The 50 years' war: The history and outcomes of the National Cancer Act of 1971

Cancer. 2021 Dec 15;127(24):4534-4540. doi: 10.1002/cncr.34040.

Abstract

The National Cancer Act of 1971 instigated 50 years of momentum that raised the federal investment in cancer research from $500 million in 1972 to $6.5 billion in 2021. This investment has fueled basic, translational, and clinical research that has had a tremendous impact on our understanding of cancer and our ability to prevent, diagnose, and treat it. It has also affected many other diseases.

Keywords: National Cancer Act; National Cancer Institute (NCI); National Cancer Program; history; investigator-initiated grant.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

MeSH terms

  • Humans
  • Neoplasms* / diagnosis
  • Neoplasms* / epidemiology
  • Neoplasms* / therapy
  • United States / epidemiology