About the Cancer Moonshot℠ - NCI 7/8/24, 7:34 PM

About the Cancer Moonshot℠

The Cancer Moonshot, initially
funded through the 21st Century The Cancer
Cures Act passed in 2016, rests on a Cabinet
solid foundation of scientific
President Biden
research. By focusing on areas of
formed a Cancer
cancer research that are most likely
Cabinet, convened
to benefit patients as a result of new
by the White
investment, the Cancer Moonshot
House, that brings
has brought together a large
together agencies
community of patients, advocates,
from across the
researchers, and clinicians who are
federal
dedicated to advancing research to
government—
improve the lives of people with
including NCI—to
cancer, those at risk, and their loved
drive progress
ones.
against cancer.
Today, that community is building Learn how the
on the Cancer Moonshot’s Cancer Cabinet is
momentum, to deliver on even working with the
bolder goals: to reduce the cancer Cancer Moonshot
death rate by half within 25 years to push progress
and improve the lives of people with forward for cancer
cancer and cancer survivors. This patients and their
next phase of the Cancer Moonshot, families.
kickstarted in 2022 by President
Biden with new goals, emphasizes
the role that Americans themselves can play in this e!ort—by
getting back to cancer screenings missed during the pandemic,

https://www.cancer.gov/research/key-initiatives/moonshot-cancer-initiative/about#latest-cancer-moonshot-research-goals Page 1 of 7
About the Cancer Moonshot℠ - NCI 7/8/24, 7:34 PM

quitting smoking, and even participating in research—and how

agencies across the federal government can work together to
further support these goals.

Since the launch of the Cancer Moonshot in 2016, remarkable

progress has been made. NCI has supported more than 250
research projects that achieved the original Cancer Moonshot
goals of accelerating discovery, increasing collaboration, and
expanding data sharing among the research community. These
projects are delivering important insights into the mechanisms
that drive cancer and have identified candidates for new cancer
treatments, as well as new approaches to preventing and
detecting cancer. Although funding for the initial Cancer
Moonshot, through the 21st Century Cures Act, extends only
through fiscal year 2023, NCI is committed to continuing to
support the most promising ongoing research projects to
completion.

Latest Cancer Moonshot Research Goals

This next phase of the Cancer Moonshot emphasizes the role

that Americans themselves can play—by getting back to cancer
screenings missed during the pandemic, quitting smoking, and
even participating in research—and how agencies across the
federal government can work together to further support these
goals. As the Cancer Moonshot continues, NCI is focusing on
activities that support these bold goals. Several initiatives have
already been launched or will soon launch that will address the
goals of the next phase of the Cancer Moonshot.

Include more people in expanded and

modernized cancer clinical trials
Clinical trials are the way new cancer prevention, screening, and
treatment approaches are evaluated, and they are a

https://www.cancer.gov/research/key-initiatives/moonshot-cancer-initiative/about#latest-cancer-moonshot-research-goals Page 2 of 7
About the Cancer Moonshot℠ - NCI 7/8/24, 7:34 PM

fundamental part of how cancer drugs and devices are

developed and brought to patients. By including people from all
backgrounds in clinical trials, we can ensure that new
approaches to preventing and treating cancer work for
everyone.

Today, only a small percentage of people with cancer participate

in clinical trials. In large part, this is because trials are often
designed with overly broad exclusion criteria, and participation
can be burdensome for patients. Substantially increasing the
number of people who participate in NCI-sponsored clinical trials
is an ambitious undertaking, but it is necessary to develop new
prevention, diagnosis, and treatment approaches more quickly.

Cancer Cabinet Community Conversations: Doubling Cli…

Increase the pipeline of new cancer drugs

NCI invests heavily in opportunities to speed delivery of cancer
drugs and vaccines to prevent and treat cancer, including cancer
types for which progress has been limited. To fuel sustained
progress that serves the needs of people with cancer and those
at risk of cancer, we must increase the number of meritorious
investigator-initiated research proposals we fund. Doing so will
help build a deeper understanding of cancer’s complex biology,
which can stimulate new strategies to prevent, screen for,

https://www.cancer.gov/research/key-initiatives/moonshot-cancer-initiative/about#latest-cancer-moonshot-research-goals Page 3 of 7
About the Cancer Moonshot℠ - NCI 7/8/24, 7:34 PM

diagnose, and treat cancer. We also aim to increase investment

in the NCI Experimental Therapeutics (NExT) program, our
flagship program that moves promising drugs and interventions
from early-stage discovery to selection of candidates for clinical
trials to Food and Drug Administration review and approval.

Ensure access to current and new standards of

cancer care
The field of implementation science develops and tests how
people access care, including methods aimed at ensuring
interventions that are proven to be e!ective through research—
and go on to become the standard of care—are accessible to
anyone seeking cancer care in their community. NCI will expand
research in this area to better understand and address barriers
that prevent the uptake of e!ective approaches, and how to
overcome those barriers, so that all people benefit equitably
from cancer research advances.

