In a gathering that echoed with purpose and passion, Cancer Moonshot leaders, experts, and advocates converged in Washington, DC, and at The White House to discuss the National Cancer Plan. I had the distinct honor and pleasure to represent Intel Corporation from our Health and Life Sciences team and be part of this transformative dialogue.
Cancer Moonshot and the CancerX Initiative
The Cancer Moonshot’s inaugural CancerX member summit represented this team's unwavering commitment to a cause where digital innovation and technology can be a powerful force multiplier for good. The objectives of the Cancer Moonshot are nothing short of audacious: to reduce cancer-related deaths by 50% and to enhance the experiences of those living with and surviving cancer.
However, the enormity of this mission cannot be understated:
- In 2023, a staggering 1,958,310 new cancer cases are predicted.
- An estimated 609,820 cancer-related deaths are expected.
- Cancer remains the second leading cause of death in the United States.
- The burden extends to cancer survivors, who are 2.5 times more likely to declare bankruptcy.
Source: CancerX (https://cancerx.health/)
Despite these challenges, the room was filled with individuals who understand the significance of rallying together across sectors and domains to dream big and drive change.
The CancerX Initiative is a response to the call of the United States White House to launch a public-private partnership to boost innovation in the fight against cancer. This partnership convenes the many diverse stakeholders needed to unleash the power of innovation required to create a future free of the burden of cancer. Achieving these audacious goals begins with pre-competitive evidence generation, demonstration projects, and an innovation accelerator.
CancerX Strategic Priorities
At the culmination of the member summit, we ratified the group’s strategic priorities for 2023-2024:
- Demonstrate CancerX as the global leader in advancing digital innovation in oncology in alignment with the goals of the reignited Cancer Moonshot.
- Activate the ecosystem by fostering a dynamic innovator community for collaborative knowledge sharing, leveraging national platforms and US government partnerships to enhance outcomes through combined public and private sector strengths.
- Identify, support, grow, and implement world-class digital solutions in the market dedicated to reducing the burden of cancer for all people.
Based on the incredible insights collected and recorded by the group, the CancerX team shared them with government officials and federal representatives at the White House, ensuring alignment with the broader Cancer Moonshot community. This remarkable event was made possible by the collaborative efforts of the Moffitt Cancer Center and the Digital Medicine Society (DiMe) alongside the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) and the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health (OASH).
CancerX is the first and only community focused on unleashing the power of digital innovation to reduce the burden of cancer for all individuals. It is a testament to the power of collective action and shared determination.
Join Us and the CancerX Community
Let's embark on this journey together, driven by the belief that a brighter, cancer-free future is within reach. But the need to act fast is paramount - we must move at the speed of digital innovation - because cancer waits for no one.
You can read more about the collaboration here and learn more about CancerX here.
As always, feel free to reach out to Intel's Health and Life Sciences team at health.lifesciences@intel.com or learn more about what we do at https://www.intel.com/health.
We'd like to hear from you! Let us know in the comments or reach out to discuss - Which digital innovations have you seen in healthcare and life sciences that will help enable a cancer-free future?
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About the Authors
Nathan Peper helps Health and Life Sciences industry innovators worldwide as they navigate the complexities of building various technologies in R&D and pushing to production environments. He received his Master of Science and MBA from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Master of Information and Data Science from UC Berkeley. Continue the discussion by connecting with him here.
Kaeli Tully is a Healthcare Vertical Specialist at Intel® dedicated to driving positive change via healthcare innovation through the convergence of cutting-edge technology and comprehensive well-being care. She has a Bachelor of Sciences from the University of California, Davis, in Neurobiology, Physiology, and Behavior. Reach out to learn more from her here.