Richard J. Boxer, MD
“The [National Cancer Institute (NCI)] is a national treasure. If funding is diminished, it will be catastrophic to millions of patients and families who will experience the devastation of cancer in the coming years,” Richard J. Boxer, MD, wrote in an editorial Viewpoint published in JAMA Oncology about budget cuts for cancer research.1 “By increasing funding, the NCI will fulfill its promise and save countless lives, and by depleting funds, adults and children will experience egregious and unnecessary harms, morbidity, and mortality.”
Dr. Boxer is Clinical Professor of Urology at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA and serves on the National Cancer Advisory Board for the NCI at the appointment of two Presidents. In addition, he is a four-time cancer survivor. So, for him, “the benefit of cancer research is deeply personal.”
Federal Funding Instrumental in Reduced Cancer Mortality
Research funded by the NCI has been instrumental in reducing mortality rates for 12 cancer sites; cancer screening and reduction in smoking have played a major role in these results. Consequently, the risk of dying of cancer has decreased in the United States over the past 30 years. Dr. Boxer estimated that this has resulted in more than 4 million fewer deaths from cancer.2
Pediatric cancer research has been eliminated from the government spending bill as a part of efforts to reduce biomedical research costs and investments. However, statistics from 2024 showed that 1,600 children died of cancer and 15,000 new cases were diagnosed within the year.3 Furthermore, the increase in cancer incidence among patients younger than age 50 has been disturbing, as they reach near-epidemic levels.4 “In view of this dramatic advancement, this is the time to expand, not contract, the U.S. commitment to cancer research,” Dr. Boxer wrote.1
Nonetheless, the buying power of NCI’s budget has been limited—amounting to about $1.1 billion less for federal cancer research in 2023 than was available to the NCI in 2003—and the National Institutes of Health’s budget has been cut by $4 billion in 2025. Although these cuts seek to reduce indirect and administrative costs, research will still suffer, Dr. Boxer noted.
For further context, Dr. Boxer compared the impact of these cancer research cuts with cuts to the defense budget. He explained that in 2024 alone, the number of patients who died of cancer rivals that of the number of U.S. soldiers killed in battles between 1795 and 2024 (approximately 612,000 vs 651,000, respectively).1,5 Budget cuts are not proposed in the face of such military losses, so why should they be considered in the case of cancer research, he asked.
Societal Benefits of Cancer Research
Beyond the reduced mortality and other statistical benefits of NCI-funded cancer research, Dr. Boxer further showcases the benefit of investing in cancer research by noting that such research has led to $45 billion in venture investments in oncology companies over the past 10 years,1,6 encouraged young and student investigators and researchers, and led to Nobel Prize–winning discoveries.
Dr. Boxer’s perspective—as a physician, researcher, advisor, board member of the NCI, and cancer survivor—underscores the stakes of the current debate over cancer research funding. His call is not just a personal appeal, but a professional imperative: “Cutting support for the NCI risks stalling life-saving progress, derailing promising careers in research, and ultimately reversing decades of gains in cancer outcomes,” he said. According to Dr. Boxer, preserving and strengthening research funding represents not just a policy decision but a moral one.
DISCLOSURE: Dr. Boxer reported no conflicts of interest.
REFERENCES
1. Boxer RJ: There is nothing benign about reducing the cancer research budget. JAMA Oncol. April 29, 2025 (early release online).
2. Cancer in the U.S.–Statistics & facts. Statista. October 30, 2024. Available at https://www.statista.com/topics/1192/cancer-in-the-us/#topicOverview. Accessed May 14, 2025.
3. Siegel RL, Giaquinto AN, Jemal A: Cancer statistics, 2024. CA Cancer J Clin 74:12-49, 2024.
4. Ugai T, Sasamoto N, Lee HY, et al: Is early-onset cancer an emerging global epidemic? Current evidence and future implications. Nat Rev Clin Oncol 19:656-673, 2022.
5. How many people have died in the US military, and how? USA Facts. March 5, 2024. Available at https://usafacts.org/articles/how-have-military-deaths-changed-over-time/. Accessed May 14, 2025.
6. Venture investments in oncology companies in the U.S. from 2006 to 2023. Statista. Available at https://www.statista.com/statistics/596275/venture-investments-oncology-companies-us/. Accessed May 14, 2025.
