Cancer Moonshot: Hopeful Breakthroughs in 2025

Understanding the Cancer Moonshot Initiative

The Cancer Moonshot is a bold, national effort to accelerate cancer research, prevention, diagnosis, and treatment. It aims to cut the cancer death rate in half and dramatically improve the lives of those affected by cancer.

Here’s a quick look at what the Cancer Moonshot is:

• What it is: A comprehensive national initiative to accelerate breakthroughs in cancer research and care.
• Primary Goal 1: Reduce the age-adjusted cancer death rate by at least 50% over the next 25 years.
• Primary Goal 2: Make a decade’s worth of progress in cancer prevention, diagnosis, and treatment in just five years.
• Primary Goal 3: Improve the experience of patients and survivors.

This ambitious initiative was first launched in 2016 by President Barack Obama, with then-Vice President Joe Biden at the helm. It gained renewed momentum and even bolder goals when President Biden reignited the effort in 2022.

The motivation behind the Cancer Moonshot is deeply personal for President Biden, who lost his son Beau to brain cancer in 2015. He once shared, “I am not a researcher. I am not an oncologist. I am not a geneticist. I am a Vice President of the United States. But I’ve been on the other end of the need.” This personal connection fuels a nationwide mission to “end cancer as we know it.” It brings together government agencies, researchers, healthcare providers, and the public in an unprecedented “whole-of-society” approach.

As Dr. Maria Chatzou Dunford, CEO and Co-founder of Lifebit, I’ve dedicated over 15 years to advancing precision medicine and biomedical data integration, contributing to breakthroughs in genomic data analysis that support ambitious initiatives like the Cancer Moonshot. My work focuses on enabling secure, federated data analysis to power data-driven drug findy for large-scale efforts.

What is the Cancer Moonshot Initiative?

The Cancer Moonshot is a powerful national program designed to accelerate cancer research and improve patient outcomes. It’s a mission to fundamentally change how we prevent, detect, and treat cancer, with the ultimate goal of making it a manageable, and even curable, disease for more people.

First launched in 2016 under the Obama administration and led by then-Vice President Joe Biden, the initiative was reignited by President Biden in 2022 with even bolder goals. To coordinate this massive effort, the White House established the Cancer Cabinet, bringing federal agencies together in a “whole-of-government” approach.

The Origins and Leadership

President Biden’s leadership is fueled by a deeply personal connection, having lost his son Beau to brain cancer in 2015. This experience drives his commitment to the cause. The initiative gained strong bipartisan support, leading to crucial funding through the 21st Century Cures Act in 2016. This act provided the initial investment to boost biomedical research and kickstart the Cancer Moonshot. This widespread commitment highlights a shared national desire to conquer cancer. To dive deeper into the administration’s goals, we invite you to Explore White House Objectives to End Cancer.

The Ambitious Goals of the Cancer Moonshot

The Cancer Moonshot‘s primary goals are ambitious: to reduce the age-adjusted cancer death rate by at least 50% over 25 years and to make a decade’s worth of progress in just five years. Beyond these metrics, the initiative focuses on improving the patient experience for those living with and surviving cancer. A core component is addressing inequities in cancer care, ensuring that breakthroughs reach all communities, regardless of background or location. This effort relies on modern tools, where technologies like AI are key to accelerating research and ensuring equitable access. To learn more about how technology is changing cancer care, you can find More on AI for Precision Medicine.

Fueling the Mission: Funding, Programs, and Partnerships

Building a bridge to a healthier future requires significant fuel in the form of funding, smart programs, and powerful partnerships. That’s exactly what powers the Cancer Moonshot, changing ambitious goals into tangible progress through a carefully orchestrated allocation of resources and expertise.

This initiative thrives on a synergistic collaboration between the public and private sectors. At the federal level, key players include the National Cancer Institute (NCI), the government’s principal agency for cancer research and training, and the newly established Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H), which is designed to accelerate high-risk, high-reward biomedical breakthroughs. Federal funding is amplified through a vast network of partners, creating a powerful ecosystem for innovation. This collaborative framework is crucial for leveraging advanced technologies like the AI Drug Findy Platform.

