- What is the U.S. National Cancer Institute, and what is its role in supporting cancer research?
The U.S. National Cancer Institute (NCI) is one 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 (DHHS). 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://deais.nci.nih.gov/Query 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 2005, 2006, and 2007 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 | 2005 Spending
(in millions) | 2006 Spending
(in millions) | 2007 Spending
(in millions) |
| Lung | $266.1 | $242.9 | $226.9 |
| Prostate | 309.0 | 293.2 | 296.1 |
| Breast | 560.1 | 584.7 | 572.4 |
| Colorectal | 253.1 | 244.1 | 258.4 |
| Bladder | 30.1 | 24.4 | 19.8 |
Non-Hodgkin
Lymphoma | 107.0 | 114.1 | 113.0 |
| Melanoma | 102.9 | 108.0 | 97.7 |
| Kidney | 32.9 | 33.0 | 31.4 |
| Leukemia | 220.6 | 223.5 | 205.5 |
| Uterine | 31.1 | 19.4 | 16.6 |
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 (CDC), and the Department of Defense (DOD), 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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