FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 13, 2022
STATEMENT FROM NCODA LEGISLATIVE & POLICY ADVISORY COMMITTEE
Contact: Kevin Scorsone | NCODA Legislative & Policy Liaison
Phone: (919) 903-2057
Email: kevin.scorsone@ncoda.org
www.ncoda.org
On the afternoon of Monday, September 12, President Biden arrived in Boston and made his way to the John F. Kennedy (JFK) Presidential Library. His visit was focused on outlining a ‘national purpose.’ That purpose – to end cancer as we know it. It was no accident that Biden chose the JFK Library to deliver this speech. He referenced JFK’s famed “moonshot” speech from 1962 and said the “Cancer Moonshot” initiative is very similar to the Space Race.
The goal of this initiative is to reduce cancer deaths by 50% over the next 25 years, and with doing that, Biden hopes to improve the quality of care and quality of life for all people diagnosed with cancer. Biden attempted to channel JFK’s moonshot program but there are some noticeable differences. The Apollo Program garnered massive public investment – more than $20 billion, or more than $220 billion in 2022 dollars adjusted for inflation. Biden’s effort is far more modest and reliant on private sector investment.
The Biden Administration sees huge potential in blood diagnostic tests that would be able to identify cancers early on. These tests would be able to diagnose multiple cancers. This process would create the ability for cancers to be detected early on and increase the chance of survival in a drastic way. Experts agree that it’s far too early to say whether these new blood tests for detecting cancer in healthy people will have any effect on cancer death rates. There have been no studies to show they reduce the risk of dying from cancer. Still, experts say setting an ambitious goal is important.
In 2022, the American Cancer Society estimates, 1.9 million new cancer cases will be diagnosed, and 609,360 people will die of cancer diseases. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ranks cancer as the second leading killer of people in the U.S. after heart disease.
NCODA will always be optimistic and supportive of initiatives that create a better life for cancer patients. If we as a nation can reduce cancer deaths over the next quarter century, then it would be a tremendous success. We will continue to update our membership on progress related to President Biden’s “Cancer Moonshot” program and all other legislative efforts focused on oncology.
NCODA credits Zeke Miller and Carla K. Johnson of the Associated Press for information in this statement.
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About NCODA:
NCODA is a leading non-profit organization dedicated to empowering medically-integrated oncology practices to deliver positive, patient-centered outcomes by providing leadership, expertise, quality standards, and best practices. For more information about NCODA visit www.ncoda.org or follow @NCODA on LinkedIn.
