Cancer Center Event Highlights the Devastating Impact of Budget Cuts

Š—“We are not only losing research, we are losing the next generation of researchers, which will be our greatest generation.Š— Š—– Dr. Andrew Kraft, director of Hollings Cancer Center That was the message at the MUSC Hollings Cancer Center in Charleston, S.C., on June 21, during an event that highlighted just how important federal funding is to the future of cancer research in our country. Hollings is a National Cancer Institute-designated cancer center that receives more than $19 million in federal grants and has more than 200 clinical trials open to patients. Together with the cancer center, ACS CAN hosted a briefing for state legislators and community and business leaders to showcase the groundbreaking research researchers are conducting at Hollings and the people who are alive because of it. Dr. Chanita Hughes-Halbert spoke about her work to identify sociocultural, psychological and environmental determinants of minority health and health care. SheŠ—'s using this research to try and develop sustainable interventions for clinics and community centers to improve the health of minority populations.

Š—“I am one of the success stories of the NIH. Thanks to the doubling of funding for the NIH [in 2009] I was able to make this my career. We also heard the inspiring story of John Sanders, an administrator for the MUSC ChildrenŠ—'s Hospital. More than five years ago John, a lifetime non-smoker, was diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer. However, thanks to a federally funded clinical trial, John has lived the last nine months without any tumor growth in his lungs. He said heŠ—'s living his life and living it well.

Š—“IŠ—'ll have my next round of chemo begin on Monday and then I will ride 15 miles on my bike, thatŠ—'s when I will kick cancerŠ—'s butt.Š— Unfortunately, despite success stories like these happening across the country, the NIH budget for cancer and other medical research was cut by $1.5 billion in FY13. When you take into account biomedical inflation, these severe cuts have meant 700 fewer new or renewed research grants have received funding. It has also meant a loss of jobs Š—– 20,000 across the country and 171 in South Carolina alone. Federal funding for medical research and cancer prevention programs has had a role in every major advance against this disease, resulting in 350 more lives saved from the disease per day than in 1991. As Dr. Hughes-Halbert and John Sanders exemplified on Friday, we canŠ—'t let these past investments go to waste because they are shaping the research of the future. ACS CAN will continue to hold forums like the one at Hollings to continue to bring it home for lawmakers that we must restore funding for this lifesaving research.