Enhance diversity in the cancer research

workforce
A vibrant biomedical research workforce, made up of
professionals with diverse perspectives, is essential to address
the formidable challenges presented by cancer. NCI will
introduce new programs to attract scientists of diverse
backgrounds to cancer research and improve their inclusion in
training environments. See Cancer Moonshot Scholars below.

The White House invites organizations,

companies, and institutions to share actions
they plan to take as part of the mission to
end cancer as we know it. People with direct
experience with cancer are encouraged to
share ideas and stories of inspiration. Visit

https://www.cancer.gov/research/key-initiatives/moonshot-cancer-initiative/about#latest-cancer-moonshot-research-goals Page 4 of 7
About the Cancer Moonshot℠ - NCI 7/8/24, 7:34 PM

whitehouse.gov/cancermoonshot to share.

New and Upcoming Cancer Moonshot

Programs

Several initiatives have already been launched or will soon

launch that will address the goals of the next phase of the
Cancer Moonshot:

Major trial to evaluate multi-cancer detection

tests
Multi-cancer detection blood tests may provide less-invasive
tools for early detection of cancer and improved health
outcomes. The NCI Multi-Cancer Detection (MCD) Test Vanguard
Study is a 4-year pilot study that will enroll 24,000 people ages
45 to 70 to inform the design of a much larger randomized
controlled trial involving about 225,000 people. The study will
evaluate whether the benefits of using MCD tests to screen for
cancer outweigh the harms, and whether they can detect cancer
early enough to reduce deaths.

The Vanguard study will be conducted through the NCI Cancer

Screening Research Network (CSRN), a new network of
organizations to include health care systems, practice-based
networks, academic institutions, and consortia of researchers.
Members of existing clinical trial networks such as NCI’s National
Clinical Trials Network and the NCI Community Oncology
Research Program may also participate. Funding opportunities
to develop the CSRN and the Vanguard study will be released in
late 2022, and NCI will begin recruiting volunteers for the study
in 2024.

Cancer Moonshot Scholars

https://www.cancer.gov/research/key-initiatives/moonshot-cancer-initiative/about#latest-cancer-moonshot-research-goals Page 5 of 7
About the Cancer Moonshot℠ - NCI 7/8/24, 7:34 PM

Cancer Moonshot Scholars is an early-career grant program with

a focus on developing a cancer research workforce that is
representative of the US population. The program aims to
improve the diversity of the applicant pool for NCI R01 grant
funding. The program will provide grants to early-stage
investigators from underrepresented groups to support the next
generation of diverse, world-class scientists and health
innovators.

NCI intends to fund at least 45 early-stage investigators in initial

rounds beginning in 2023, with project periods of up to 5 years,
investing approximately $135 million.

Telehealth research centers

The NCI Telehealth Research Centers of Excellence (TRACE)
program aims to determine whether the use of telehealth can
improve cancer-related care and outcomes across the cancer
control continuum. A centerpiece of the program will be a trial to
evaluate how telehealth—used broadly during the COVID-19
pandemic—practiced in a real-world clinical environment may
improve patient access, quality of care, patient-provider
communication, and health outcomes for people of all ages and
all socioeconomic and geographic backgrounds.

NCI is investing $23 million in the program over 5 years (2022-

2027) to four academic research institutions. Each center will
focus on an overarching cancer-focused telehealth research
theme that will frame their studies and will work with local
clinical practices in their areas to support the studies.

Related Resources
As Part of President Biden’s Unity Agenda, White House Cancer
Moonshot Announces New Actions and Commitments to End
Cancer as We Know It

https://www.cancer.gov/research/key-initiatives/moonshot-cancer-initiative/about#latest-cancer-moonshot-research-goals Page 6 of 7
About the Cancer Moonshot℠ - NCI 7/8/24, 7:34 PM

President Biden’s Budget Accelerates Progress Toward the Goal

of Ending Cancer as We Know It
On One Year Anniversary of Reignited Cancer Moonshot,
Biden-Harris Administration Announces New Actions to End
Cancer as We Know It
President Biden Details Cancer Moonshot Progress and New
Initiatives on 60th Anniversary of President Kennedy’s Moonshot
Address
President Biden Appoints Cancer Panel Members and Cancer
Cabinet Unveils Priority Actions
Private Sector Steps Up on Cancer Moonshot Call to Action on
Cancer Screening
White House Announces Initial Steps for Reignited Cancer
Moonshot
President Biden Reignites Cancer Moonshot to End Cancer as We
Know It

Updated: December 4, 2023

If you would like to reproduce some or all of this content, see Reuse
of NCI Information for guidance about copyright and permissions. In
the case of permitted digital reproduction, please credit the National
Cancer Institute as the source and link to the original NCI product
using the original product's title; e.g., “About the Cancer Moonshot℠
was originally published by the National Cancer Institute.”

https://www.cancer.gov/research/key-initiatives/moonshot-cancer-initiative/about#latest-cancer-moonshot-research-goals Page 7 of 7