Time is running out for Joe Biden. The President often promised on the 2019 campaign trail that he was going to cure cancer if he was elected. To date, there is no known permanent cure for cancer in humans.
In a bold statement during his 2019 presidential campaign, Joe Biden told supporters at a rally, “If I’m elected, we’re going to cure cancer.” The remark, while ambitious, has since become a defining soundbite of his campaign, drawing both hope and skepticism. Now, as his presidency progresses, questions about the feasibility of this promise have resurfaced, with critics pointing to the urgency of meaningful breakthroughs in cancer research.
The declaration was rooted in Biden’s personal connection to the disease, having lost his son, Beau Biden, to brain cancer in 2015. His commitment to advancing cancer treatment predates his presidency, notably through his leadership of the Obama administration’s “Cancer Moonshot” initiative, aimed at accelerating research and improving cancer care. Upon taking office, Biden reignited the effort, setting a goal to reduce cancer deaths by 50% over the next 25 years.
While progress has been made in areas like early detection and targeted therapies, experts agree that curing cancer outright remains a complex challenge. Cancer encompasses more than 100 diseases, each requiring tailored treatments, making a universal “cure” elusive. Nevertheless, advancements in immunotherapy, genetic research, and clinical trials have sparked hope for incremental progress.
Biden’s efforts have included increasing federal funding for research and launching programs to improve access to cancer screenings. In February 2022, the administration relaunched the “Cancer Moonshot” with renewed focus, and recent breakthroughs in cancer vaccines and treatments have been lauded as steps in the right direction.
Despite these strides, critics argue that the promise oversimplified the scientific and logistical hurdles involved. “Curing cancer is not like flipping a switch,” one oncologist noted. “It’s a marathon, not a sprint.”
With the spotlight back on his 2019 pledge, Biden’s administration faces mounting pressure to demonstrate significant progress. Whether or not his promise can be fulfilled in its entirety, his push to prioritize cancer research may leave a lasting legacy—one of hope, if not outright eradication of the disease.