ASCO Praises Congress for Accelerating the Development and Delivery of Cancer Treatment With 21st Century Cures Act
In a statement released December 7, ASCO President Daniel F. Hayes, MD, FACP, FASCO, said, “ASCO applauds the U.S. Senate for their decisive vote today to pass the 21st Century Cures Act and authorize funding for the Beau Biden Cancer Moonshot and National Institutes of Health Innovation Projects. This landmark legislation will spur development and delivery of promising new treatments for patients. Recognizing the tremendous effort and dedication that went into advancing this legislation, we're thrilled the bill will soon be headed to President Obama for his signature.
“As the world's leading professional organization representing over 40,000 physicians and other health-care professionals who care for people with cancer, we understand all too well the challenge of developing the treatments and cures that will make a difference to patients. Thankfully, due to breakthroughs in precision medicine and renewed federal commitment to cancer research, most patients with cancer have better treatment outcomes than ever before.
“Today's passage of the 21st Century Cures Act will help us continue this momentum and build on this incredible scientific progress to offer all patients hope and better treatment options.
“The remarkable bipartisan, bicameral support for the 21st Century Cures Act proves that congressional lawmakers are serious about the need for scientific research, effective care delivery, and the removal of barriers to scientific progress. We thank Chairman Lamar Alexander (R-TN) and Ranking Member Patty Murray (D-WA) for their persistent effort and leadership in advancing this legislation in the Senate. ASCO stands ready as a resource to support the implementation of Cures, as well as other legislation to advance cancer care.”
The content in this post has not been reviewed by the American Society of Clinical Oncology, Inc. (ASCO®) and does not necessarily reflect the ideas and opinions of ASCO®.
