The Brian Lehrer Show A Roundtable on the Current State of U.S. Cancer Research
Jun 3, 2025
Otis Brawley, a renowned oncology professor at Johns Hopkins, and Delavitt Castor, an infectious disease expert at Columbia University, discuss the pressing challenges in U.S. cancer research. They tackle the consequences of recent funding cuts, particularly from the Trump administration, and the implications for clinical trials. The conversation reveals alarming disparities in cancer treatment and the urgent need for innovative solutions in public health to bridge these gaps. They also reflect on the intertwined relationship between politics and funding in advancing cancer research.
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Cancer Moonshot Funding Impact
- The cancer moonshot was a targeted infusion of funds to restore cancer research funding to 1999 levels, adjusted for inflation.
- This helped accelerate research in immunotherapy, cancer vaccines, and early detection technologies like sequencing and nanotechnology.
Severe Budget Cuts to Cancer Research
- Proposed 40% cuts to NIH and National Cancer Institute funding would reduce cancer research funding to 2003 levels, with less actual value.
- Congress has historically supported NIH funding but has been hands-off this year, resulting in freezing funds and canceling grants.
Misunderstood 'Transgenic' Research Cut
- A transgenic mice research grant was cut because the term 'transgenic' was confused with 'transgender' by funding decision makers.
- This confusion has led to absurd cuts that harm essential cancer biology research.