Cancer Research: Selected Federal Spending and Morbidity and Mortality Statistics

Cancer Research: Selected Federal Spending
and Morbidity and Mortality Statistics
Judith A. Johnson
Domestic Social Policy Division
Janet Kinzer
Knowledge Services Group
Table 1 shows federal spending at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) for
research on selected cancer sites (i.e., the part of the body in which the cancer presents
itself). Most cancer research at NIH is conducted by the National Cancer Institute (NCI);
NCI amounts are indicated in parentheses (which are a subset of the number above it).
The estimate for FY2009 is based on the President’s request.
Table 1. NIH Research Funding for Selected Cancer Sites
($ in millions; NCI portion of NIH total is shown in parentheses)
CancerFY2004ActualFY2005Actual FY2006ActualFY2007ActualFY2008EstimateFY2009Estimate
Br east $708(566) $700(560) $718(585) $707(572) $705(572) $703(572)
Cervical 94(79) 96(82) 97(83) 96(82) 96(82) 96(82)
Colorectal 297(262) 284(253) 269(244) 282(258) 282(258) 282(258)
Lung 297(273) 289(266) 266(243) 249(227) 249(227) 249(227)
Ova r i a n 112(100) 106(98) 102(95) 103(97) 103(97) 103(97)
Pr ostate 378(309) 373(309) 348(293) 345(296) 344(296) 344(296)
Ut e r i n e 35(27) 39(31) 28(19) 22(17) 22(17) 22(17)
NIH total$5,547$5,639$5,575$5,643$5,652$5,654
(NCI total)($4,723)($4,795)($4,747)($4,795)($4,805)($4,810)
^Source:^N^I^H^bu^dg^et^of^fⁱ^{ce, F}^e^bru^a^ry^{5, 2008, an}^{d N}^C^{I bu}^dg^et^of^fⁱ^{ce, A}^p^ri^l^{24, 2008.}
^No^te:^A^m^o^uⁿ^t^{s f}^o^r^th^{e can}^cer^{sites d}^oⁿ^o^t^ad^d^u^p^to^th^{e to}^{tals. I}ⁿ^ad^d^itioⁿ^to^f^uⁿ^dⁱⁿ^g^r^e^sear^ch^oⁿ^m^aⁿ^y
^ot^h^e^r^can^cer^sⁱ^t^e^s^,^N^I^H^s^u^pport^s^basⁱ^{c can}^{cer res}^earch^on^prev^en^tⁱ^oⁿ^,^epi^d^emⁱ^o^l^o^g^y^{, carci}ⁿ^o^g^eⁿ^e^sⁱ^s^,^t^u^m^o^r
^biolog^y^,^im^m^uⁿ^o^log^y^{, as}^w^e^{ll as}^res^earch^on^diagⁿ^o^sⁱ^s^an^{d treatm}^eⁿ^t^of^can^{cer patien}^t^s^.

In the past, federal cancer research was conducted solely by NIH. In FY1992,
Congress appropriated $25 million for breast cancer research to the Department of
Defense (DOD). In FY1997, Congress began providing for research on ovarian and
prostate cancer as well. Table 2 shows appropriations for these cancers for the past seven
years. Funding for DOD cancer research does not appear in the Administration’s budget,
but rather originates with Congress as part of the appropriations process. On November
13, 2007, the Department of Defense Appropriations Act of 2008 was signed into law
(P.L. 110-116). A total of $228 million was made available in FY2008 for peer-reviewed
cancer research on breast ($138 million), ovarian ($10 million), and prostate cancer ($80
million).
Table 2. Congressional Appropriations to DOD for Cancer Research
($ in millions)
Cancer F Y 2002 F Y 2003 F Y 2004 F Y 2005 F Y 2006 F Y 2007 F Y 2008
Breast $150 $150 $150 $150 $127.5 $127.5 $138
Ovarian 10.2 10 10 10 10 10 10
Prostate 85 85 85 85 80 80 80
^Source:^{DOD A}^ppropriation^docu^m^en^ts^an^{d H.R}^e^{pt. 110-}⁴³⁴.
^No^te:^Mo^{re ab}^o^u^{t th}^{e DOD C}^oⁿ^g^r^essioⁿ^ally^Directed^Medⁱ^{cal R}^e^search^P^r^o^g^ram^{is at}
^[^h^ttp^://cd^m^r^p^.ar^m^y^.^m^il/]^.
Table 3 gives estimates for the number of new cancer cases and deaths expected in
2008 for selected sites. Annual estimates of cancer cases and deaths are published by the
American Cancer Society based on incidence rates obtained from NCI’s Surveillance,
Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) program, which collects data from cancer
registries in various parts of the country, representing about 10% of the U.S. population.
Table 3. Estimated U.S. Cancer Cases
and Deaths — Selected Sites, 2008
Cancer Cases Deaths
Breast (female)182,46040,480
Cervical 11,070 3,870
Colorectal 148,810 49,960
Lung 215,020 161,840
Ovarian 21,650 15,520
Prostate 186,320 28,660
Uterine 40,100 7,470
All cancer sites^a1,437,180565,650
^Source:^A^.^Jem^a^l^,^et^al^{., C}^aⁿ^{cer S}^t^atⁱ^s^tⁱ^c^s^,^2008.^C^A^—^{A C}^ancer^Jour^nal^f^o^r^C^lⁱⁿⁱ^cⁱ^ans^{, v}^o^l^.^58,
^March^/^A^p^{ril 2008, at [h}^ttp://caon^lin^e.^am^can^cers^o^c.org^/^cg^i/reprin^t/58/2/71].
^{a. T}^o^{tals f}^o^r^{all can}^cer^{sites in}^clu^d^{e th}^o^s^{e liste}^dⁱⁿ^T^a^b^l^{e 3}^an^d^o^t^h^e^r^can^cer^{sites n}^o^{t listed}^h^e^r^e^.