Despite the United States’ war on cancer which began over 50 years ago, the disease continues to be the second leading cause of death nationwide, claiming the lives of nearly 608,000 Americans in 2022–second only to heart disease. However, compared to the early 20th century, extensive research, political support, and awareness of cancer have increased significantly. In the past, cancer was not understood or discussed in public, with little to no funding dedicated to its research or treatment. But today, George Demetri, an oncologist and director of the Sarcoma Center at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston, believes we have come a long way in our understanding of cancer. “The thing about cancer is we’re starting to understand it so that we really can engineer a solution. That’s what’s so exciting,” Demetri said.
The National Cancer Act was signed into law by President Nixon in 1971, and while it significantly increased funding for cancer research and prevention, progress was slow and unrealistic expectations were created with the expectation to find a cure for the most common types of cancer within five years. At its highest point in 1991, the death rate from cancer peaked at 215 deaths for every 100,000 people. Since then, the government has continued to invest in cancer research, with the National Cancer Institute’s (NCI) annual budget increasing from $227 million in 1971 to $7.3 billion in 2023, with President Biden pledging to reduce the death rate from cancer by 50 percent in the next 25 years.
Advances in cancer treatment have saved countless lives, with the five-year relative survival rate for all cancers combined increasing from 49 percent in the mid-1970s to 68 percent for diagnoses from 2012 to 2018. However, significant disparities still exist, with survival rates for Black individuals lower than their White counterparts for almost every common type of cancer and health insurance playing a major factor in survival rates. The need for greater funding and research for less common types of cancer, such as uterine cancer, is also recognized. Furthermore, while new treatments have been developed, financial toxicity and the exacerbation of socio-economic disparities must be considered.
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