American Cancer Society, Inc.

The American Cancer Society exists because the burden of cancer is unacceptably high. Through our critical day-to-day mission work, we are working to reduce cancer deaths by 50% over the next 25 years. We have established specific outcome goals to impact two of the most important challenges facing people touched by cancer: eliminating cancer disparities and simplifying access to quality cancer care.

Our comprehensive approach to addressing these challenges will focus on the following mission priorities:
Hope Lodge Expansion - Building 10 new communities across the country to provide more people facing cancer with a free home away from home when they must travel for treatment
IMPACT: Improving Mortality from Prostate Cancer - Working to reverse the alarming increase in advanced-stage prostate cancer, particularly among Black men
VOICES of Black Women - Launching one of the largest and most advanced studies ever undertaken to identify cancer risks among Black women.
ACS Center for Diversity in Cancer Research Training - Increasing diversity in the cancer workforce by creating clear career pathways from high school through advanced degree study.
ACS CARES: Community Access to Resources, Education, and Support - Delivering personalized and curated resources to patients where they are and when they need the information most
Advocating for Federally Funded Patient Navigation for All - Working to increase access to patient navigation services for people in every community through our public policy affiliate, the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN)
Advocating for affordable cancer care - In partnership with ACS CAN, working to ensure health care coverage is keeping pace with oncological innovation and that there is equitable opportunity for everyone to get the best possible care
Access to clinical trials - Creating a new national clinical trial matching program to remove barriers to trial participation and increase enrollment rates.

The American Cancer Society works to achieve our outcome goals through patient-centric strategies that include public policy advocacy, systems policy and practice, information and empowerment for people facing cancer, research, and resource navigation. Every part of our work is aimed at advancing equitable access to cancer care for everyone, in every community.

With more than 110 years of experience working to reduce the cancer burden, our organization has unmatched expertise in cancer control and a long history of successfully partnering with corporate systems, health systems, and communities. Since 2001, our nonprofit, non-partisan affiliate, the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network SM (ACS CAN), has successfully advocated for evidence-based public policies aimed at reducing the cancer burden for everyone. Through our mission work in the areas of research, advocacy, and patient support, we deliver comprehensive patient information and support programs and operate both extramural and intramural research programs.

Since our organization was founded as the American Society for the Control of Cancer in 1913, major strides have been made in cancer research and early detection. The American Cancer Society has played a major part in many of these advancements and remains a global leader in the fight against cancer. We are measurably improving the lives of people with cancer and their families as the only organization combating cancer through advocacy, research, and patient support.

As the largest nonprofit funder of cancer research in the US outside of the federal government, we have funded more than $5 billion in cancer research since 1946. Thanks in part to our efforts, we have seen a 33% decline in the cancer death rate since 1991, representing 4.1 million lives saved during that time.

Since 2001, our advocacy affiliate, the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network SM (ACS CAN), has been advocating for evidence-based public policies to reduce the cancer burden for everyone. They continue to fight at all levels of government to demand change from our elected officials to build healthier communities and provide greater, more equitable access to quality health care.

Our patient support programs and services reach people in more than 20,000 communities each year. We provide support and trusted information through our 24/7 cancer helpline, cancer.org website, and help remove barriers to care through transportation to appointments and lodging near treatment.