Julie Gralow, Chief Medical Officer of the American Society of Clinical Oncology, shared on LinkedIn:
“When I think about what federal cancer research funding means for patients, I think about how much cancer care has changed over the course of my career.
Take, for example, the advances we’ve seen in breast cancer. Early in my career, HER2+ breast cancer was the most aggressive subtype, with limited treatment options. Then came HER2-directed therapies.
Today, even triple negative breast cancer – once defined by what it is not (ER-, PR-, HER2-) – has a number of exciting new treatment options that are reducing recurrences and extending survival.
Federally funded cancer research fueled these advances. And for patients, every breakthrough means one more approved therapy, one more clinical trial to consider, and more time to experience the moments that matter most with the people they love – from milestones like weddings and graduations, to the everyday moments with family and friends that matter just as much.
I’ve seen firsthand how investment in the NIH and NCI have helped transform cancer care and changed the lives of millions of patients. But there is still more work to do. We must continue to support the research that will fuel the next generation of lifesaving breakthroughs. Patients simply cannot wait.
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