Funding and Budgetary Landscape

The financial engine of the Cancer Moonshot was ignited by the 21st Century Cures Act of 2016, which allocated $1.8 billion over seven years to the initiative. This foundational investment has been supplemented by continuous federal appropriations and targeted funding. For instance, the reignited Moonshot under President Biden has seen dedicated funds channeled into specific high-priority areas. The proposed FY25 Budget exemplifies this commitment, with significant investments planned for the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to improve cancer research and care for veterans, particularly those exposed to toxic substances. ARPA-H itself received a substantial budget to pursue disruptive innovations, a portion of which directly supports Moonshot goals. While the exact figures fluctuate with annual budgetary discussions, the consistent bipartisan support signals a strong national will to maintain this investment. Advocacy groups like the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) play a vital role in championing stable, predictable, and long-term funding to ensure research momentum is not lost.

Key Research Areas and Programs

The Cancer Moonshot supports a diverse portfolio of over 250 research projects and 70 programs, each designed to attack cancer from a different angle. This multi-pronged strategy ensures that progress is made across the entire cancer care continuum. Key initiatives include:

• NCI Cancer Research Data Commons (CRDC): More than just a database, the CRDC is a cloud-based infrastructure that allows researchers to share and analyze vast cancer datasets in a secure, collaborative environment. It breaks down data silos, enabling scientists to find patterns across diverse data types (genomic, proteomic, clinical). Our federated data analysis platform improves this by allowing analysis on data where it resides, preserving privacy and security. Learn about the NCI Cancer Research Data Commons.
• Human Tumor Atlas Network (HTAN): This program is creating detailed, three-dimensional maps of human tumors and their surrounding microenvironments. By charting the cellular and molecular landscapes of cancers as they develop and spread, HTAN provides unprecedented insights into tumor progression, metastasis, and drug resistance, guiding the development of more effective therapies.
• Immuno-Oncology Translational Network (IOTN): Focused on one of the most promising areas of cancer treatment, the IOTN works to accelerate the development of immunotherapies. It connects researchers to solve key challenges in immuno-oncology, such as understanding why some patients respond to these therapies while others do not, and developing next-generation treatments.
• Precision Surgical Interventions Program: This initiative funds the development of advanced imaging and robotic technologies to help surgeons visualize and remove tumors with greater precision. The goal is to improve surgical outcomes by ensuring all cancerous tissue is removed while sparing healthy tissue, reducing side effects and recurrence rates.
• Childhood Cancer Data Initiative (CCDI): Recognizing the unique challenges of pediatric cancers, the CCDI is a $50 million annual initiative focused on collecting, analyzing, and sharing data to drive progress against childhood cancers. It aims to create a community of researchers, clinicians, and patients to learn from every child with cancer.
• mRNA Technology Exploration: Building on the success of COVID-19 vaccines, the Moonshot is investing in research to explore the use of mRNA technology for new cancer vaccines and treatments. These could potentially train a patient’s immune system to recognize and attack their specific cancer cells.
• Multi-Cancer Detection (MCD) Tests: The Moonshot is funding large-scale clinical trials for new blood tests that can detect many types of cancer from a single sample, often before symptoms appear. The NCI’s Vanguard study, for example, is a pilot program to evaluate the feasibility of using MCD tests in a large healthcare system.

Fostering Collaboration Across Sectors

The Cancer Moonshot‘s success hinges on teamwork. Its “whole-of-government” approach involves agencies beyond the traditional health sphere. The Department of Defense (DoD) conducts cancer research relevant to military personnel, the Department of Energy (DOE) applies its supercomputing power to analyze complex cancer data, and the VA runs extensive clinical trials for veterans. This federal effort is matched by robust partnerships with Academia, where universities and research institutes conduct foundational studies, and Private Industry, where pharmaceutical and biotech companies develop and commercialize new drugs and diagnostic tools. Non-profits like the American Cancer Society (ACS) and Stand Up To Cancer provide crucial funding, patient support, and advocacy.

The initiative’s collaborative spirit extends globally through International Partners. The Quad Cancer Moonshot (U.S., Australia, Japan, India) and specific collaborations in the UK, India, and across Africa foster global data sharing and research coordination. This intricate web of collaboration is where our secure, federated data analysis platform becomes indispensable, enabling seamless data sharing across institutions and national borders to accelerate findy. By connecting disparate datasets, we help open up unprecedented insights. For more on how we facilitate this, explore Cancer Research Data Collaboration Horizons.

