In a story that originally aired on May 23, 2017, Douglas McNeel, MD, PhD, professor, Hematology, Medical Oncology and Palliative Care, described the potential effects of a proposed 18 percent cut to funding for the National Institutes of Health and 19 percent cut to the National Cancer Institute.

“It is devastating. This is a huge time for progress to be taking place,” said Dr. McNeel, who is conducting a clinical trial of a prostate cancer vaccine. 

On July 12, 2017, the journal Science reported that legislators in the US House of Representatives had declined to enact the proposed cuts, instead giving a 3.2 percent funding boost to the NIH. As of that date, the corresponding Senate subcommittee had not yet released its version of the measure.  

Resources:

• "Federal budget proposal would slow cancer research," WISC-TV, May 23, 2017
• "House bill gives NIH 3% raise, blocks cuts to overhead payments," Science, July 12, 2017
• "NIH Director Francis Collins: 'Virtually everything' would be affected by Trump's budget cuts," Washington Examiner, July 17, 2017