An End to Cancer Requires a Commitment to Research
For Immediate Release
Date: 10/22/07
Contact: Renee Gaudette 203- 436-8533 or renee.gaudette@yale.edu
New Haven, Conn. – From Tony Snow to Elizabeth Edwards to millions of other Americans, cancer knows no political affiliation.
Nearly two decades ago, the federal government made a commitment to increase medical research funding, and the budget for the National Institutes of Health has doubled since then. Scientists used those resources to make fundamental discoveries about cancer, and the fruits of those labors are finally paying off – the cancer death rate decline is doubling. Yet Congress is now poised to dramatically reduce the funding that holds the promise of continued and greater success.
President Bush’s proposed 2008 federal budget would decrease funding to the National Cancer Institute by $11 million. With fewer dollars to distribute in grant money to cancer research institutions across the country, promising ideas will go unfunded and untested.
In Connecticut, an estimated 48 Connecticut residents are diagnosed with cancer every day; nearly 17,000 learn they have the disease each year. Nationwide, deaths have been falling, but the American Cancer Society estimates 564,830 Americans will still die from cancer this year. We must continue to work together to reduce the toll this disease takes on us all.
Ground-breaking research is happening right now at Yale Cancer Center and other leading cancer centers across the country to redefine cancer prevention and early detection. Virtually every major cancer is far easier to cure when found at an early stage, making early detection crucial. For patients, detecting cancer before it starts or at a very early stage could mean avoiding the pain, stress, and long-terms effects of cancer treatments. Most importantly, early detection can save lives.
This is not just a future goal, it is a current possibility. New markers are emerging that will one day allow doctors to identify early signs of cancer in people most at risk. Painless tests will help doctors predict which individualized treatment plan will work best on each patient, cutting down on needless rounds of toxic chemotherapy.
On October 22nd, Connecticut residents can learn more about these issues at a special town hall hosted by Yale Cancer Center, Yale-New Haven Hospital, and Friends of Cancer Research. Featuring an expert panel that includes Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.) and the Commissioner of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the event will highlight the opportunities and obstacles in the field of cancer research and demonstrate the collaboration necessary for continued success.
The hurdle to these advances is not the science—it is the funding. We need strong, sustained federal support for medical research on cancer and other diseases. Medical research requires the federal government to invest great resources. New methods of cancer prevention, early detection and treatments are finally paying dividends, but we won't reap the benefits later unless we invest now. We must let Congress and the Bush administration know that now is not the time to give up on our investment in cancer research.
Richard L. Edelson, MD, Director, Yale Cancer Center
Ellen V. Sigal, PhD, Chairperson and Founder, Friends of Cancer Research