President says it's within our power to "end cancer as we know it"

 

​ACS CAN reacts.

During his address to a joint session of Congress on April 28, President Biden called on lawmakers to "end cancer as we know it."

"I can think of no more worthy investment, nothing more bipartisan, so let's end cancer as we know it . . .It is within our power to do it," he said.

The president noted that the Defense Department has an agency, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, to develop breakthroughs that advance our national security. He said he believes the National Institutes of Health should create a similar advanced research projects agency for health. "And here's what it would do — it would have a singular purpose: To develop breakthroughs – to prevent, detect, and treat diseases like Alzheimer's, diabetes, and cancer," he said.

Below is a statement from ACS CAN President Lisa Lacasse:

“We are thrilled President Biden has committed to a huge investment in the fight against cancer. We urge the administration to both prioritize innovation and sustain robust funding for cancer research at the National Institutes of Health and National Cancer Institute that has saved countless lives over the last half century. Every major cancer research breakthrough of the last 50 years is due to federal funding. ACS CAN looks forward to working with the Biden Administration to accelerate cancer research and discovery.”

The president's son, Beau Biden, died of brain cancer on May 30, 2015, at age 46. 

*Shared from MySocietySource.