The Cancer Moonshot: Overview and Issues (CRS Report for Congress)
| Release Date |
Sept. 29, 2023 |
| Report Number |
IF12504 |
| Report Type |
In Focus |
| Authors |
Kavya Sekar |
| Source Agency |
Congressional Research Service |
Summary:
Cancer was the second-leading cause of death in the United
States in 2021. For decades, Congress has maintained a
sustained interest in reducing cancer mortality, particularly
by funding cancer research at the National Institutes of
Health (NIH). In 2016, the 21st Century Cures Act (Cures
Act; P.L. 114-255) authorized appropriations for the Cancer
Moonshot initiative at NIH, which expires at the end of
FY2023. President Biden previously signaled that
reauthorization of the program is a priority. Congress has
not considered any bills to reauthorize the Cancer
Moonshot program.
The Cancer Moonshot was originally established in 2016 as
a biomedical research program with the broad goal of
making a decade’s worth of scientific progress in
preventing and treating cancer in just five years. In 2022,
President Biden announced a “reignited” Cancer Moonshot
effort. This new Biden Administration Cancer Moonshot
would also incorporate other health policy strategies, such
as promoting access to cancer care and screening, in
addition to biomedical research. The Biden Administration
further announced programs and actions under the Cancer
Moonshot in September 2023. If Congress considers
reauthorization or other Cancer Moonshot-related
legislation, policymakers might consider what priorities, if
any, to establish for the Cancer Moonshot initiative, and
specifically to what extent the program should support
biomedical research compared with other health programs.
