Northside Hospital and the Cancer Support Community Atlanta are hosting the first Atlanta Cancer Moonshot Summit, which coincides with Vice President Joe Biden's national summit taking place in Washington, D.C. The Atlanta summit will be held today at 6:30 p.m.

During his State of the Union address in January, President Obama issued a call to action for all cancer stakeholders – patients, survivors, researchers, oncologists, advocates, elected officials, and community leaders – to convene under the national charge to double the rate of progress toward a cure for cancer. Named the Cancer Moonshot, the initiative is being led by Vice President Biden, who will address the summit with a video presentation.

"The Moonshot cannot be achieved by one person, one organization, one discipline, or even one collective approach," Vice President Biden said. "Solving the complexities of cancer will require the formation of new alliances to defy the bounds of innovation and accelerate the prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and — ultimately — a cure. It's going to require millions of Americans speaking up and contributing what they're able. That's what the Cancer Moonshot Summit is all about."

Hala Moddelmog, president and CEO of the Metro Atlanta Chamber and former head of Susan G. Komen for the Cure, will serve as host and moderator of the Atlanta summit.

"The key to finding a cancer cure is sharing information, and that's already happening in Atlanta," said Patti Owen, director of oncology services at the Northside Hospital Cancer Institute. "For our cancer patients who become cancer survivors and live extraordinary lives, we want to take action and work together to defeat cancer."

Special guests at the Atlanta summit include Dr. Lisa Richardson, director of the Division of Cancer Prevention and Control at the CDC, and Dr. Al Soltan, president of Georgia Cancer Specialists. Panel discussions will include local cancer experts, advocates, and survivors united by the goal of finding new progress toward a cancer cure.

"Cancer is complex, and strong alliances built from the ground up can make a difference," said Christy Andrews, executive director of Cancer Support Community Atlanta. "Patients and survivors are providing important personal insights about their cancer journeys, and the Cancer Moonshot Summit will enable them to join a new national conversation."