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OVAC Congressional Briefing Highlights Importance of Federal Investment in Cancer Research
Pictured, left to right: Drs. Anthony Letai and Barry P. Sleckman
On Tuesday, June 23, AACI participated in a bipartisan congressional briefing on Capitol Hill in support of sustained federal investment in cancer research and expanded access to clinical trials and cutting-edge treatments.
The briefing, hosted by One Voice Against Cancer (OVAC) and moderated by American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network President Lisa Lacasse, brought together congressional staff, advocacy partners, researchers, clinicians, and patients to highlight the impact of federally funded cancer research and the critical role of the National Cancer Institute (NCI) in advancing progress against the disease.
Barry P. Sleckman, MD, PhD, director of the O’Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center at the University of Alabama at Birmingham and a member of AACI’s Board of Directors, drew inspiration from progress that transformed HIV/AIDS from a fatal disease to a manageable chronic condition. He envisioned a congressional briefing held two decades from now in which federal investment in cancer research has brought improvements in survival rates that would be difficult to imagine today.
Joining Dr. Sleckman on the panel were Anthony Letai, MD, PhD, NCI director; Eric P. Winer, MD, director of Yale Cancer Center, Yale School of Medicine; Hope Krebill, MSW, BSN, RN, executive director of Masonic Cancer Alliance at The University of Kansas Cancer Center; and Eric Morrow, patient advocate.
The panel highlighted improved outcomes for patients with cancer brought about by significant advances in prevention, early detection, and treatment made possible through decades of federal investment. Speakers also called attention to ongoing challenges, including funding constraints, barriers to clinical trial participation, and persistent disparities in cancer outcomes.
Panelists called for policies to improve access to clinical trials and innovative therapies for patients in rural and underserved communities and emphasized the importance of programs like the NCI Community Oncology Research Program in expanding research opportunities beyond major academic medical centers. Morrow shared his own experience as a cancer survivor with the life-changing impact of research advances.
AACI is a member of the OVAC Steering Committee and continues to work alongside partners across the cancer community to advance policies that support lifesaving cancer research and improve outcomes for patients.