- What is the U.S. National Cancer Institute (NCI),
and what is its role in supporting cancer research?
NCI is 1 of 27 Institutes and Centers that comprise the U.S. National Institutes
of Health (NIH) and is a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human
Services. In the National Cancer Institute Act of 1937, NCI was established
as the Nation’s principal agency for cancer research. In the National
Cancer Act of 1971, NCI was further charged with coordinating the National
Cancer Program.
As a Federal Government agency, NCI receives its funds from the U.S. Congress.
These funds support research at the Institute’s headquarters in Bethesda,
Maryland, and in laboratories and medical centers throughout the United States
and in other countries.
The cancer research program coordinated by NCI investigates the causes, prevention,
detection, diagnosis, and treatment of cancer through various research projects
and clinical trials. Information about cancer research projects supported
by NCI in the United States and Canada can be found in the NCI Funded Research
Portfolio at http://fundedresearch.cancer.gov
on the Internet.
- How is NCI's budget determined?
Overall budget proposals for Federal Government spending—commonly
known as President’s Budget proposals—are formulated by the Office
of Management and Budget (OMB). As part of this process, NCI and the other
NIH Institutes and Centers submit budget documents to OMB. President’s
Budget proposals are submitted to Congress each year no later than the first
Monday in February and reflect the Administration’s budget and management
priorities for the next fiscal year, which begins approximately 8 months later
on October 1. (A fiscal year extends from October 1 through September 30.)
Congress considers the proposals and then recommends appropriations for all
Federal Government agencies. Final appropriation amounts must be approved
by both the House of Representatives and the Senate and signed by the President
to be enacted into law.
In the National Cancer Act of 1971, NCI was given the authority to prepare
and submit an annual budget proposal directly to the President for review
and transmittal to Congress. This authority is unique to NCI and allows it
to “bypass” the traditional approvals that all other NIH Institutes
and Centers must get for their budget requests. For this reason, NCI’s
budget proposal is often referred to as the “Bypass Budget.” Bypass
Budget proposals are usually submitted about a year in advance. These budget
proposals are considered by OMB as President’s Budget proposals are
being prepared.
NCI Bypass Budget proposals describe in detail the optimal amount of funding
needed to make the most rapid progress against cancer and to provide NCI with
the resources necessary to lead the National Cancer Program. NCI’s Bypass
Budget proposal for Fiscal Year (FY) 2009 recommended a budget of $5.26 billion
to maintain research activities at the same level as in FY 2008. It also recommended
an additional $768 million to help accelerate progress in cancer research.
Therefore, NCI’s final FY 2009 Bypass Budget proposal was for $6.03
billion. The President’s Budget proposal for FY 2009 recommended $4.81
billion for NCI.
- What was NCI's budget for FY 2008? How has
the budget changed in recent years?
NCI’s budget for FY 2008 was $4.83 billion. For FY 2007, it was $4.79
billion, and, for FY 2006, it was $4.75 billion.
- How much does NCI spend each year on research
for specific types of cancer?
The following table shows NCI spending in FY 2006, 2007, and 2008 for the
10 most common types of cancer in the United States, excluding basal cell
and squamous cell skin cancers. The cancers are listed in decreasing order
of incidence; i.e., from the highest number of new cases each year to the
lowest. Source: NCI Office of Budget and Finance (OBF).
| Cancer Type |
2006 Spending
(in millions) |
2007 Spending
(in millions) |
2008 Spending
(in millions) |
| Lung |
$242.9 |
$226.9 |
$247.6 |
| Prostate |
293.2 |
296.1 |
285.4 |
| Breast |
584.7 |
572.4 |
572.6 |
| Colorectal |
244.1 |
258.4 |
273.7 |
| Bladder |
24.4 |
19.8 |
24.1 |
Non-Hodgkin
Lymphoma |
114.1 |
113.0 |
122.6 |
| Melanoma |
108.0 |
97.7 |
110.8 |
| Kidney |
33.0 |
31.4 |
43.4 |
| Leukemia |
223.5 |
205.5 |
216.4 |
| Uterine |
19.4 |
16.6 |
17.1 |
Information about funding for other types of cancer can be found in the NCI
Annual Fact Book at http://obf.cancer.gov/financial/factbook.htm
on the Internet. Additional information about NCI’s budget is available
on OBF’s Web site at http://obf.cancer.gov/index.htm
on the Internet.
- Do other Federal Government agencies fund
cancer research?
Yes. Other Federal Government agencies, including other NIH Institutes and
Centers, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the Department
of Defense, fund cancer research. In addition, state and local governments,
voluntary organizations, private institutions, and industry also spend substantial
amounts of money on cancer-related research.
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