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cliffside

(1,321 posts)
Tue Sep 16, 2025, 10:38 PM Tuesday

Trump Is Shutting Down the War On Cancer

Full article at link

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/09/14/magazine/cancer-research-grants-funds-trump.html?unlocked_article_code=1.mk8.7vg9.qp3lj5indEIM&smid=url-share

"... When America declared war on cancer more than 50 years ago, there was a misguided assumption outside the scientific community that it would be only a matter of years before the disease was eradicated — that defeating cancer would be no different than building an atomic bomb or putting a man on the moon. But there would be no miracle cure: As of this writing, some 40 percent of Americans will be diagnosed with cancer at some point in their life.

What there would be, however, was decades of minor breakthroughs that would accrue over time, transforming both our understanding of the disease and our ability to treat it. One way to measure the cumulative effect of those breakthroughs is with statistics: In the mid-1970s, America’s five-year cancer-survival rate sat at 49 percent; today, it is 68 percent. You can also correlate America’s sustained investment in cancer research directly with these returns: According to a recent study in The Journal of Clinical Oncology, every $326 that our government spends researching cancer extends a human life by one year. Now an extraordinarily successful scientific research system — one that took decades to build, has saved millions of lives and generated billions of dollars in profits for American companies and investors — is being dismantled before our eyes.

In a matter of months, the Trump administration has canceled hundreds of millions of dollars in cancer-related research grants and contracts, arguing that they were part of politically driven D.E.I. initiatives, and suspended or delayed payments for hundreds of millions more. It is trying to sharply reduce the percentage of expenses that the government will cover for federally funded cancer-research labs. It has terminated hundreds of government employees who helped lead the country’s cancer-research system and ensured that new discoveries reached clinicians, cancer patients and the American public. And the president’s proposed budget for the next fiscal year calls for a more-than-37-percent cut to the National Cancer Institute — the N.I.H. agency that leads most of the nation’s cancer research — reducing it to $4.5 billion from $7.2 billion. Adjusting for inflation, you have to go back more than 30 years to find a comparably sized federal cancer-research budget...."

18 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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Trump Is Shutting Down the War On Cancer (Original Post) cliffside Tuesday OP
Trump takes the war personally C_U_L8R Tuesday #1
True! ... cliffside Tuesday #2
I am sorry popsdenver Yesterday #10
I wonder.... RussBLib Tuesday #3
It's too bad Obama and Biden didn't come out with being for breathing air. tetedur Yesterday #8
So much winning Farmer-Rick Yesterday #4
Improved detection, treatments, and survival rates are a win IronLionZion Yesterday #12
I have never wished cancer on anyone Henry203 Yesterday #5
Healing thoughts ... cliffside 23 hrs ago #16
This need to be Imalittleteapot Yesterday #6
Lymphoma survivor bmichaelh Yesterday #7
Thank you for sharing ... cliffside 22 hrs ago #17
Just linking this here for those who might be interested ... cliffside 22 hrs ago #18
7 Wars Nelg Yesterday #9
Did even one Trump voter SCantiGOP Yesterday #11
Empathy is a SIN in MAGA world. USS_Dauntless Yesterday #14
If Trump had been president in the early '60s, enigmania Yesterday #13
He's the Devil. red dog 1 Yesterday #15

cliffside

(1,321 posts)
2. True! ...
Tue Sep 16, 2025, 11:02 PM
Tuesday

"Other countries are seeing opportunity in the chaos. Varmus is among a number of prominent U.S. scientists who have received solicitations from the governments of France and Spain to consider relocating there. America’s 80-year run as the world’s leader of biomedical research — and 50-year run as the global leader of cancer research — may very well be coming to a close, and for no apparent reason. Varmus seemed as puzzled as anyone by the development. “We are great in science,” he said. “Why would we want to destroy one of our greatest assets?”



popsdenver

(481 posts)
10. I am sorry
Wed Sep 17, 2025, 12:49 PM
Yesterday

that I feel I can't say what I think............other than it would include the words: Anal Cancer.........

