Cancer Moonshot Infographic: How the Moonshot Helps Mesothelioma Patients

The Cancer Moonshot Initiative is continuing to move along, and it’s gaining more and more attention from those outside of the community. In fact, one of the presidential candidates even mentioned it in a stump speech, acknowledging the importance of the program while promising to keep it going.

In a statement released by her campaign, Hillary Clinton expressed her support for the Cancer Moonshot Initiative, saying, “We know more than we ever have about the biology of cancer, how to prevent it, and how to treat it. We need to do more to build on these developments, advance our understanding, and develop more effective treatments.”

Clinton continued by challenging Congress to fund the moonshot’s efforts, asking for bipartisan support in tackling the difficult task of finding a cure for cancer. “Cancer does not discriminate,” Clinton said, “and I believe leaders of both parties can come together to tackle this disease as part of a comprehensive effort to improve medical research.”

There are a lot of different problems and concerns being addressed as part of the Cancer Moonshot. This includes better cooperation between researchers, doctors, patients, and advocates, such as by sharing the data and results of research, making it easier to find clinical trials, and generally improving communications and collaborations between these different groups.

One of the big ways in which mesothelioma will be helped is through the research and development of experimental treatments, such as immunotherapy. Embodied in drugs like Keytruda – which is seeing increasing success in treating mesothelioma patients, as well as individuals with other forms of cancer – immunotherapy is a way of helping to boost or kickstart the body’s natural immune system to help it fight the deadly cancer cells.

While improvements in detection, treatment, and other areas of cancer research will help everyone, there is a good chance that those who suffer from rare forms of cancer will benefit even more. Traditionally, rare cancers (such as mesothelioma) receive less attention … and funding … making it less likely that a cure will be discovered.

In order to help you visualize the impact of the Cancer Moonshot on mesothelioma research, the Mesothelioma Cancer Alliance has created a new infographic, explaining the relationship between immunotherapy, research efforts, and the benefits to rare forms of cancer. Please check out the new graphic below (click for a larger version) and share it with family, friends, and others who may be curious about how the Cancer Moonshot is progressing.