Federally funded research continues to spur progress against cancer; however, accelerating the pace of progress will require robust, sustained, and predictable annual funding increases for the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the National Cancer Institute (NCI), and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Additionally, strong financial support for the National Cancer Moonshot Initiative is required, according to the 6th annual American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Cancer Progress Report, released September 15.
One of the most exciting new approaches to cancer treatment is cancer immunotherapy. As detailed in the report, the utility of immunotherapy is expanding rapidly. For example, on August 1, 2015, one class of immunotherapeutics, checkpoint inhibitors, was initially approved for just two types of cancer—melanoma and lung cancer. As of September 1, 2016, checkpoint inhibitors have been approved for treating six types of cancer: bladder cancer, head and neck cancer, Hodgkin lymphoma, kidney cancer, lung cancer, and melanoma.
“The promise of immunotherapy for cancer therapy has never been greater, and the opportunity to make significant progress in this critical area is real,” said Nancy E. Davidson, MD, President of the AACR and Director of the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute. “However, continued progress is going to require a sustained federal commitment to the research agenda. And in fact, if the necessary funding is provided, we will accelerate the pace of progress and, in turn, markedly reduce morbidity and mortality from cancer.”
The annual AACR Cancer Progress Report is a cornerstone of the AACR’s efforts to advocate for increased funding for the NIH, NCI, and FDA, while also increasing public understanding of cancer and the importance of cancer research to improved public health.
Research Powers Progress Against Cancer
The AACR Cancer Progress Report 2016 details how federally funded research is fueling the development of new ways to prevent, detect, diagnose, and treat cancer that are improving lives around the world, including the lives of the 15 individuals featured in the report who have shared their experiences facing cancer.
Progress highlighted in the AACR Cancer Progress Report 2016 includes the following:
An Ongoing Challenge in Need of a Vital Investment
The report emphasizes that although significant advances are being made against cancer, the disease continues to exert an immense personal and economic toll, both nationally and internationally, and that the burden of cancer is expected to grow in the coming decades.
According to the report:
The report states that the increasing economic and personal burden of cancer underscores the need for more research to develop new approaches to cancer prevention and treatment, and highlights the key recommendations of the National Cancer Moonshot Initiative Blue Ribbon Panel for accelerating the pace of progress in cancer research. It also calls for Congress and the administration to:
“Research has made tremendous advances against cancer,” said Margaret Foti, PhD, MD (hc), Chief Executive Officer of the AACR. “However, we need to accelerate the pace of progress because it is unacceptable that one American will die of cancer every minute of every day this year.”
“The AACR is heartened by the renewed, bipartisan commitment from Congress and the administration to prioritize cancer research and by the research direction provided by the proposals from the NCI Blue Ribbon Panelists,” continued Dr. Foti. “We are committed to working to ensure that the momentum gained from these actions is translated into lifesaving advances for cancer patients everywhere.”
The content in this post has not been reviewed by the American Society of Clinical Oncology, Inc. (ASCO®) and does not necessarily reflect the ideas and opinions of ASCO®.