The White House is launching a program to help surgeons remove cancerous tumors more accurately to improve patient outcomes.
The project represents the first cancer-focused initiative and second program overall launched under the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health, a new federal research agency dedicated to developing "breakthrough" treatments for cancer and other diseases.
The Precision Surgical Interventions program will aim to create new tools to help surgeons better identify and differentiate between healthy and cancer tissue, with the goal being to successfully remove cancer in a single operation. The tools will also help surgeons identify and avoid important structures such as nerves, blood vessels and lymph nodes that can be inadvertently damaged during surgeries.
The new program, announced July 27, coincides with President Joe Biden's "Cancer Moonshot." The effort aims to cut the nation's cancer death rate in half by 2047.
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