In 1971, U.S. President Richard Nixon signed the "National Cancer Act," initiating a determined battle against cancer. Fast forward to 2016, and (then) Vice President Joe Biden launched the Cancer Moonshot with a $1.8 billion investment, aiming to expedite progress against cancer through improved data sharing, accessibility, and advancements in precision medicine. Building upon this, President Biden relaunched the Cancer Moonshot in 2022, setting a target of reducing cancer incidence by 50% in 25 years and allocating a budget of $2.8 billion in 2023 to support this endeavor.
Yet, after six decades, the accomplishments stand disappointingly modest, and the aspirations have dwindled. While strides have been made in smoking cessation and proactive cancer screening, the battle against many cancer types, particularly metastatic tumors, has seen meager advancements. The prevailing treatment landscape primarily relies on the imprecise tools of radiation and chemotherapy, burdened with debilitating side effects. Moreover, even in cases of successful treatments, cancer survivors are haunted by the constant specter of disease recurrence. In less privileged nations, access to diagnoses and treatments becomes an arduous struggle, leading to a distressing surge in cancer mortality rates.
