OLD CITY (KYW Newsradio) — Cancer survivors and advocates gathered at The People’s Plaza in Independence Mall Tuesday to urge Congress to continue to fund and protect cancer research.
President Donald Trump’s Administration has proposed cutting nearly $18 billion from the National Institutes of Health, including $2.7 billion from the National Cancer Institute.
Dr. Paul Hull, vice president of regional advocacy for the American Cancer Society, Cancer Action Network, said these are the institutions that fuel progress.
“If Congress slashes the NIH and NCI budgets, then we'll go backwards in this fight,” he said. “Fewer people will have access to clinical trials and researchers on the cusp of new discoveries will stall.”
Lynne Alston, a stage three breast cancer survivor who participated in a clinical trial at the Fox Chase Cancer Research Center said it was the science that gave her hope to survive.
“It was a lifeline, and because of it, because of research that was federally-funded, I am standing here today as an 11-year cancer survivor,” she said.
Robin Evans, a stage four triple negative breast cancer survivor, said she’s seen major advancements in cancer treatment.
“We have less toxic treatments and fewer side effects, and we are finally starting to address the long-standing disparities in cancer care,” she said. “Cutting funding for cancer research at this stage of the game is cruel and unusual punishment.”
Cheryl Thompson, a professor of public health sciences at Penn State University, said the research has led to clinical trials, and in turn saved thousands of lives.
“Federal funding for cancer research is the primary source for all the cancer researchers in the United States. And you know, cuts are going to really devastate our opportunities to make progress in this area,” she said.