"Cancer Moonshot" is almost a household phrase in the US. When then-Vice President Joe Biden first announced the $1.8 billion initiative in 2016, he set the lofty goal to "end cancer as we know it." The major focus of the Cancer Moonshot was genomics, precision therapy, immunotherapy, and artificial intelligence.
At that time, I was a trainee in medical oncology and was not yet active on social media or publishing. I had started writing a blog in ecancer in 2016 April called Last Month in Oncology with Dr Bishal Gyawali, where I summarized the major oncology news from the past month and provided my own, unbiased commentary.
In November 2016, I came across a very strange news article. It said that a top US cancer center and a billionaire were in legal battle about who owned the term "moonshot." The lawsuit disturbed me. I couldn't understand why owning the term "moonshot" was such a big deal. The competition, I felt, should be centered on who helps more patients, removes disparities in cancer care, and eases pain and suffering, not who owns a term.
The news made me think about one of my patients in Nepal who had ovarian cancer
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COMMENTARY
Cancer Groundshot: From Blog Post to ASCO Session
Bishal Gyawali, MD, PhD
DisclosuresApril 20, 2022
"Cancer Moonshot" is almost a household phrase in the US. When then-Vice President Joe Biden first announced the $1.8 billion initiative in 2016, he set the lofty goal to "end cancer as we know it." The major focus of the Cancer Moonshot was genomics, precision therapy, immunotherapy, and artificial intelligence.
At that time, I was a trainee in medical oncology and was not yet active on social media or publishing. I had started writing a blog in ecancer in 2016 April called Last Month in Oncology with Dr Bishal Gyawali, where I summarized the major oncology news from the past month and provided my own, unbiased commentary.
In November 2016, I came across a very strange news article. It said that a top US cancer center and a billionaire were in legal battle about who owned the term "moonshot." The lawsuit disturbed me. I couldn't understand why owning the term "moonshot" was such a big deal. The competition, I felt, should be centered on who helps more patients, removes disparities in cancer care, and eases pain and suffering, not who owns a term.
The news made me think about one of my patients in Nepal who had ovarian cancer
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Lead Image: Bishal Gyawali, MD
Medscape Oncology © 2022 WebMD, LLC
Any views expressed above are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect the views of WebMD or Medscape.
Cite this: Cancer Groundshot: From Blog Post to ASCO Session - Medscape - Apr 20, 2022.
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Authors and Disclosures
Authors and Disclosures
Author
Bishal Gyawali, MD, PhD
Associate Professor, Department of Oncology, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada
Disclosure: Bishal Gyawali, MD, PhD, has disclosed the following relevant financial relationships:
Received consulting fees from: Vivio Health