The Trump administration has proposed allocating $4.53 billion for the National Cancer Institute in fiscal year 2026, marking a 37.2% decrease from the $7.22 billion the NCI received in fiscal 2025.
Cancer research organizations and advocacy groups have expressed concern over the budget proposal, citing the link federal funding has to breakthroughs in cancer research and treatment.
“For the past 50 years, every significant medical breakthrough, especially in the treatment of cancer, has been linked to sustained federal investment in research at NIH and NCI,” the American Cancer Society’s Cancer Action Network said in a May 30 statement. “Moving backwards in funding would not only stall scientific breakthroughs but also impact our ability to combat the rising incidence of cancer nationwide. …
“This is not a partisan issue. It is crucial that Congress comes together in a bipartisan manner to reject these proposed cuts and instead protect and enhance funding for cancer research, prevention and data collection.”
“ASCO maintains that federally funded cancer research is the single best investment our country has ever made,” the American Society of Clinical Oncology said in a May 30 statement. “Slashing federal research funding at a time when science is revolutionizing cancer care risks leaving millions of patients without the promise and potential of life-saving breakthroughs. …
“The U.S. cannot afford to abdicate its leadership in scientific innovation. ASCO will continue relentlessly defending and advocating for robust federal cancer research funding.”
