Washington, DC ― Jayne O’Donnell reports in USA Today that Vice President Biden’s “cancer moonshot” will start crowdsourcing patients’ stories and experts’ research Wednesday on the blog platform Medium.com to help accelerate efforts to find a cancer cure.
President Obama put Biden, who lost his son Beau to cancer last year, in charge of the so-called moonshot during the State of the Union address in January and later proposed to spend $1 billion on cancer research. The effort is dubbed a moonshot because of its scope and big-picture hopes — reminiscent of President Kennedy’s plan 55 years ago to land on the moon.
Seven working groups were established this week for the moonshot, according to an essay on Medium by National Cancer Institute acting director Douglas Lowy. Each group has more than a dozen subject matter experts and patient advocates.
Starting this week and through the middle of summer, the working groups will discuss opportunities for cancer clinical trials, data sharing, pediatric cancer, immunology and prevention, precision prevention and early detection, implementation sciences, and tumor evolution and progression, Lowy wrote.
President Obama put Biden, who lost his son Beau to cancer last year, in charge of the so-called moonshot during the State of the Union address in January and later proposed to spend $1 billion on cancer research. The effort is dubbed a moonshot because of its scope and big-picture hopes — reminiscent of President Kennedy’s plan 55 years ago to land on the moon.
Seven working groups were established this week for the moonshot, according to an essay on Medium by National Cancer Institute acting director Douglas Lowy. Each group has more than a dozen subject matter experts and patient advocates.
Starting this week and through the middle of summer, the working groups will discuss opportunities for cancer clinical trials, data sharing, pediatric cancer, immunology and prevention, precision prevention and early detection, implementation sciences, and tumor evolution and progression, Lowy wrote.
About four years old, Medium has become one of official Washington’s favorite ways to bypass the traditional media with messages. The White House has used Medium several times, including to release Obama’s last two State of the Union addresses early and to post the Iran nuclear deal with congressional statements of support.
Now, Biden says he wants people with cancer stories of their own to join cancer researchers, oncologists and others to share data and their expertise on Medium.
The new Medium “publication” launches with essays by Biden, recent breast cancer survivor Sen. Claire McCaskill, D -Mo., and Lowy, a physician who is a physician.
As Lowy put it Tuesday, the White House and National Cancer Institute are “casting the widest net possible by inviting contributions from everyone.” They are also offering several places people can contribute, including scientific ideas at a National Cancer Institute site and a new White House hub.
To read the full story, click here.
Now, Biden says he wants people with cancer stories of their own to join cancer researchers, oncologists and others to share data and their expertise on Medium.
The new Medium “publication” launches with essays by Biden, recent breast cancer survivor Sen. Claire McCaskill, D -Mo., and Lowy, a physician who is a physician.
As Lowy put it Tuesday, the White House and National Cancer Institute are “casting the widest net possible by inviting contributions from everyone.” They are also offering several places people can contribute, including scientific ideas at a National Cancer Institute site and a new White House hub.
To read the full story, click here.
