in effect
This is a presidential proclamation (Proclamation 10910), signed April 3, 2025, that officially names April 2025 as “Cancer Control Month.” It is a ceremonial declaration issued in response to a standing request from Congress, which by a joint resolution approved March 28, 1938 (36 U.S.C. 103) asks the President to make this designation every year. It also calls on the public to observe the month through programs, ceremonies, and activities.
In legal terms, nothing changes: the proclamation creates no new law, program, funding, deadline, or requirement. Its operative act is symbolic — formally labeling April 2025 as Cancer Control Month and encouraging observance. The rest of the text is descriptive, citing figures the document attributes to the disease: over 18 million U.S. cancer survivors, more than 2 million Americans diagnosed last year, and over 600,000 deaths, along with a stated 88 percent rise in adult cancer cases since 1990 and a childhood cancer increase of about 0.8 percent annually since 1975. It also references existing efforts the administration mentions — the “Make America Healthy Again Commission,” “Right to Try,” and use of technologies like artificial intelligence in research — but does not establish or alter any of them through this document.
No group is legally bound or given new rights by this proclamation; it directs no agency to act. In practice it is addressed to the general public, whom it invites to observe the month and to take listed personal steps such as healthy habits, avoiding tobacco and alcohol, discussing family medical history with doctors, and getting recommended screenings. Organizations that hold awareness programs or ceremonies may use the designation, but participation is voluntary.