Delaware cancer 'moonshot' summits planned

Organizations throughout Delaware on Wednesday will host summits on cancer care and research inspired by Vice President Joe Biden's Cancer Moonshot initiative.

In October, Biden announced he would not seek the 2016 Democratic nomination for president, signalling an end to his longstanding political career, but the beginning of an ambitious fight to end cancer.

Biden called for a "moonshot" to find a cure for cancer in the wake of losing his older son, Beau, former Delaware attorney general, to a nearly two-year battle with brain cancer.

The vice president and wife Jill Biden will host a national summit at Howard University in Washington on Wednesday to discuss new collaborations and issue a call-to-action for cancer research and innovation. Local events will be held at the same time.

In Delaware, Christiana Care Health System will bring together researchers, doctors, patients and government officials at the Christiana Hospital campus near Stanton to discuss ways to further progress in cancer prevention, diagnosis and treatment, and efforts that are currently underway.

Specific topics of discussion include gene editing, triple negative breast cancer research and the most readily available clinical trials.

Cancer Support Community will host three separate summits in New Castle, Kent and Sussex counties. These summits will focus on patient feedback and are open to the public.

At the University of Delaware, the Andrew McDonough B+ Foundation will bring together students from all over the country for a discussion on how to fight childhood cancer.

All summits will broadcast the Bidens remarks from Howard University.

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Delaware's cancer incidence rate ranks second in the United States, though there has been progress in decreasing the state's cancer mortality rate, according to the most up-to-date statistics for the state.

The mortality rate dropped to 14th, decreasing 15.8 percent from 1997 to 2001 reporting period to the 2007-2011 period. In the 1990s, the state’s cancer death rate was second in the country.

People can register at www.facebook.com/cancersupportcommunityde/ for the Cancer Community Support summits or walk in.

Contact Jen Rini (302) 324-2386, on Twitter @JenRini or at jrini@delawareonline.com.