Cancer Research at a Crossroads

2025 has been a year of crisis for the cancer research community, as the Administration has dismissed dedicated scientists and other public servants at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), cut federal funding for leading research institutions and cancer centers, and proposed cutting the fiscal year (FY) 2026 budget for the NIH by nearly 40%. Through a wide range of initiatives, the AACR has spent the past ten months leading efforts to defend science and protect patients.

Highlighting the Threats to Cancer Science and Medicine

In response to a number of executive orders and actions by the Administration, the AACR issued public statements that outlined the potential negative impacts on the cancer community and took strong positions in defense of cancer research. In addition, at the AACR Annual Meeting 2025 in Chicago, 2024-2025 AACR President Patricia M. LoRusso, DO, PhD (hc), FAACR, led 10,000 attendees at the Opening Ceremony in a demonstration of unity in support of federally-funded cancer research. She also hosted a special session featuring former NCI Director Kimryn Rathmell, MD, PhD, and former NIH Director Monica M. Bertagnolli, MD, which outlined the challenges facing the cancer research enterprise and explored ways to safeguard progress for cancer patients.

One Mission, One Voice

Throughout the summer and fall—including National Cancer Research Month in May—the AACR led a comprehensive outreach effort to AACR members and the rest of the cancer research community. Twice-weekly emails were sent that highlighted the risks posed by the Administration’s actions to cancer science and medicine and urged members of the community to contact their Congressional representatives and advocate for NIH funding.

Leading the Charge on Capitol Hill

While the AACR’s Office of Science Policy and Government Affairs (OSPGA) in Washington, D.C., maintains an ongoing dialogue with policy makers about the critical value of federal funding for cancer research, those efforts took on an added significance this year. In February, the AACR’s annual Early-career Hill Day convened 18 Associate Members from 14 states to impress upon Congress how the Administration’s actions are undermining the next generation of leaders in cancer research. In May, the AACR partnered with the Association of American Cancer Institutes (AACI) for their annual Joint Hill Day, connecting 150 cancer center directors and other leaders with their representatives to highlight the critical value of bipartisan investment in the NIH and NCI.

These efforts culminated in September with the Rally for Medical Research. As the lead supporter and founding organizer of the Rally since 2013, the AACR has been instrumental in galvanizing the entire biomedical research community to advocate for sustained and predictable federal funding for medical research. This 13th edition of the Rally was the largest ever, bringing more than 430 advocates from 40 states to Capitol Hill to meet with their members of Congress.

Making the Case for Federally-funded Cancer Research

The AACR also stepped up its efforts to provide policymakers with the resources they need to make informed science policy decisions. During a special event the day before the Rally for Medical Research, the AACR released the AACR Cancer Progress Report 2025. The 15th edition of this annual report catalogued the progress against cancer made over the past year and underscored the wave of scientific breakthroughs—catalyzed by federal investments—that made this progress possible.

During the release event for the AACR Cancer Progress Report 2025, AACR CEO Margaret Foti, PhD, MD (hc), shared the results of a recent national bipartisan survey commissioned by the AACR that measured voters’ attitudes about federal funding for medical research. The results demonstrate that Americans support federal funding for cancer research by an overwhelming margin:

• 89% of voters supported the federal government using taxpayer dollars to fund medical research
• 83% of respondents favored increasing funding for cancer research
• 71% think increasing federal funding should be a top congressional priority

Driving Positive Change

Despite the challenges of the past year, there is reason for hope, as the efforts of the AACR and other stakeholders have had an impact on budget negotiations. Both the Senate and House Appropriations Committees voted to increase NIH funding for FY2026 in opposition to the Administration’s proposed cuts. The AACR will continue to advocate for sustained, robust funding for the NIH—and we urge all members of the cancer community in the U.S. to continue calling on their representatives to protect the future of cancer research.