At the American Association for Cancer Research 100th Annual Meeting 2009 in Denver, National Cancer Institute (NCI) Director John E. Niederhuber, M.D., announced major details, such as funding more grants, development of a platform for personalized cancer care, and an accelerated cancer genetics program, that will move cancer research forward in this new economic environment.
NCI is part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
"We must hasten our progress against cancer by conducting exciting new science, which this year's increase in funding, in addition to anticipated funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, will help make possible," said Niederhuber. "Because cancer research contributes to the diagnosis and treatment of many other major diseases, we anticipate NCI's efforts will lead to scientific advances necessary to improve the nation's health."
After several years of flat budgets or those that decreased based on rates of medical inflation, NCI received a nearly three percent budget increase this fiscal year. NCI's actions today follow on what President Barack Obama said recently when he announced the Obama-Biden Cancer Plan: "I hope this investment will ignite our imagination once more, spurring new discoveries and breakthroughs in science, in medicine, in energy, to make our economy stronger and our nation more secure and our planet safer for our children."
Among plans to strengthen cancer research discussed by Niederhuber include the following: