National Cancer Control Month, 2012

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Title 3--
The President

Proclamation 8790 of April 2, 2012

National Cancer Control Month, 2012

By the President of the United States of America

A Proclamation

This year, an estimated half a million Americans will
lose their lives to cancer, and three times that many
will be diagnosed with this devastating illness. Cancer
patients are parents and grandparents, children and
cherished friends; the disease touches almost all of us
and casts a shadow over families and communities across
our Nation. Yet, today, we stand at a critical moment
in cancer research that promises significant advances
for patients and an accelerated pace of lifesaving
discoveries. During National Cancer Control Month, we
remember those we have lost, support Americans fighting
this disease, and recommit to progress toward effective
cancer control.

Prevention and screening are our best defenses against
cancer. All Americans can reduce their risk by keeping
a healthy diet, exercising regularly, limiting sun
exposure, avoiding excessive alcohol consumption, and
living tobacco-free. Because tobacco use causes a wide
variety of cancers and chronic lung diseases, I
encourage individuals struggling to quit to call 1-800-
QUIT-NOW or visit www.SmokeFree.gov for help and
information.

Regular screening and check-ups with a health
professional can also play a key role in preventing
cancer and detecting the disease early, when it is
often most treatable. Under the Affordable Care Act,
over 54 million Americans with private health coverage
have already received preventive services_including
mammograms and other cancer screenings_at no
additional cost. For more resources on how to reduce
the risk of developing cancer, visit www.Cancer.gov.

Federally funded research has brought about landmark
advances in cancer prevention, diagnosis, and treatment
that promise real change for the millions of Americans
facing this disease. Sophisticated analysis continues
to shed light on the molecular basis of cancer and
unlock new therapies. Innovative studies are paving the
way for effective treatments to deadly cancers,
including melanoma. And new research shows that
screening procedures can reduce mortality from lung
cancer, which could save lives among those at greatest
risk. As we move forward, my Administration will
continue to support groundbreaking cancer research that
brings hope to countless individuals and families
across our country.

Over the past several decades, we have made remarkable
progress in understanding and combatting cancer. We owe
the knowledge we have gained and the lives we have
saved to the countless doctors, patients, families, and
researchers whose dedication and perseverance have led
the way to today's most promising technologies and
treatments. During National Cancer Control Month, we
pay tribute to the men, women, and children we have
lost to cancer, and we look ahead to a future in which
more Americans have the opportunity to live out the
full measure of their days in health and happiness.

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 2012
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
second day of April, in the year of our Lord two
thousand twelve, and of the Independence of the United
States of America the two hundred and thirty-sixth.