Finding a cure for cancer – the second-leading cause of death in the United States – was what the American people really wanted in 1970. In response, President Nixon, in the January 1971 State of the Union address said: “I will also ask for an appropriation of an extra $100 million to launch an intensive campaign to find a cure for cancer, and I will ask later for whatever additional funds can effectively be used. The time has come in America when the same kind of concentrated effort that split the atom and took man to the moon should be turned toward conquering this dread disease. Let us make a total national commitment to achieve this goal.”
Keeping a promise
As part of Nixon’s promise, the Army’s Fort Detrick in Maryland, a biological warfare facility, was converted to a research center in October 1971. Eventually the facility became the Frederick National Laboratory – a Federally Funded Research and Development Center (FFRDC), an internationally recognized center for cancer and AIDS research. The center is operated by Leidos Biomedical Research, Inc., (formerly SAIC-Frederick, Inc.) for the National Cancer Institute (NCI), part of the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH)
President Nixon followed through on his promise, and onDecember 23, 1971 hesigned the National Cancer Act into law, declaring: “I hope in the years ahead we will look back on this action today as the most significant action taken during my Administration.”
Progress Made
In the more than 40 years since the Natiobal Cancer Act of 1971 was signed into law, and despite significant progress made in the treatment of certain forms of cancer, such as childhood leukemia, in general terms, cancer remains a major cause of death. The perceived lack of progress has resulted in new legislation aimed at augmenting the original law. New research directions, in part bashed on the results of the Human Genome Project, now hold promise for a better understanding of the genetic factors underlying cancer, and the development of new diagnostics, personalized and targeted therapies, preventive measures, and early detection.
For more information:
[1] Kersey, John H. Fifty Years of Studies of the Biology and Therapy of Childhood Leukemia[Article].Blood90(11): 4243?4251. [PubMed].
[2] Kolata, Gina (April 24, 2009). As Other Death Rates Fall, Cancer’s Scarcely Moves.The New York TimesLast Accessed November 3, 2013 [Article]
[3]The War on Cancer: A Progress Report for Skeptics. Skeptical Inquirer, Volume 34.1, January / February 2010 [Article]
[4] Hughes R. (2006).The War on Cancer: An Anatomy of Failure, a Blueprint for the Future (book review);JAMA295(24): 2891?2892.ISBN 1-4020-3618-3[Article]
[5] Sharon Begley (2008-09-15). Rethinking the War on Cancer. Last Accessed November 3, 2013 [Article]
[6]Kennedy, Hutchison Introduce Bill To Overhaul 1971 National Cancer Act.Medical News Today. 2009-03-30. Last Accessed November 3, 2013 [Article].
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