By Tim Mastro

DOVER — President Joe Biden recently relaunched his Cancer Moonshot with the goal of at least a 50% reduction in cancer mortality in the next 25 years.

Delaware has improved its cancer mortality rate but, according to a recent Delaware Division of Public Health report, Cancer Incidence and Mortality in Delaware, it still ranks 15th highest in the nation.

Jocelyn Collins, Delaware government relations director of the American Cancer Society advocacy affiliate Cancer Action Network, said an estimated 7,000 Delawareans will be diagnosed with cancer this year and an estimated 2,200 will die. With these significant numbers, ACS CAN applauded the president for putting the national focus back on cancer.

“It reignites that commitment,” Ms. Collins said. “The administration has signaled this is a huge priority for them. That speaks volumes.”

Cancer Moonshot dates back to 2016 when Biden was vice president under the Obama administration, authorizing $1.8 billion in funding over seven years to accelerate scientific discovery in cancer, foster greater collaboration and improve the sharing of data.

Ms. Collins said the funding goes toward prevention programs, new cancer screening technology, immunotherapy in certain types of head and neck cancers, programs to quit smoking and advocacy to help advance public policy, which will cut down on certain cancer risk factors and promote early screenings.

Prevention programs in Delaware include the Screening for Life program — the state’s breast and cervical cancer screening and treatment program for low-income uninsured and underinsured women administered by the DPH.

ACS CAN is working to support the Delaware Health Fund’s recommendations for a $1.9 million increase to funding for evidence-based, statewide tobacco prevention and cessation programs which currently are funded at $7.1 million.

The increase to $9 million would bring Delaware’s funding for tobacco control programs to over 60% of the U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s recommended guidelines.

“We believe that one day we will eradicate cancer,” Ms. Collins said. “That will happen not only through the research side but also through advocacy from not only the federal level but also from the state and local level.”

ACS CAN estimates there will be approximately 1.9 million people diagnosed with cancer and more than 600,000 people in the U.S. will die from cancer in 2022.

CEO Dr. Karen E. Knudsen said there is still “significant progress that must be made to ensure everyone has a fair and just opportunity to prevent, detect, treat and survive cancer.”

She called for increasing access to guarantee everyone can utilize proven cancer prevention strategies such as mammograms, pap tests and colonoscopies.

“We must also ensure everyone has access to affordable, comprehensive health care coverage and can take a significant step toward that goal by closing the Medicaid coverage gap,” Dr. Knudsen said. “Finally, we must work to ensure no matter how much money you make, the color of your skin, your sexual orientation, your gender identity, your disability status or where you live, you have equal opportunity to benefit from discovery. No one should be disadvantaged in their fight against this disease.”

To learn how to prevent, detect and treat chronic diseases or obtain assistance with a cancer screening, visit the state’s Healthy Delaware website at HealthyDelaware.org.

“Screenings are essential,” Ms. Collins said. “Make sure you’re getting the proper screenings at different ages. If you have a history of cancer in your family, it is even more important to get screened early. Stay on top of that — early screenings save lives.”