Congress passes important funding for cancer research

American Cancer Society
Thursday, 20 December 2001

Labor-Health and Human Services (HHS) Appropriations Bill will provide much needed money to fight the disease

The American Cancer Society, the nation's leading voluntary health organization, commends Congress for the passage of the Labor-Health and Human Services (HHS), and Education Appropriations Bill (S. 1536), particularly given the strong bipartisan commitment the bill makes to important cancer research and application programs.

"This bill offers hope not only to the millions of people whose lives have been touched by cancer, but for all Americans," said H. Fred Mickelson, volunteer chairman of the national board of directors of the American Cancer Society. "At a time when the government's resources are stretched thin and our lawmakers are rightfully focused on issues of security and public health, we applaud Congress for recognizing how important it is to save lives by investing in cancer research and its applications."

In the months leading to this week's concluding activity on the Fiscal Year 2002 spending bill, the American Cancer Society has joined its colleagues in the One Voice Against Cancer (OVAC) coalition in urging Members of Congress to devote adequate resources to cancer research, awareness, prevention, early detection and treatment programs, all of which are critical components in the fight against cancer.

Specifically, the American Cancer Society has advocated for: funding increases necessary to complete the doubling of the budget of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) over five years, to fulfill the Bypass Budget for the National Cancer Institute (NCI) and to sustain the cancer awareness, detection and outreach programs at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The Society applauds the final levels contained in the spending bill for these programs, which include:

- $23.3 billion for the National Institutes of Health (up $3.1 billion from FY01)

- $4.2 billion for the National Cancer Institute (up $460 million from FY01)

- $157.8 million for the National Center for Minority Health and Health Disparities (up $25 million from FY01)

- $748 million for the Centers for Disease Control (CDC)'s Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion

Other CDC programs that received adequate funding to help apply the important work done to address the burden of chronic disease on our country, and more specifically, the burden of cancer, are:

- $192.6 million for the Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program

- $101 million for the Office of Smoking and Health

- $40 million for the National Cancer Registries Program

- $14 million for the Prostate Cancer Awareness Campaign

- $12 million for Colorectal Cancer Screening, Education, and Outreach

- $5.3 million for the Comprehensive Cancer Control Initiative

- $4.6 million for the Ovarian Cancer Awareness Program

- $1.65 million for Skin Cancer Prevention Programs

As work begins on next year's funding process, the Society will continue to encourage Congress to maintain the path toward doubling the budget of the National Institutes of Health and fully fund the National Cancer Institute while ensuring that we apply the knowledge gained from research by funding critical cancer-related programs through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The American Cancer Society is the nationwide community-based voluntary health organization dedicated to eliminating cancer as a major health problem by preventing cancer, saving lives and diminishing suffering from cancer, through research, education, advocacy and service.

For information about cancer, call toll-free anytime 1-800-ACS-2345 or visit the American Cancer Society website.

For more information, or to contact American Cancer Society, see their website at: www.cancer.org