Virtually every major cancer breakthrough since the signing of the National Cancer Act of 1971 has its origins at the National Cancer Institute (NCI), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Through public support and steady funding increases from Congress, NCI continues to lead the world in advancing cancer prevention, detection, and treatment through rigorous, gold-standard science and innovation.
Remarkable milestones achieved this year alone demonstrate what is possible through sustained federal investment in cancer research. Recent results showing that the drug daraxonrasib extends survival for people with pancreatic cancer have demonstrated that the once “undruggable” RAS family of genes can, in fact, be targeted—bringing new hope against one of the most deadly cancers.
At the same time, decades of NCI-supported research have expanded the promise of immunotherapy beyond blood cancers to common solid tumors, including colorectal, pancreatic, and stomach cancers. We are also seeing promising results from therapeutic cancer vaccines that can help prevent recurrence, particularly in cancers where relapse is common. These advances show that the immune system can be harnessed to improve outcomes for many cancer types that are responsible for the greatest loss of life.
NCI-funded research is also transforming cancer prevention. Recent advances include at-home cervical cancer screening tests and evidence that a single dose of the HPV vaccine is as effective as two doses in preventing HPV infection, reducing barriers to preventing several common virus-related cancers.
Sustained Investment Saves Lives
These achievements come from the nation’s long-term investment in government-supported science and our partnership with the private sector to translate discoveries into cancer advances that improve and save lives.
Since the 1990s, U.S. cancer death rates have declined by about one-third, translating into more than 5 million lives saved. Diseases once considered uniformly fatal, including metastatic melanoma, chronic myeloid leukemia, and multiple myeloma, have become manageable for many patients. Other meaningful successes have come from increased screening for breast, lung, and colon cancers.
Yet important challenges remain. More than 600,000 Americans are expected to die from cancer this year, the rates of early-onset cancers among younger adults continue to rise, and some populations continue to experience worse outcomes than others for certain cancers.
Pursuing the Most Promising Research
Each year, the NCI Annual Plan and Professional Judgment Budget outlines the investments needed to pursue the nation’s most promising scientific opportunities in cancer research. Although overall funding has steadily increased, NCI’s budget has not kept pace with inflation, reducing purchasing power and making it more difficult to sustain the high-quality research conducted at NCI and at laboratories across the country.
Looking to the future, artificial intelligence and advanced analytics have the potential to define the next era of cancer research. NCI is leading efforts to collect, harmonize, and share data to make it more accessible, allowing researchers to more easily leverage these new tools to accelerate drug development and advance treatment strategies. This work complements the Administration's broader Genesis Mission to harness the power of AI.
We have already seen the tremendous impact that prevention and screening research can have on cancer survivorship rates nationwide. This year, NCI is building on that progress by co-leading a Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) initiative to expand health screening in communities experiencing the highest rates of cancer.
NCI is also helping the United States maintain and strengthen its global leadership in clinical research so new treatments reach patients sooner. As part of HHS’s Project TrialBlazer, NCI is working with cancer centers, researchers, and other stakeholders to streamline clinical trial activation, improve enrollment, and ensure cancer studies move forward faster, removing barriers wherever they slow patients’ access to new therapies.
Support through innovative funding models across the full cancer research continuum continues to be essential for new avenues of research to emerge and expand. This includes support for investigator-initiated fundamental cancer research, which provides insights into the underlying biology of cancer. It also reveals cancer’s progression and creates the foundation for identifying new screening, prevention, and treatment targets, and for translating those discoveries into American-made therapies and diagnostics.
Continued progress depends on investments in workforce development to train the next generation of researchers. A strong, adaptable pipeline of researchers, technicians, and skilled laboratory staff will lead the integration of multiple disciplines to advance the cancer research field.
Better Outcomes for All Americans
Ultimately, patients are at the core of NCI’s mission; translating the research we support into significant improvements to patient care and quality of life is our number one goal. In this year’s plan, we share two stories of how NCI research has made a real difference in the lives of individual patients and their health.
As a physician-scientist, I have seen firsthand how a single scientific idea can change a life. Twenty years after completing my oncology fellowship, I watched one of my patients with leukemia respond to venetoclax, a therapy that grew directly from our laboratory’s research on cell death. It was the most gratifying moment of my career and a reminder that we must continue finding better ways to move promising discoveries from the laboratory to patients who cannot afford to wait.
Delivering on these opportunities to meaningfully improve patient outcomes will require a budget that keeps pace with inflation and provides access to the technologies, infrastructure, and scientific talent needed to sustain the nation’s cancer research enterprise.
I look forward to working with you during this exciting time.
NCI Director Anthony Letai