The White House
President George W. Bush
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For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
January 17, 2007

Fact Sheet: A New Era in Cancer Prevention

      President Bush Participates in a Roundtable on Advances in Cancer Prevention
      In Focus: Health Care
     

Today, The President Visited The National Institutes Of Health (NIH), Toured A Cancer Research Lab, And Participated In A Roundtable Discussion On Advances In The Fight Against Cancer. The NIH is the primary Federal agency for conducting and supporting medical research. Composed of 27 Institutes and Centers, the NIH provides leadership and financial support to researchers in every State and throughout the world. The NIH Clinical Center is the world's largest complex providing both patient care and an environment for researchers to advance clinical science.

The HPV Vaccine Is The First Vaccine Against A Cause Of Cervical Cancer And Is Available For The First Time In FY07

The HPV Vaccine Blocks The Virus That Causes More Than 70 Percent Of Cervical Cancer Cases. The FDA approved the vaccine in June 2006, and FY 2007 marks the first time it is available to States as part of the Vaccines for Children (VFC) program. The VFC program is a mandatory program, meaning each year's budget will include sufficient funding to ensure the vaccine is accessible to all eligible children who want it.

The Cancer Genome Atlas Is Helping Scientists Understand The Genetic Sources Of Cancer

The Cancer Genome Atlas, Launched In 2005, Is A Three-Year, $100 Million Collaboration Of NIH's National Cancer Institute And National Human Genome Research Institute. Today, scientists at leading research institutions are using technologies developed through the Human Genome Project to understand the genetic sources of cancer. Data from this project will provide researchers and clinicians with an early glimpse of what promises to become an unprecedented, comprehensive "atlas" of molecular information describing the genomic changes in all types of cancer. Scientists expect that a deeper, systematic understanding of cancer genomics will provide important insights into the mechanisms responsible for the uncontrolled growth of cancer cells and their spread throughout the patient's body.

The President Calls On Congress To Pass Genetic Nondiscrimination Legislation

The Administration Praises The Senate For Passing A Bipartisan Genetic Nondiscrimination Bill In The Last Congress. This Congress, the Administration looks to build on that success and work with both houses of Congress, and the business community, to pass a bill the President can sign into law.

Progress In The Fight Against Cancer

The Administration Invested More Than $5 Billion In Cancer Research Last Year. Cancer-research funding has increased by 26 percent at the NIH and by 24 percent at the Centers for Disease Control since 2001.

We Are Making Progress In Understanding, Detecting, And Treating Cancer. Thirty years ago, there were 3 million cancer survivors. Today, there are more than 10 million.

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