocates from every state in the country are in Washington to engage their members of Congress, urging lawmakers to make cancer a national priority. ACS CAN is committed to continuing to work with the president and all members of Congress to end cancer as we know it.”
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