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Weiner and Berg just returned from the annual national meeting of theAmerican Association for Cancer Research (AACR), attended by 17,000 cancerresearchers from throughout the U.S. and the world.
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In a commentary in today's San Diego Union Tribune, "TOO FEW FUNDS TOFIGHT CANCER," Weiner and Berg report that "the underlying buzz all around theSan Diego meeting was, Where is the Federal Government?"
They state, "physicians and researchers are making discoveries shatteringthe old death sentence of cancer -- the death rate has declined 2% a yearsince 2002. Still, 1500 Americans die a day from cancer, and one in two menand one in three women will develop cancer during their lives, according tonew figures from CDC."
The authors contend, "It is tragic that private volunteer organizationshave to scramble to pick up the pieces of the federal government, who with allits power, could be driving scientists closer to curing this dread disease."
NIH has lost 2% of its budget to inflation in real dollars every year forthe last seven years, a 14% decline.
Weiner asked Ellen Sigal, Chairperson of Friends of Cancer Research inArlington, VA, and the chair of a forum at AACR on alternative fundingmechanisms, why there is the drop in federal funds. She responded, "We have adeficit and a war." Weiner argues, "If funding potential disease cures is theprice of Iraq, it is no wonder that 70% of Americans oppose the war in thescheme of priorities."
NCI now funds fewer than 10% of requested research projects, down from 25%a decade ago.
"Cancer scientists share the blame," the writers assert. When Weiner askedwhy the "professional consensus" at NCI is only requesting a $1 billionincrease for 2009, AACR expert panelists gave two reasons: "complacency" and afeeling of "the limits of entitlement. Scientists should show the same visionin their funding requests from government as they do in their search fordisease cures," the authors argue. "Wouldn't we rather see additional costsfor visionary medical cures for cancer than a war causing cancer to oureconomy?"
Contact: Bob Weiner/Rebecca VanderLinde 301-293-0821 or 202-329-1700Link to printed article:http://www.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20080418/news_lz1e18berg.html
SOURCE Robert Weiner Associates
