National Brain Tumor Society CEO Named to Cancer Moonshot Initiative’s Blue Ribbon Panel of Experts

David F. Arons to represent patient advocates on the panel, which will help inform scientific direction for Vice President Biden’s National Cancer Moonshot Initiative

National Brain Tumor Society (NBTS), the largest nonprofit organization in the U.S. dedicated to the brain tumor community, today released the following statement from David F. Arons, JD, Chief Executive Officer, National Brain Tumor Society:

“It is with great honor and enthusiasm that I have accepted an invitation to serve on the Blue Ribbon Panel, a working group of the National Cancer Advisory Board, which will help inform the scientific direction of the National Cancer Moonshot Initiative, created by President Obama’s Executive Memorandum.

As a patient advocate on this panel of scientific and medical experts, I’m excited to help bring the patient voice to this important endeavor. I will embark on this role with the utmost sincerity and dedication.

While I will be representing all cancer patient advocates, it is also important that the brain tumor community, specifically, has a seat at the table to ensure progress made by the initiative benefits brain tumor patients – a group that has not adequately benefited from recent advances in cancer care because of the unique challenges associated with developing treatments for tumors in the body’s most vital organ. National Brain Tumor Society is also encouraged that two other leaders in the brain tumor field – Drs. Mitch Berger and W.K. Alfred Yung – have been named to the panel.

Led by Vice President Biden, the National Cancer Moonshot Initiative is creating positive momentum in the quest for better treatments and ultimately cures for cancers, including brain cancer. Leveraging the power of the highest office in the nation, this initiative is creating a much-needed sense of urgency to approach cancer research and drug development in novel and more collaborative ways. By bringing together many of the top minds in cancer medicine, research, drug development, policy, and advocacy into a united effort, the oncology field has been reinvigorated and cancer has once again been made a major national priority.

I look forward to learning and contributing more as I begin my work with the panel. It is a privilege, as well as humbling, to represent brain tumor, and all cancer, patients as part of this historic effort. As always, I welcome and encourage input from the cancer community that will allow us help identify ways to improve research and speed drug development in a manner that meets patients’ needs and respects what they and their families are going through.”

Mr. Arons is also the current Chair of the NCI’s National Council of Research Advocates and is a member of the NCI’s Clinical Trials Advisory Committee.

About National Brain Tumor Society

National Brain Tumor Society (NBTS) is the largest nonprofit organization in the U.S. dedicated to the brain tumor community. We are fiercely committed to finding better treatments and driving rapid progress toward a cure for brain tumors. We drive a multi-faceted and thoughtful approach to aggressively influence and fund strategic research, as well as advocate for public policy changes, in order to achieve the greatest impact, results, and progress for brain tumor patients. Money raised by the generous donations of our supporters has directly funded groundbreaking discoveries, programs, clinical trials and policy initiatives. NBTS is a Charity Navigator Four-Star designated nonprofit. To learn more visit www.braintumor.org