---
kind: "section"
citation: "42 U.S.C. § 285a–1"
title: "42"
title_heading: "The Public Health and Welfare"
number: "285a–1"
heading: "Cancer control programs"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/42/285a-1"
units:
  - "Chapter 6A — Public Health Service"
  - "Subchapter III — National Research Institutes"
  - "Part C — Specific Provisions Respecting National Research Institutes"
  - "Subpart 1 — national cancer institute"
---

# §285a–1. Cancer control programs


The [Director](/usc/42/11851.md?p=5) of the Institute shall establish and support demonstration, education, and other [programs](/usc/42/274l–1.md?p=4) for the detection, diagnosis, prevention, and [treatment](/usc/42/11851.md?p=11) of cancer and for rehabilitation and counseling respecting cancer. [Programs](/usc/42/274l–1.md?p=4) established and supported under this section shall include—

- (1) locally initiated education and demonstration [programs](/usc/42/274l–1.md?p=4) (and regional networks of such [programs](/usc/42/274l–1.md?p=4)) to transmit research results and to disseminate information respecting—
  - (A) the detection, diagnosis, prevention, and [treatment](/usc/42/11851.md?p=11) of cancer,
  - (B) the continuing care of cancer patients and the families of cancer patients, and
  - (C) rehabilitation and counseling respecting cancer,

  to physicians and other health professionals who provide care to individuals who have cancer;

- (2) the demonstration of and the education of students of the health professions and health professionals in—
  - (A) effective methods for the prevention and early detection of cancer and the identification of individuals with a high risk of developing cancer, and
  - (B) improved methods of patient referral to appropriate centers for early diagnosis and [treatment](/usc/42/11851.md?p=11) of cancer; and
- (3) the demonstration of new methods for the dissemination of information to the general public concerning the prevention, early detection, diagnosis, and [treatment](/usc/42/11851.md?p=11) and control of cancer and information concerning unapproved and ineffective methods, [drugs](/usc/42/11851.md?p=4), and devices for the diagnosis, prevention, [treatment](/usc/42/11851.md?p=11), and control of cancer.

## Source credit

(July 1, 1944, ch. 373, title IV, § 412, as added Pub. L. 99–158, § 2, Nov. 20, 1985, 99 Stat. 832.)