A Giant Leap for Cancer Care: Progress and Problems

The Cancer Moonshot represents a giant leap forward in the fight against cancer, sparking tangible progress in prevention, early detection, and treatment. By mobilizing a national effort and focusing resources on high-impact areas, the initiative is turning scientific possibilities into clinical realities.

With its portfolio of over 250 research projects and more than 70 programs, the initiative has already led to significant advancements. While formidable challenges remain, the progress so far provides immense hope and a clear path forward. The central role of data in these breakthroughs is undeniable. To understand this better, learn more about Utilizing Oncological Data for Findy & Validation.

Progress in Prevention and Diagnosis

A major success of the Cancer Moonshot lies in its renewed focus on preventing cancers before they start and detecting them earlier when they are most treatable. The initiative has championed public health campaigns and policy changes to reduce cancer risk factors, such as promoting smoking cessation and increasing HPV vaccination rates to prevent cervical and other cancers. Key diagnostic advancements include:

• Expanded Screening Guidelines: The Moonshot has supported efforts to update and broaden screening recommendations. For example, lowering the recommended age for colorectal cancer screening to 45 has already begun to save lives. Similar efforts have expanded access to low-dose CT scans for lung cancer screening in high-risk individuals.
• At-Home and Accessible Testing: To overcome barriers to screening, the initiative has promoted innovations like HPV self-collection testing. This allows individuals to collect a sample at home, making cervical cancer screening more accessible, particularly in underserved communities.
• Multi-Cancer Detection (MCD) Tests: A cornerstone of the Moonshot’s diagnostic strategy is the development of MCD tests. These blood tests analyze biomarkers like circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) to detect a signal for multiple types of cancer from a single draw. The NCI is running pilot studies, like the Vanguard study, to determine how to best use these tests in clinical practice, with the potential to shift the paradigm from reactive to proactive cancer detection. This progress relies on the secure analysis of vast health datasets, which is why secure platforms are essential. You can learn more about what makes a safe research hub by exploring What is a Trusted Research Environment?.

Breakthroughs in Cancer Treatment

The Cancer Moonshot has significantly accelerated the development and delivery of novel treatments, moving beyond one-size-fits-all approaches.

• Immunotherapy: The initiative has poured resources into understanding and enhancing immunotherapy. This includes CAR-T cell therapy, a treatment where a patient’s own immune cells (T-cells) are extracted, genetically engineered to recognize and attack cancer cells, and then re-infused into the patient. This “living drug” has produced remarkable remissions in blood cancers, and research is underway to extend its success to solid tumors.
• Precision Medicine: The Moonshot has championed precision oncology, which tailors treatment to a patient’s unique genetic and tumor characteristics. This has led to the approval of drugs that target specific molecular drivers of cancer, such as EGFR mutations in lung cancer or BRAF mutations in melanoma, leading to more effective and less toxic treatments.
• mRNA Cancer Vaccines: Leveraging the technology behind COVID-19 vaccines, the Moonshot is funding the development of therapeutic cancer vaccines. These vaccines are designed to stimulate a patient’s immune system to mount a highly specific attack against their tumor, offering a new, personalized weapon against the disease.
• Advanced Surgical and Radiation Technologies: Beyond drugs, the Moonshot has funded the development of advanced surgical tools for more precise, less invasive tumor removal and new radiation therapy techniques that can target tumors more accurately, sparing surrounding healthy tissue.
• Patient Navigation Services: Recognizing that a breakthrough treatment is useless if a patient cannot access it, the initiative champions patient navigation services. These programs provide dedicated guides who help individuals and their families manage the complexities of cancer care, from scheduling appointments and understanding insurance to finding transportation and support services.

