An orientation to the US National Cancer plan for the research community

The US National Cancer Act of 1971 designated the director of the National Cancer Institute as responsible for coordinating federal agencies and nonfederal organizations to make progress against cancer. As part of her role, the immediate past director of the National Cancer Institute (MMB) led the development of a National Cancer Plan that was formally released on April 3, 2023. The plan includes 8 aspirational goals "to achieve a society where every person with cancer lives a full and active life and to prevent most cancers so that few people need to face this diagnosis." Research findings provide a foundation for each goal, and research gaps are included in the strategies for meeting each goal. The President's Cancer Panel, also created by the National Cancer Act, conducted an initial assessment of progress toward the plan goals by hearing from 12 organizations at a virtual public meeting on September 7, 2023. The purpose of this commentary is to orient the scientific community to the plan and call attention to related knowledge gaps that could benefit from research.