President Biden has announced the bold and ambitious relaunch of the “Cancer Moonshot” initiative, aiming to reduce the death rate from cancer by 50 percent in the next 25 years. The Prostate Cancer Foundation (PCF) applauds this “all-hands-on-deck” approach to mobilize foundations, patient organizations, healthcare providers, and all Americans to defeat cancer.
“PCF fully supports the goals of the Cancer Moonshot and is prepared to do what is needed to accelerate progress,” says PCF CEO Charles J. Ryan, MD. “To reduce death and suffering we need to dive deep into the biology and as deeply into the barriers that patients face when seeking screening, diagnosis and care.”
This announcement aligns with PCF’s mission to end all death and suffering from prostate cancer. For nearly three decades, PCF has worked closely with the United States government to end deaths from prostate cancer and improve the lives of millions of men who are battling this disease. Since 1993, PCF has raised close to $1 billion in support of cutting-edge research by nearly 1400 scientists at 245 leading cancer centers in 28 countries around the world.
As the world’s leading philanthropic organization dedicated to funding life-saving prostate cancer research, PCF had the privilege to answer the call to forge new partnerships and launch new programs six years ago when then-Vice President Biden challenged the cancer community to step up and double the rate of progress for cancer patients. On behalf of three million patients battling prostate cancer, and thousands of researchers working to end cancer as we know it, we are excited to continue our work and build upon those efforts.
We join President Biden and the cancer community with the shared goal of reducing the death rate by half and helping patients and their families live well, beyond cancer. By doing this and more, together, we will end not just prostate cancer, but all cancer as we know it today.
Charles J. Ryan, MD
President and Chief Executive Officer