Presidential Documents

49887 

Federal Register 

Vol. 86, No. 169 

Friday, September 3, 2021 

Title 3— 

The President 

Proclamation 10242 of August 31, 2021 

National Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, 2021 

By the President of the United States of America 

A Proclamation 

For millions of American families—including my own—the fight against 

cancer is personal. When a person you love is diagnosed with cancer, 

it stops your heart and throws your world off of its axis. That fear and 

heartache is only compounded when cancer strikes a child. 

Across America, thousands of courageous children and adolescents diagnosed 

with cancer each year are facing life-threatening struggles. They are cared 

for by loving families, friends, volunteers, and health care teams who band 

together to support our most vulnerable patients as they face their cancer 

journey. During National Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, we honor 

the young lives taken too soon, as well as the growing number of young 

cancer survivors, some of whom may face serious health challenges throughout their lifetimes. We recognize the remarkable progress made in treatment 

and survivorship, and rededicate ourselves to the development of more 

effective therapies so that all children have the chance to live long and 

healthy lives. 

Despite the extraordinary advancements medical science has made in recent 

years, cancer remains the second leading cause of death in the United 

States—and the leading cause of death by disease for American children 

between infancy and age 15. Cancer is cruel and spares no age. It inflicts 

an incalculable toll on young patients and their loved ones. Though improvement has been made in some areas, survival rates for all childhood cancers 

remain too low. A growing number of childhood cancer survivors are experiencing longer life expectancies, but far too many continue to face significant 

long-term physical, emotional, and cognitive effects due to their cancer 

and treatment. As a Nation, we must do more to better understand the 

causes of pediatric cancer, improve treatment, and enhance the lifelong 

well-being of survivors. 

When I lost my son Beau to cancer after his courageous fight, I buried 

a part of my soul deep in the Earth. Too many families know that feeling 

too well—at any age, it leaves a black hole in your heart. In 2016, President 

Obama and I created the Cancer Moonshot Initiative to end cancer as we 

know it. Now, as President, I remain committed to that mission—and I 

will continue to invest in the critical research and care needed to defeat 

this devastating disease. That is why I am asking the Congress to launch 

the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health—or ARPA–H—at the 

National Institutes of Health, to develop breakthroughs that prevent, detect, 

and treat cancer and other deadly diseases. 

Our Nation is already seeing the progress of investing in pediatric cancer 

research and technology. We are improving our understanding of pediatric 

cancers that are particularly difficult to treat, and extending the promise 

of immune-based treatments for children and adolescents. We are seeing 

advancements in precision medicine approaches to treating childhood cancers—including progress on understanding how tumors respond to existing 

therapies. The National Cancer Institute (NCI) is leading the Childhood 

Cancer Data Initiative, which brings together the Nation’s childhood cancer 

research, advocacy, and care communities to ensure that we ‘‘learn from 


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49888 Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 169 / Friday, September 3, 2021 / Presidential Documents 

every child’’ with cancer by consistently gathering data in a way that protects 

patient privacy while allowing for rapid sharing of insights among researchers. This will enable us to accelerate progress and deliver effective treatments 

and cures to more children. Additionally, the Food and Drug Administration’s 

Pediatric Oncology program works with stakeholders to accelerate and support the timely, efficient development of safe and effective new drugs and 

biological products to treat cancers in children. 

Many parents and family members feel terrified and overwhelmed following 

a child’s cancer diagnosis. To support families and pediatric caretakers, 

the NCI has resources available, including online and print materials and 

videos, to help families understand treatment options and provide information to help them navigate the cancer journey. Visit www.cancer.gov to 

learn more or talk to trained information specialists with the NCI Cancer 

Information Service in the United States at 1–800–4–CANCER. 

My Administration is also committed to protecting childhood cancer patients 

and their families through the Affordable Care Act, which provides critical 

protections for individuals facing cancer, including children. Because of 

the Affordable Care Act, most insurance companies are now prohibited 

from limiting or denying coverage to young cancer patients participating 

in clinical research studies. And children who have recovered from cancer 

can no longer be denied insurance coverage based on the fact that they 

have a pre-existing condition. 

During National Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, we pay tribute to 

the health care professionals, researchers, private philanthropies, social support organizations, and patient advocacy groups who work together with 

families across the country to provide hope and help to children diagnosed 

with cancer and to develop better treatments. Together, we will carry on 

their work—and build a future in which cancer no longer threatens the 

lives of our Nation’s children. 

NOW, THEREFORE, I, JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR., President of the United States 

of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution 

and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim September 2021 

as National Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. I encourage citizens, government agencies, private businesses, nonprofit organizations, the media, 

and other interested groups to increase awareness of what Americans can 

do to support the fight against childhood cancer. 


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Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 169 / Friday, September 3, 2021 / Presidential Documents 49889 

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this thirty-first day 

of August, in the year of our Lord two thousand twenty-one, and of the 

Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and fortysixth. 

[FR Doc. 2021–19323 

Filed 9–2–21; 11:15 am] 

Billing code 3295–F1–P 


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