Remaining Challenges and Criticisms

Despite incredible strides, the path to ending cancer as we know it is fraught with challenges:

• Tumor Heterogeneity and Evolution: Cancer is not a single disease but hundreds of diseases, and tumors are incredibly complex and adaptable. They can vary from person to person and even within a single patient. This heterogeneity, combined with a tumor’s ability to evolve and develop resistance to treatment, makes finding a universal “cure” exceptionally difficult.
• Data Sharing and Interoperability: Securely sharing sensitive patient data across institutions, states, and countries remains a major technical and regulatory hurdle. Differences in data formats, privacy regulations (like HIPAA), and a lack of system interoperability slow down the large-scale analysis needed for major breakthroughs. Federated platforms like Lifebit’s help overcome this by enabling analysis without moving the data itself.
• Sustaining Funding and Momentum: A multi-decade mission requires consistent, long-term financial support. The political and economic climate can threaten funding stability, making it a constant challenge to maintain momentum for long-term research projects.
• Ensuring Equitable Access: A core tenet of the Moonshot is to ensure that new diagnostics and treatments reach all communities. However, significant disparities persist. Underserved racial, ethnic, and rural populations often face greater barriers to care, have lower participation rates in clinical trials, and experience worse cancer outcomes. Addressing these inequities requires a concerted effort to improve healthcare access, build trust, and ensure clinical trial diversity.
• Criticisms of the “Moonshot” Metaphor: Some critics argue that the “moonshot” framing is misleading, suggesting a single, targeted solution to a vastly complex problem. They contend that cancer requires a sustained, incremental “ground war” rather than a single rocket launch. However, even critics acknowledge that the initiative’s true value lies in its ability to foster unprecedented collaboration and focus national attention and resources on the problem.

These challenges highlight the urgent need for continued innovation in data management and collaborative research. To learn more, explore the AI Challenges in Research and Drug Findy.

Join the Mission: How You Can Contribute

The Cancer Moonshot is a “whole-of-society” mission, meaning everyone has a part to play. Whether you are a patient, researcher, healthcare professional, or concerned citizen, your involvement can make a real difference.

The initiative’s call to action, “all of us #CanServe,” embodies the spirit of collective action needed to end cancer as we know it.

For Patients, Families, and the Public

Your participation is valuable to the Cancer Moonshot. Here are meaningful ways to contribute:

• Participate in clinical trials: Help advance new treatments by finding a study. Find a cancer clinical trial at the National Cancer Institute.
• Get involved: Volunteer in your community through platforms like cancer.serve.gov.
• Share your story: Personal narratives humanize the fight and inspire action. The Vice President’s office encourages sharing these stories.
• Advocate for policy change: Join organizations like the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN) to influence public policy.
• Prioritize health: Stay up-to-date on cancer screenings and adopt healthy lifestyles to prevent cancer.

For Researchers and Healthcare Professionals

As frontline experts, your contributions are critical to the Cancer Moonshot‘s success. Here’s how to have an impact:

• Apply for research grants: Seek funding from agencies like the NCI, CDC, and DoD.
• Share data: Contribute to data ecosystems like the NCI Cancer Research Data Commons. Secure, federated platforms are key to enabling this collaboration without compromising sensitive information.
• Join research networks: Collaborate with groups focused on specific areas like immunotherapy or precision oncology to accelerate progress.
• Implement new care models: Champion innovative approaches like patient navigation and telehealth to improve patient access and outcomes.
• Improve diversity: Increase diversity in clinical trials and the research workforce to ensure breakthroughs benefit all populations.

For those working with large, sensitive datasets, our platform enables secure, compliant, and collaborative research. Learn about Federated Trusted Research Environments to see how we protect data privacy.

Frequently Asked Questions about the Cancer Moonshot

It’s natural to have questions about a big, ambitious initiative like the Cancer Moonshot. Here are answers to some of the most common inquiries, providing deeper insight into its structure, priorities, and impact.

What is the Cancer Cabinet?

The Cancer Cabinet is the central coordinating body for the Cancer Moonshot. Established by President Biden, it brings together leaders from over 20 federal departments, agencies, and White House components. This includes not only health-focused agencies like the National Institutes of Health (NIH), National Cancer Institute (NCI), Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), but also the Departments of Defense (DoD), Veterans Affairs (VA), Energy (DOE), and Agriculture (USDA). This “whole-of-government” approach ensures that all federal resources and expertise—from supercomputing to veterans’ health networks—are aligned and mobilized to achieve the Moonshot’s goals efficiently and impactfully.

What is ARPA-H and what is its role?

