When we as a Nation reach our Challenge Goal to eliminate the suffering and death due to cancer, it will be because we have been able to:
- Gain a more complete understanding of the causes of cancer and of the biological mechanisms of cancer initiation and progression.
As we validate the multiple risk factors and improve our understanding of the full range of genetic and biological changes that lead to cancer, we will be able to use that information to develop more effective and tailored strategies for cancer prevention and control, early detection, diagnosis, treatment, and follow-up care across the spectrum of need.
- Make prevention our first line of defense against cancer.
Tobacco control programs will help us prevent the 30 percent of U.S. deaths from cancer that are related to smoking. Effective strategies for reducing the incidence of obesity in our Nation could lower cancer death rates by as much as 14 percent in men and 20 percent in women and reduce the risk for several common cancers by up to 30 percent. Cancer prevention medicines, dietary supplements, and vaccines, which have been proven in clinical trials, promise to eliminate or delay the development or progression of cancer.
- Detect many cancers early enough to make successful treatment possible.
Universal access to currently available interventions for screening and early detection of cervical, colorectal, and breast cancers will immediately improve patient outcomes. For example, the five-year survival rate for colorectal cancer is nearly 90 percent for early-stage local disease compared with 9 percent for later-stage disease that has spread to distant organs. Diagnostics based on validated biomarkers will someday be used for the early detection of other cancers based on analysis of the protein patterns in a single drop of blood.
- Effectively eliminate many cancers.
Improved care has already helped us cure some cancers. As we look to the future, molecularly targeted diagnosis and treatment will help us eliminate other cancers with minimal side effects. Innovative imaging technology will make diagnosis and treatment more accurate and less invasive. Nanotechnology promises to enable better diagnostic platforms and delivery systems for more precise therapies with far fewer adverse side effects.
- Manage other cancers as chronic diseases.
New paradigm molecular approaches will enable us to control other cancers so that people can live productive, healthy lives in spite of their cancer. Our ability to monitor and validate healthcare patterns, interventions, and outcomes will inform decision makers and caregivers to ensure quality cancer care for all, including a growing population of patients over 65.
- Dramatically improve quality of life for cancer survivors.
More and more people are benefiting from the medical advances that have improved both quality of life and length of survival for cancer patients. Evidence-based and culturally appropriate supportive care, symptom management, and rehabilitation will all help address the medical and psychosocial needs of survivors and their caregivers.
The strategic investments described in this document provide vision and direction for the nationwide community of researchers, public health workers, healthcare providers, patients, advocates, and policymakers working to defeat cancer. To learn more about recent progress in these and other areas of NCI investment, please refer to The Nation's Progress in Cancer Research: An Annual Report for Year 2004 to be published in early 2005. Go to cancer.gov for regular updates on cancer research and other activities of the National Cancer Institute.
