On Feb. 2, 2024, President Biden celebrated the two-year anniversary of the reignited 2016 White House Cancer Moonshot initiative, an effort across multiple federal agencies aimed to reduce the death rate from cancer by at least 50 percent over the next 25 years. Cancer Moonshot is also focused on improving the experience of people and their families living with and surviving cancer, with a goal to ultimately end cancer. To that end, the military medical community has made great strides and advancements.
Uniformed Services University’s Murtha Cancer Center Research Program in Bethesda, Maryland leads the DOD’s component of Cancer Moonshot’s efforts. Among many groundbreaking research projects, the Program has achieved national acclaim for its role in ovarian cancer research, development of targeted therapies for breast cancer that doesn’t respond to treatment, as well as lung and skin cancer research.
In response to Cancer Moonshot, the DOD, the Department of Veterans Affairs, and the National Cancer Institute created the Applied Proteogenomics Organizational Learning and Outcomes Network. As a trial network, APOLLO was part of a White House "reignition" Fact Sheet: President Biden Reignites Cancer Moonshot to End Cancer as We Know It. APOLLO originally included 13 DOD and VA hospitals that launched eight cancer-specific programs, including studies in lung, breast, prostate, ovarian, pancreatic, testicular, and brain cancers. Today, APOLLO is comprised of 15 DOD and VA hospitals and has expanded to studies of all cancer types.
At its initial launch in 2016, Cancer Moonshot set forth three ambitious goals:
- Accelerate scientific discovery in cancer
- Foster greater collaboration
- Improve the sharing of data
Cancer Moonshot has united a large community of investigators and clinicians who are dedicated to expediting research to improve the lives of people with cancer and their loved ones.
Related Websites
You also may be interested in...
Video
Nov 20, 2023
CAPT Kelly Elmore, MD, OB/GYN and Chief of Staff at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center encourages you to schedule your annual well-woman exam. Cervical Cancer screening is your covered TRICARE benefit. Depending on your age, a pap smear and/or HPV test are recommended to screen for cervical cancer. Make sure you take time today for your ...
Video
Nov 20, 2023
CAPT Kelly Elmore, MD, OB/GYN and Chief of Staff at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center explains the purpose of pap smears. Cervical Cancer screening is your covered TRICARE benefit. Depending on your age, a pap smear and/or HPV test are recommended to screen for cervical cancer. Make sure you take time today for your health and schedule ...
Article Around MHS
Nov 20, 2023
The staff of Keesler Medical Center’s Family Birthing Center is employing an innovative tool for birthing people experiencing postpartum hemorrhage.
Article Around MHS
Nov 20, 2023
A renewed spirit to resume the life she previously had consumed U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Matilyn Million as she closed her most difficult chapter. On Sept. 18, 2023, Million underwent her 12th and final chemotherapy treatment in Tampa, Florida.
Article
Nov 15, 2023
Our expert answers questions about mammograms and breast health in Ask the Doc.
Article Around MHS
Nov 6, 2023
The Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point community gathered Friday, October 27 to celebrate Breast Cancer Awareness Month 2023.
Article Around MHS
Nov 1, 2023
When you meet Dr. Candice Jones-Cox, director of the Women's Health Services at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, you will learn that she's a fierce patient advocate and a meticulous surgeon, passionately learning cutting-edge techniques to adapt to an ever-changing medical landscape. She's an obstetrician-gynecologist, highly adept at ...
Article Around MHS
Oct 19, 2023
Military students from the Uniformed Services University conducted immersive medical team training in the university's Wide-Area Virtual Environment. The theater is a a state-of-the-art 3D immersive reality facility that simulates various scenarios, replicating environments from war zones to medical emergencies, to prepare them for real-world medical ...
Video
Oct 18, 2023
Capt. Monica Lutgendorf, M.D. explains the importance to get regular mammogram screenings. It's important to get screening for mammograms every other year for someone with normal risk factors. If you have higher risk factors, your screening recommendations may change. Please talk to your medical provider. You can schedule your mammogram at your local ...
Video
Oct 18, 2023
Capt. Monica Lutgendorf, M.D. explains why it's important to get a mammogram, especially for individuals between the ages of 40 and 74. Breast cancer is the 2nd leading cause of cancer deaths among women. It's important to take time for your health and get your mammogram every other year if you are at normal risk. Contact your local hospital or clinic ...
Article Around MHS
Oct 10, 2023
The month of October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, but it also marks a big anniversary for me—10 years since being diagnosed with cancer and my 10-year cancer “freeversary” in December.
Article Around MHS
Sep 14, 2023
Syphilis, gonorrhea, and chlamydia are continuing to spread in the United States–affecting millions of men and women of all racial and ethnic groups. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention describes the continuing rise of these sexually transmitted infections, or STIs, as an epidemic that is not slowing down.
Article Around MHS
Sep 11, 2023
Former Marine Stephanie Bowens stands quietly in the nerve center of Walter Reed Military Medical Center’s nurse administration office, gathering her thoughts before coordinating schedules, arranging meetings, and fostering camaraderie among her talented teammates. It’s the perfect position for a creative, energetic, and organized leader who ...
Article
Aug 23, 2023
The Defense Health Agency announced the five-year extension of the Laboratory Developed Tests Demonstration. The DHA extended the demonstration from July 19, 2023 through July 18, 2028. The DHA also announced that TRICARE will now cover several preconception and prenatal carrier screenings as part of the basic TRICARE benefit.
Article
Aug 17, 2023
Prostate cancer is one of the most common cancers in men, with the National Cancer Institute estimating over 280,000 diagnoses in 2023. However, promising new treatments and updated testing guidelines are leading to better patient outcomes.
You are leaving Health.mil
The appearance of hyperlinks does not constitute endorsement by the Department of Defense of non-U.S. Government sites or the information, products, or services contained therein. Although the Defense Health Agency may or may not use these sites as additional distribution channels for Department of Defense information, it does not exercise editorial control over all of the information that you may find at these locations. Such links are provided consistent with the stated purpose of this website.
You are leaving Health.mil
View the external links disclaimer.
Last Updated: February 05, 2024