Dedicated to the soul of Late. Edward Moore "Ted" Kennedy

Edward Moore "Ted" Kennedy (February 22, 1932 – August 25, 2009) was the senior United States Senator from Massachusetts and a member of the Democratic Party. He was the second most senior member of the Senate when he died and was the fourth-longest-serving senator in United States history, having served there for almost 47 years.

With the passing of Edward M Kennedy on August 25, 2009, the cancer research community lost a friend and passionate advocate of its cause.

Kennedy was the driving force behind improving health care and research policy in the U.S. Senate as well as a tireless champion in the fight against cancer. In 1971, he authored and fought for the passage of the landmark National Cancer Act which gave new power to the National Cancer Institute elevated its stature within the National Institutes of Health and initiated a renewed focus on cancer research.

More recently, Kennedy took up the mantle again, engaging the cancer community in the effort to craft the 21st Century Cancer ALERT Act. The legislation, introduced in April, 2009 aims to modernize the war on cancer by accelerating the search for cures, more effective treatments and better preventive measures while addressing the ongoing needs of cancer patients. The bill was essentially put on hold when the attention of Congress turned to health care reform earlier this year.

Even after his cancer diagnosis forced him to leave Washington last year, Kennedy, the chair of the powerful Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee, continued to be actively involved in the debate over health care reforms. As one of the most respected members in congress and a master at forging bipartisan compromise, his presence will be sorely missed in the increasingly contentious debate.

With all great respect, we wish to dedicate this Global Cancer Summit to Late Edward Kennedy for his tireless fight against cancer and being the force behind our knowledge of cancer today.