The National Cancer Act, signed into law on December 23, 1971, by President Richard M. Nixon, mobilized the country's resources to make the "conquest of cancer a national crusade." Although the biology of the more than 100 types of cancers has proven far more complex than imagined at that time, the original vision of the legislators - to create a broad-reaching national program that would accelerate the pace of cancer research and its translation into treatments and prevention for cancer patients - has been largely realized as the 21st century approaches.

The Act granted special authorities to the National Cancer Institute (NCI) and its director to spearhead the Nation's fight against cancer through the development of a National Cancer Program.

Key provisions of the Act include:

• Establishment of a National Cancer Advisory Board (NCAB), whose 18 scientific and lay members are appointed by the President to advise NCI on major initiatives against cancer.

• Creation of the President's Cancer Panel, a three-member panel of experts, including a consumer, who independently appraise the progress of the national program and submit an annual report directly to the President.

• Bypass budget authority for NCI, which enables the Institute to "bypass" traditional budgetary mechanisms and submit a budget directly to the President without approval from either the National Institutes of Health (NIH) or the Department of Health and Human Service.

• Broad authority for the NCI director, a presidential appointee, to develop and carry out - in consultation with the NCAB - the many compelling and competing priorities of the Nation's cancer research enterprise. The NCI director has the authority, for example, to create new cancer centers and personnel training programs, to appoint advisory committees to explore new research opportunities, to award research grants, and to expand the physical plant at the NIH, as well as cancer research facilities across the country.