In a notable assertion made on Tuesday, President Joe Biden announced that his administration had effectively “conquered cancer as it was traditionally understood.”
Biden made these remarks during a White House event dedicated to enhancing access to mental health care, where he highlighted his commitment to addressing America’s mental health crisis as part of his ‘unity agenda’.
Biden shared, “I am often asked why Americans seem to have temporarily lost faith in achieving grand objectives. When asked what I would do if I could accomplish anything, my answer is always – to find a cure for cancer. The skepticism on their faces arises from the belief that this is unattainable, but I firmly believe we can. We have revolutionized the fight against cancer.”
During his 2020 campaign, Biden made the ambitious pledge to conquer cancer, making it a central focus of his presidency. This mission carries a deeply personal significance for Biden, as his son, Beau, passed away from brain cancer in 2015.
Back in 2016, during the Obama administration, Biden spearheaded the “Cancer Moonshot” initiative, aimed at accelerating the search for a cancer cure. In 2022, he revitalized the program with the objective of reducing the cancer death rate by at least 50 percent over the forthcoming 25 years and committed to transforming fatal cancers into treatable conditions.
In 2021, after successfully navigating the challenges posed by the Covid-19 pandemic, the President stated that his next major scientific endeavor would be to eradicate cancer.