First Lady Jill Biden advocates for cancer research and care during Seattle visit to Fred Hutch

First Lady Jill Biden visits Fred Hutch

The First Lady was in Seattle on Friday to tour Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center.

SEATTLE - The First Lady of the United States was in Seattle on Friday, highlighting the Biden administration’s Cancer Moonshot initiative.

Dr. Jill Biden toured research laboratories at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, followed by a panel discussion on the importance of supporting cancer survivors through specialized care and research.

Advocacy for this disease is very close to the hearts of President Joe Biden and the First Lady, after losing their son Beau to cancer in 2015. FLOTUS said since 1991, she has been on a mission to help end cancer by her doing her part to support research.

"I’ve seen what is possible when we invest in research," said Biden.

In 2016 as Vice President, Joe Biden led Cancer Moonshot working towards accelerating the rate of progress against cancer. The President and First Lady relaunched the initiative in February 2022. Their new national goals encourage everyone to work together to cut the death rate from cancer by at least 50 percent over the next 25 years.

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An important part of Cancer Moonshot is supporting survivors through specialized care and research. That’s exactly the kind of work happening at Fred Hutch, specifically researching and caring for adults with cancer.

During the panel, Fred Hutch researchers told Biden about their work with breast and pediatric cancer survivors. They said their studies would not be possible without federal funding.

The First Lady said funding cancer research is now more important than ever after the COVID-19 pandemic delayed access to treatment and care.

"We lost so much time with screenings," said Biden. "We’ve got to catch up on our screenings."

The panel also discussed the Fred Hutch Survivorship Program. It provides services for survivors transitioning from active treatment to daily life as a survivor.

The First Lady continued her visit in Washington, speaking at two private political campaign events in Shoreline and Mercer Island.