WASHINGTON, D.C.—Dr. Karen E. Knudsen, the Chief Executive Officer of the American Cancer Society and American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN), will testify before the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health, and Human Services and Education, and related agencies today in support of increased federal funding for the National Institutes of Health (NIH), National Cancer Institute (NCI) and the Centers for the Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Dr. Knudsen will detail the urgent need for continued increased investment in medical research to maximize past investments and to accelerate future progress against the disease. Since 1991, when cancer research funding was significantly increased, cancer mortality rates have declined 32% and are declining at about 2% each year.
“It is clear that cancer research does indeed save lives, and more than ever before the gap between discovery and clinical intervention has narrowed and emboldened a generation of new cancer researchers to strive for better anti-cancer strategies,” Dr. Knudsen will testify. “Despite considerable gains, much work remains to reduce the burden of cancer. Unfortunately, a subset of lethal cancers is on the rise and show concerning trends that require intensive research. The scientific community has shown that investment in cancer research yields returns in lives saved and is poised to take on these challenges to further reduce death and suffering from cancer.”
ACS and ACS CAN are advocating for NIH to receive $49 billion for FY 2023, a $4.1 billion increase in its base budget, including $7.76 for NCI, and $426.6 million for the CDC’s Division of Cancer Prevention and Control.
Read the full testimony.