RussBLib

(10,156 posts)
3. I wonder....
Tue Sep 16, 2025, 11:30 PM
Tuesday

...under Obama, Barack put Joe Biden in charge of the "Cancer Moonshot" to eradicate cancer in 2016.

Could Trump be killing the fight on cancer in a jealous rage? If Biden was working on it, it should be destroyed!

Could it be as simple as that? Hope not.

tetedur

(1,334 posts)
8. It's too bad Obama and Biden didn't come out with being for breathing air.
Wed Sep 17, 2025, 11:00 AM
Yesterday

Trump would have come out against it and perhaps his obedient minions would keep themselves busy holding their breaths until passing out.

Farmer-Rick

(12,076 posts)
4. So much winning
Wed Sep 17, 2025, 09:53 AM
Yesterday

So, did we win the war on cancer......of course not. Pedo Trump just turned tail and ran away from the war. Bone spur coward at it again.

IronLionZion

(49,903 posts)
12. Improved detection, treatments, and survival rates are a win
Wed Sep 17, 2025, 01:39 PM
Yesterday

But I guess he wants cancer to win.

Henry203

(729 posts)
5. I have never wished cancer on anyone
Wed Sep 17, 2025, 09:55 AM
Yesterday

As my mom and brother died from cancer and my wife has cancer. I hope they all get cancer and understand that research is their only hope.

Imalittleteapot

(3,408 posts)
6. This need to be
Wed Sep 17, 2025, 09:57 AM
Yesterday

on all news programming (cable and prime) and shouted out by all Congressional Democrats! Cancer touches all Americans in some way or other; be it a friend, an associate, a relative, or themselves. Citizens are not going to like this research shut down.

bmichaelh

(943 posts)
7. Lymphoma survivor
Wed Sep 17, 2025, 10:13 AM
Yesterday

Last edited Wed Sep 17, 2025, 02:06 PM - Edit history (2)

I am living proof that cancer research works.

In 1990, I was diagnosed with an indolent lymphoma, follicular lymphoma.

It returned in 2002 and 2019 but transformed as a more aggressive lymphoma, diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL).

In 2019, I went through 4 different therapies over 2 years; all unsuccessful.
In fact, matters got worse between the 3rd and 4th treatments as I required a walker.
When it returned in 2019, it was near my spinal column.

I started a treatment in 2021 for a new drug (approved by the FDA in 2020) that worked.
I was able to walk freely.

Trump is pursuing a legacy of retribution vs cancer treatments.
There have been promising trials using mRNA vaccine for treatment of pancreatic cancer.

https://www.mskcc.org/news/can-mrna-vaccines-fight-pancreatic-cancer-msk-clinical-researchers-are-trying-find-out

mRNA vaccines could be used for treatment of other types of cancer and immunity diseases.
But putting RFK Jr, the biggest anti-vaxxer on the planet, as head of HHS was the wrong decision.

MENENIUS
There is no more
mercy in him than there is milk in a male tiger.
--Shakespeare, Coriolanus 5.4.28-29

cliffside

(1,321 posts)
17. Thank you for sharing ...
Wed Sep 17, 2025, 11:46 PM
22 hrs ago

and glad to hear the treatments have been successful, although I'm sure it has not been an easy path!

I'm familiar with LLS, now blood Cancer United, their message board was helpful when my husband went through treatments.

Hard to fathom why trump would want to cut the budget into cancer research, it is almost as if he dislikes our country.

Stay well

cliffside

(1,321 posts)
18. Just linking this here for those who might be interested ...
Thu Sep 18, 2025, 12:11 AM
22 hrs ago

The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society is becoming Blood Cancer United

https://givenow.bloodcancerunited.org/campaign/717321/donate





SCantiGOP

(14,593 posts)
11. Did even one Trump voter
Wed Sep 17, 2025, 12:56 PM
Yesterday

Go into the booth on Election Day and think, “I’m voting to end cancer research and all the other things I hope Trump does”?

enigmania

(370 posts)
13. If Trump had been president in the early '60s,
Wed Sep 17, 2025, 04:20 PM
Yesterday

he would have funded an overpriced expedition to the edge of the earth.

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