NCI Adopts Roadmap to Achieve Moonshot Goals

National Cancer Institute acting director Dr. Douglas Lowy recently accepted the recommendations of a blue ribbon panel on 10 recommendations most likely to make a decade’s worth of progress against cancer in 5 years, a key goal of the White House Cancer Moonshot.

The report was presented by the panel and approved by the National Cancer Advisory Board. With this roadmap in hand, NCI plans to move forward in investing in these areas of research.

In addition to the 10 scientific recommendations, the roadmap has additional specific, special projects. These include a demonstration project to test for Lynch syndrome, a heritable genetic condition that increases risk of several types of cancer, to improve early detection and prevention; establishment of a nationwide pediatric immunotherapy clinical trials network to enhance the speed with which new immunotherapies can be tested in children; exploring patient-derived organoids; and “microdosing” devices to test drug responses in living tumors.

Lowy will share these recommendations with the Cancer Moonshot task force.

“I am deeply indebted to the 28 outstanding individuals who have served on the blue ribbon panel and to the 150 working group members who put aside business as usual to contribute their years of expertise to this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” said Lowy. “NCI is also greatly appreciative of Vice President Biden’s leadership and passion for the Cancer Moonshot and for motivating all who have been working so hard to make it a reality.”

To view the 10 recommendations and read the full report, visit www.cancer.gov/BRP.