Coaches vs. Cancer adds to National Effort to Fight Cancer

The President recommits reigniting Cancer Moonshot to reduce cancer mortality and other services.

The impact of Coaches vs. Cancer, fighting against cancer with prevention, detection, treatment and survival, is now part of the national reignition of Cancer Moonshot, as announced by the White House earlier this year. In his State of the Union address, President Joe Biden called on the nation to work together to end cancer, working with the American Cancer Society (ACS) and its advocacy affiliate, the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN).

Executive director of the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) Craig Robinson and Coaches vs. Cancer Council Chairman Lon Kruger welcome the partnership between the NABC and ACS. The Coaches vs. Cancer Council is comprised of high school basketball and college coaches and officials who work to increase awareness and help raise money for the Coaches vs. Cancer program.

The President announced he is “reigniting” his commitment to “end cancer as we know it,” building on the initial and robust cancer moonshot investment. According to the White House, this critical national health issue impacts 1 in 2 men and 1 in 3 women in their lifetime.

“The American Cancer Society and the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network have a long track record of programs, public policies and advocacy aligned with the President’s priorities for ending cancer as we know it and we stand ready to make the Moonshot goal a reality,” said Dr. Karen E. Knudsen, CEO of ACS and ACS CAN in a press statement released Feb. 2, 2022.

Statistics released by the White House estimate that roughly 1.9 million people will be diagnosed with cancer, and more than 600,000 people in the U.S. will die this year. The Biden administration is dedicated to devoting resources of the federal government to decreasing cancer mortality by at least 50 percent in the next 25 years.

Another aspect is improving the affordability of care with access to paid medical and family leave for cancer patients, caregivers and survivors. According to a recent ACS CAN survey, 74 percent of respondents (cancer patients and survivors) missed work due to their illness, with over 69 percent reporting missing over four weeks of work.

Former Missouri basketball coach Norm Stewart founded Coaches vs. Cancer due to his diagnosis and treatment of colon cancer. In 1989, he was forced to cut his season short due to his illness, and he wanted to fight cancer with the help of others in his profession. With a new national focus on fighting cancer, the mission of the Coaches vs. Cancer program has impacted Southern Nevada as part of the national effort.

With disparities facing multicultural communities concerning fighting cancer, the President is working with Congress to expand educational programs in Historically Black Colleges and Universities, especially medical schools. In addition, through its Diversity in Cancer Research program, ACS invested in Cancer Health Equity Research Centers at minority-serving institutions. Far-reaching programs such as these, with the support of Coaches vs. Cancer, serve the multicultural communities.

Other goals of Cancer Moonshot include increased access to health coverage, additional funding for cancer research, a proposed new agency— Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health— and removing flavoring from all tobacco products.