Leaders with the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN) recently started a new ad campaign that encourages the public and Congress to focus on prioritizing federal funding dedicated to cancer research.
This national Cancer Moonshot Initiative shows that there exists a historic opportunity for the U.S. to strengthen its fight against cancer.
“Federally funded cancer research is the engine behind our ongoing fight against cancer,” Chris Hansen, president of ACS CAN, said. “A substantial funding increase now — when we’re on the cusp of so many promising new diagnostic tools and innovative treatments — has the potential to change the course of this disease and rapidly accelerate the pace of progress. We urge lawmakers to seize this rare opportunity and significantly increase funding so we as a nation can maximize opportunities to bring lab discoveries from the bench to the bedside.”
Experts estimate that cancer will kill approximately 595,000 people in the U.S. this year alone.
“The Moonshot provides hope to the nearly 1.7 million Americans who will be diagnosed this year and the nearly 15.5 million cancer survivors to whom we are committed to developing new early detection tests and improved, targeted treatments,” Hansen said. “The National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the National Cancer Institute (NCI) budgets have been severely constrained in recent years, but last year for the first time in more than a decade, members of Congress from both sides of the aisle came together to increase funding. To fully get research budgets back on track and make up for lost time, consistent and robust funding increases year over year are critical.”
Campaign ads are scheduled to be shown in Capitol Hill print publications as well as online national outlets.
