In a statement, the White House said that President Joe Biden is reviving the Cancer Moonshot initiative he launched in 2016 as vice president with a view to making progress against cancer.
"Because of recent progress in cancer therapeutics, diagnostics, and patient-driven care, as well as the scientific advances and public health lessons of the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s now possible to set ambitious goals: to reduce the death rate from cancer by at least 50 percent over the next 25 years," the statement read.
This program will allow people with cancer or those who have survived cancer and their families to improve their lives, and, "by doing this and more, end cancer as we know it today."
The Biden administration will also take action to jumpstart cancer screenings missed as a result of the pandemic, the statement read.
Other steps include diagnosing cancer sooner and preventing the disease.
"Today, we know cancer as a disease we have people and families too few good ways to prevent. But now, scientists are asking if mRNA technology, used in the safe and effective COVID-19 vaccines to teach your body to fight off the virus, could be used to stop cancer cells when they first appear," the statement added. "And we know we can address environmental exposures to cancer, including by cleaning up polluted sites and delivering clean water to American homes, for example, through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law."
The White House also called for action to speed up progress in fighting the most deadly types of cancer, including childhood cancers, and provide additional support to patients, caregivers and survivors.