Progress in the fight against cancer
(BPT) – When you consider that more than 1.65 million new cases of cancer will occur in the United States this year, and that more than half a million people will die from the disease, it can be difficult to imagine there’s any good news about cancer.
But a new progress report and survey on cancer released by the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) indicates that there is plenty of positive news, including that the majority of American voters (85 percent) recognize that progress is being made against cancer and 74 percent favor increasing federal funding for cancer research.
‘We have made spectacular progress against cancer, which has saved the lives of millions of individuals in the United States and around the world,’ says Dr. Margaret Foti, chief executive officer of the AACR. ‘However, without increased funding for cancer research we will not be able to realize the promise of recent discoveries and technological advances.’
In the AACR Cancer Progress Report 2015, the AACR asks Congress and the administration to commit to robust, sustained and predictable increases in funding for the National Institutes of Health, the National Cancer Institute and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The AACR is a professional organization focused on advancing cancer research.
‘Our national survey shows that this issue is a priority for most American voters,’ Foti says, ‘and the AACR is committed to advocating for the lifesaving research that brings hope to cancer patients everywhere.’
In the mid-1970s, fewer than half of all cancer patients survived their disease for five or more years. The most recent calculation puts the five-year survival rate at nearly 70 percent, according to the progress report. Between Aug. 1, 2014, and July 31, 2015, the FDA approved nine new anticancer drugs and therapies; new uses for six previously approved anticancer treatments; a new use for a previously approved imaging agent; a new vaccine to prevent cancer; and a new cancer screening test, the report notes.
The AACR survey showed American voters are largely aware of the importance of cancer research, and know researchers have made strides in fighting the disease. Conducted by Hart Research Associates and Public Opinion Strategies, the poll showed:
* More than five out of every six voters (85 percent) agree progress is being made against cancer.
* More than eight out of 10 voters (81 percent) favor using taxpayer dollars to fund medical research.
* Nearly three out of four voters (74 percent) favor increasing federal funding for cancer research, and nearly half (49 percent) strongly favor the idea.
* By a five-to-one margin, registered voters in the AACR survey said they would be more likely to vote for a presidential candidate who supports making the fight against cancer a national priority by providing sustained increases in federal funding for cancer research.
‘If we want to make true advances in cancer, let’s fund basic research, because that’s where everything emanates – the knowledge, the ideas, the understanding,’ says Dr. José Baselga, president of the AACR and physician-in-chief at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York. ‘And today with this concept of cancer science the transmission of the information we obtain from very basic research to patients is incredibly short. Some of the discoveries are, within months, already benefiting patients.’
‘Support of research and support of improved cancer care clearly should be one of our national priorities for several reasons,’ Baselga says. ‘We are at a time that things are really moving forward and a sustained investment in research will improve the lives of many, many patients around the world.’
Americans have a great deal of power to help support cancer research, he added. The AACR Foundation suggests three ways you can help make a difference:
* Become an advocate by communicating to your political representatives that you support increased funding for cancer research.
* Support and become involved in benefits, events and activities that support cancer research and funding.
* Share your story. Whether you’re currently undergoing cancer treatment, are a survivor or have a loved one with cancer, talking about your experience can help others going through the same journey.
To learn more about cancer research, visit www.aacr.org. To get involved or to make a donation, visit the AACR Foundation’s website at www.aacrfoundation.org.