National Cancer Control Month, 2016

Proclamation 9411 of March 31, 2016

National Cancer Control Month, 2016

By the President of the United States of America

A Proclamation

Undaunted by challenge and unceasing in pursuit of
progress, our Nation has pushed the boundaries of
possibility throughout our history. Today, while cancer
remains among the leading causes of death around the
world and the second leading cause of death here at
home, cancer research is on the cusp of major
breakthroughs, offering incredible promise to those
suffering from this disease. This month, we remember
the loved ones we have lost, pledge support for the
families we can still save, and reaffirm our commitment
to curing cancer once and for all.

Cancer can affect people of all ages, races, and
backgrounds, but certain risk factors exist that can
often be mitigated. Limiting alcohol consumption,
controlling sun exposure, exercising, getting
recommended cancer screenings, and maintaining a
healthy diet are all ways to reduce your risk of
getting cancer. Additionally, smoking remains one of
the top causes of cancer, responsible for 1 in 3 cancer
deaths in the United States. By promoting resources to
help people quit smoking and limiting exposure to
secondhand smoke, we can reduce individuals' cancer
risks. Help for quitting smoking can be found at
www.SmokeFree.gov or by calling 1-800-QUIT-NOW. I urge
all Americans to visit www.Cancer.gov or www.CDC.gov/Cancer Cancer to learn more.

My Administration is committed to reaching a future
free from cancer in all its forms. Earlier this year, I
created the White House Cancer Moonshot Task Force.
Chaired by Vice President Joe Biden, this effort aims
to accelerate our progress toward prevention,
treatment, and cures by putting ourselves on a path to
achieving at least a decade's worth of advances in 5
years. Together with patients, philanthropies, private
industry, and the medical and scientific communities,
the United States can be the country that finally finds
a cure for this disease, and we have already proposed a
$1 billion initiative to jumpstart this critical work.
The Affordable Care Act continues to help people with
cancer and at risk for cancer by prohibiting insurers
from denying coverage to anyone based on a preexisting
condition and requiring insurers to cover recommended
preventive benefits without cost-sharing. And the
Precision Medicine Initiative that I launched last year
continues to work toward a new era of medicine that
offers targeted treatment at the right time to
individual patients by accounting for their unique
genes, health histories, and other personal factors.

Our Nation has made extraordinary strides in the fight
against cancer, but much work remains to be done. With
more than one and a half million new cases of cancer
expected in the United States this year, we owe it to
everyone currently living with it and to anyone at risk
to support all those working to defeat it. During
National Cancer Control Month, let us remember those
who lost their battle with cancer, and let us renew our
efforts to save lives and spare heartbreak by reaching
a future without this devastating disease.

The Congress of the United States, by joint resolution
approved March 28, 1938 (52 Stat. 148; 36 U.S.C. 103),
as amended, has requested the

President to issue an annual proclamation declaring
April as ``Cancer Control Month.''

NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the
United States of America, do hereby proclaim April 2016
as National Cancer Control Month. I encourage citizens,
government agencies, private businesses, nonprofit
organizations, and other interested groups to join in
activities that will increase awareness of what
Americans can do to prevent and control cancer.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this
thirty-first day of March, in the year of our Lord two
thousand sixteen, and of the Independence of the United
States of America the two hundred and fortieth.