ARPA-H, the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health, is a new federal agency created to accelerate biomedical and health breakthroughs. Modeled after the successful DARPA (Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency), ARPA-H is designed to fund high-risk, high-reward research that is too novel or uncertain for traditional funding mechanisms. Its role in the Cancer Moonshot is to be a catalyst for transformative innovation. For example, ARPA-H might fund the development of entirely new technologies for cancer detection, such as bio-sensors that can identify tumors non-invasively, or novel therapeutic platforms that go beyond current treatment paradigms. It aims to bridge the gap between basic scientific findy and practical application, ensuring that game-changing ideas can reach patients faster.

How has the Cancer Moonshot addressed health equity?

Health equity is a foundational pillar of the Cancer Moonshot. The initiative explicitly aims to reduce cancer disparities and ensure that everyone, regardless of their race, ethnicity, zip code, or income, benefits from advances in cancer care. Key strategies include:

• Expanding Access to Screenings and Care: The Moonshot directs funding to Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs), the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), and the Indian Health Service (IHS) to make cancer screenings more available to underserved populations. It also supports patient navigation programs to help people overcome barriers to care.
• Increasing Diversity in Clinical Trials: The initiative is actively working to ensure that clinical trial participants reflect the diversity of the U.S. population. This is critical for developing treatments that are safe and effective for everyone.
• Targeted Research and Policy: The Moonshot funds research into cancers that disproportionately affect certain communities. It also addresses social determinants of health that impact cancer outcomes. For example, the VA PACT Act, championed by the administration, expands healthcare access for veterans exposed to toxic burn pits, a group at higher risk for certain cancers.

How is the Cancer Moonshot addressing rare and childhood cancers?

While the Moonshot has broad goals, it places a special emphasis on cancers with significant unmet needs, including rare and pediatric cancers. The Childhood Cancer Data Initiative (CCDI) is a prime example, a $50 million annual federal program dedicated to building a community and data infrastructure to learn from every child with cancer. By creating a national resource of clinical and genomic data, the CCDI aims to accelerate the findy of new therapies for young patients. Similarly, by promoting data sharing and collaborative networks, the Moonshot helps researchers studying rare cancers pool their limited data, increasing statistical power and enabling findies that would be impossible in isolation.

What is the role of data and technology in the Cancer Moonshot?

Data and technology are the rocket fuel for the Cancer Moonshot. The initiative’s goals are predicated on our ability to collect, share, and analyze massive amounts of complex data—from genomics and proteomics to clinical records and imaging. Key technological pillars include:

• Data Commons and Ecosystems: Initiatives like the NCI Cancer Research Data Commons (CRDC) create secure, cloud-based platforms where researchers can access and analyze diverse datasets.
• Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning: AI is being used to analyze complex data to identify new drug targets, predict patient responses to treatment, and interpret medical images with greater accuracy.
• Federated Data Analysis: To overcome data-sharing barriers, the Moonshot ecosystem is increasingly adopting federated technologies. These approaches, central to platforms like Lifebit’s, allow researchers to run analyses on data stored in different locations without ever moving or compromising the sensitive information itself. This is essential for enabling large-scale, secure collaboration across hospitals, research centers, and even countries.

Conclusion

The Cancer Moonshot is more than just a government initiative; it’s a powerful reminder of what we can achieve when we aim high and work together. This incredible initiative truly embodies transformative potential, driven by an unprecedented level of collaboration across government, academia, industry, and the public. This collective effort, fueled by cutting-edge, data-driven research, offers genuine hope for a future where cancer is no longer the threat it once was.

As we continue on this crucial journey, the smart use of data is absolutely key. That’s where we at Lifebit come in! We’re here to help make that future possible with our next-generation federated AI platform. Think of it as a super-secure way to access and analyze global health data in real-time, without ever moving sensitive information. Our platform helps researchers and healthcare providers work together seamlessly, speeding up findies.

Our tools, like the Trusted Research Environment (TRE), Trusted Data Lakehouse (TDL), and R.E.A.L. (Real-time Evidence & Analytics Layer), are designed to give researchers real-time insights. They help with AI-driven safety checks and allow for secure collaboration across different data systems. We are incredibly proud to be Powering the future of federal health initiatives, helping to turn the bold vision of the Cancer Moonshot into everyday reality. Together, we truly are making a difference in the fight against cancer.