Washington, DC -- January 28, 2010 -- The American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN) is warning President Obama that a freeze in federal funding for medical research could jeopardize progress against cancer, which is diagnosed in an estimated 1.4 million people and kills an estimated 560,000 people in America each year.
ACS CAN, the advocacy affiliate of the American Cancer Society, sent a letter to Obama today urging that funding levels for the National Institutes of Health and the National Cancer Institute in his fiscal year 2011 budget proposal to Congress sustain the increase for medical research that was included in the stimulus bill passed last year. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act included a $10 billion boost for NIH, including $8.4 billion for medical research.
"We are deeply concerned about how your proposed freeze in domestic discretionary funding will impact continued cancer research in the near term," wrote Molly Daniels, interim president of ACS CAN. "Should funding for cancer research decline next year, new progress and innovation begun under the Recovery Act could come to a halt or be reversed."
The letter follows:
January 28, 2010
Dear President Obama:
On behalf of millions of cancer patients, survivors and their families, the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, the nonprofit advocacy affiliate of the American Cancer Society, thanks you for your past commitment to greater funding support for cancer research and prevention programs.
The research investments which you made through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act are creating dramatic new opportunities in cancer research and spurring innovation and development at thousands of institutions across the country. Most importantly, this research has the potential to lead to breakthroughs in areas such as genetics and personalized medicine, forever changing how cancer is prevented and treated. Advances like this will yield long-term economic benefits, reduce death and suffering from cancer, and improve quality of life for millions of Americans.
Research capacity has grown in important ways over the past year as a result of the Recovery Act investment. The Cancer Genome Atlas is growing from a pilot study of three cancer types into a program that will involve more than 150 researchers at 18 centers to map 20 different types of cancer. Recovery Act funding is also accelerating clinical research. For example, one Pennsylvania university added four new researchers to help support the development of a new drug for breast cancer and another drug to treat women with ovarian cancer. The Recovery Act investment is also addressing health disparities by enabling the National Cancer Institute to support young leaders working within minority communities to become the next generation of health researchers.
The achievement of these goals, however, requires a sustained commitment that is consistent with your stated goal of doubling cancer research funding over an eight year period. That is why we are deeply concerned about how your proposed freeze in domestic discretionary funding will impact continued cancer research in the near term. Should funding for cancer research decline next year, new progress and innovation begun under the Recovery Act could come to a halt or be reversed.
ACS CAN urges you in the strongest terms to provide $35.2 billion for the National Institutes of Health, including $5.8 billion for the National Cancer Institute, in your FY 2011 budget proposal to sustain the investments made over the past year. This additional investment will both sustain our progress under the Recovery Act, and accomplish your goal of doubling cancer research funding over eight years. ACS CAN staff and volunteers are prepared to assist you and your administration in any way we can to support this effort.
You have been a leader in the fight against cancer, and we thank you for your ongoing support as we continue our efforts to eliminate death and suffering from this disease.
Sincerely,
Molly A. Daniels
Interim President
ACS CAN, the nonprofit, nonpartisan advocacy affiliate of the American Cancer Society, supports evidence-based policy and legislative solutions designed to eliminate cancer as a major health problem. ACS CAN works to encourage elected officials and candidates to make cancer a top national priority. ACS CAN gives ordinary people extraordinary power to fight cancer with the training and tools they need to make their voices heard. For more information, visit www.fightcancer.org.
FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT:
Alissa Havens
Phone: (202) 661-5772
Email: [email protected]
Steve Weiss
Phone: (202) 661-5711
Email: [email protected]
