Federal Funding Constraints Forces Elimination of Cancer Trials

by H.S. Ayoub
BioHealth Investor.com

Due to federal budget constraints some 3000 patients could possibly be prevented from taking part in cancer trials nationwide, according to Robert L. Comis, president of the Coalition of Cancer Cooperative Groups.

The National Cancer Institute (NCI), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and a large source of funds for cancer research in the U.S., asked the coalition to cut back cancer trials after the federal government outlined a decrease of 0.20% in the NCI’s 2008 budget. That tiny percentage cutback means that the NCI will be short about $9 million. The NIH however, will receive an increase of 0.8% overall.

The budget cutbacks will affect trials for all cancers, but especially those studying sarcomas, and head and neck cancers.

The Southwest Oncology Group will halt all sarcoma, and head and neck trials. The Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group will eliminate its brain and sarcoma trials. Many other groups will delay various late stage cancer trials, thus, pushing back possible new treatments for needy patients.

These recent setbacks are especially hard to swallow considering that many positive trends have materialized over the last couple of years, including the decline of cancer death rates, and the re-thinking of cancer as a chronic condition, rather than a terminal illness.

Private funding might now be an attractive alternative for the coalition groups.

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