Cancer Moonshot: One Year Later Summit to Celebrate Progress & Identify Gaps in Cancer Care

WASHINGTON, June 27, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Amid proposed federal government budget cuts, more than 250 cancer researchers, medical professionals, policymakers, patients, caregivers, survivors, and advocates will convene in Washington, D.C. today for Cancer Moonshot: One Year Later. The summit is jointly hosted by seven of the leading cancer organizations: Cancer Support Community (CSC), American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN), CancerCare, Friends of Cancer Research, LIVESTRONG Foundation, National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship (NCCS), and the National Patient Advocate Foundation (NPAF). Following the launch of the Biden Cancer Initiative yesterday, the summit will celebrate the Biden Cancer Moonshot Initiative's first-year of progress, identify gaps, define opportunities for ongoing and new collaborative action, and continue to build momentum around the national effort to end cancer as we know it.

"This second gathering of such a large and varied group of stakeholders is proof of the far-reaching impact of Vice President Biden's call to action," remarked Kim Thiboldeaux, CEO of CSC. "In the face of proposed government budget cuts, the non-profit and corporate sectors are stepping up to carry the Moonshot forward, demonstrating a collective unwavering commitment to reaching its goal."

The Cancer Moonshot aims to dramatically accelerate progress toward cures—to make a decade's worth of advances in cancer prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and care in just five years. In his final State of the Union address in January 2016, former President Barack Obama tasked former Vice President Joe Biden with leading the Cancer Moonshot. At the June 2016 Cancer Moonshot Summit, Vice President Biden called on stakeholders to publicly pledge commitments to ensure the Cancer Moonshot, an unprecedented collaboration between researchers, oncologists, care providers, philanthropists, data and technology experts, advocates, patients, and survivors, would reach its goal by 2020.

"The Cancer Moonshot Initiative, led by Vice President Biden, really galvanized people to work together. CSC is helping maintain our collective sense of optimism by convening various groups to identify opportunities for progress. We urge Congress and the current administration to build on this momentum and continue to make fighting cancer a top national priority," said Chris Hansen, President of the ACS CAN.

For more information, please visit Cancer Moonshot: One Year Later.

Join on Facebook Live at 10 a.m. ET: www.facebook.com/CancerSupportCommunity

Henry Duong
626-283-9563
[email protected] 

SOURCE The Cancer Support Community