Cancer research by The National Cancer Institute is Moving Forward

Cancer research by The National Cancer Institute is Moving Forward

The NCI Budget Proposal for 2012 noted that advances accrued over the past decade of cancer research have fundamentally changed the conversations that Americans can have about cancer.3 The 2012 Proposal said that, although many still think of cancer as a single disease affecting different parts of the body, research tells us—through new tools and technologies, massive computing power and new insights from other fields—cancer is, in fact, a collection of many diseases whose ultimate number, causes and treatment represent a challenging biomedical puzzle.

Unfortunately, this view is not very encouraging and does not mention neoplasia as a fundamental biological process in the body.

At the same time, the NCI Budget Proposal went on to say:
We now know that cancer is caused by changes in a cell’s genetic makeup and its programmed behavior. Sometimes these changes are spontaneous, and sometimes they arise from environmental or behavioral triggers, such as ultraviolet radiation from sunlight or chemicals in tobacco smoke. We
have at hand the methods to identify essentially all of the genomic changes in a cell and to use that knowledge to rework the landscape of cancer research, from basic science to prevention, diagnosis, and treatment.

This knowledge brings us—and our national conversation—to a crucial opportunity for acceleration in the study of cancer and its treatment. The emerging scientific landscape offers the promise of significant advances for current and future cancer patients, just as it offers scientists at the National Cancer Institute—and in the thousands of laboratories across the United States that receive NCI support—the opportunity to dramatically increase the pace of lifesaving discoveries where progress has long been steady but mostly incremental.

The Budget Proposal does speak positively about the possibility of identifying the bodily processes that underlie the development of cancer cells (neoplasia).

We have identified proteins and pathways that different cancers may have in common and represent targets for new drugs for these and many other cancers—since so often research in one cancer creates potential benefits across others.

The Budget Proposal concludes that:
We reap the rewards of investments in cancer made over the past 40 years or more, even as we stake out a bold investment strategy to realize the potential we see so clearly. No matter what the fiscal climate, NCI will strive to commit the resources necessary to bring about a new era of cancer research, diagnosis, prevention, and treatment. A fair share of those resources will be committed to the technical work required to understand the full dimensions of the molecular basis of cancer, coupled with the intricate analyses that translate that understanding into actionable strategies to reduce the burden of cancer. Cancer research, perhaps more than the study of any malady, involves the deepest knowledge of human biology.

It’s understandable that NCI would desire to present a positive view about the progress that has been made in the cancer field if it is to be a credible recipient of federal funds.