ASCO Launches Initiative to Showcase Progress Against Cancer

To demonstrate the value of the U.S. clinical cancer research system and the urgent need to strengthen and support clinical trials, a new ASCO website highlights the great progress made in clinical cancer research since the signing of the National Cancer Act in 1971.

Over the past 40 years, major milestones have been reached in every area of cancer care: prevention, screening, chemotherapy, surgery, radiation, and—increasingly—molecularly targeted treatments. At the same time, better ways of managing nausea, pain, and other side effects are enabling patients to live better, more fulfilling lives.

ASCO members have been pioneers in developing new drugs, surgical advances, radiation therapy, imaging, and supportive care that have led to longer and better lives for patients with cancer. Recognizing these important achievements will help ASCO build upon the success of the past and point the way to the future.

The new website, CancerProgress.Net, includes a multimedia timeline of the important progress in cancer treatment over the past 4 decades. CancerProgress.Net is the first data-rich, interactive resource of its type, providing a visual history of advances in cancer treatment and prevention. As a result of the U.S. investment in clinical cancer research, more people are surviving cancer than ever before:

• Two out of three people live at least 5 years after a cancer diagnosis, up from one out of two in the 1970s.
• The U.S. cancer death rate has dropped 16% since the early 1990s.
• Five-year survival rates for breast cancer, testicular cancer, and childhood leukemia are now over 90%.

For the nearly 12 million cancer survivors across the United States, this investment has been a foundation of hope, promise, and progress in the fight to decrease the burden of cancer. In spite of the progress, much more work needs to be done. More than 1.5 million Americans are expected to be diagnosed with cancer this year. Continuing to invest in a strong clinical trials system will lead to even greater progress in the future.

Explore ASCO’s CancerProgress.Net, an interactive new site showcasing advances in all aspects of care for patients with cancer. ■