Biden aims to reduce cancer deaths by 50% over next 25 years

(AP) — President Joe Biden is committing to reduce the cancer death rate by 50% over the next 25 years.

That's a new goal for the “moonshot” against the disease that was announced in 2016 when Biden was vice president.

This is according to senior Biden administration officials who previewed Wednesday's announcement on the condition of anonymity.

The issue is deeply personal for Biden, who lost his elder son, Beau, to brain cancer in 2015.

The American Cancer Society estimates there will be 1.9 million new cancer cases and 609,000 cancer deaths this year.

It says it applauds Biden for “putting national focus on this critical issue."