^

News and Publications

Section Menu  

 

ASTRO requests more research funding from NCI

May 6, 2022

ASTRO recently wrote to Douglas Lowy, MD, the acting director of the National Cancer Institute (NCI) asking that he exercise discretion to adjust the extramural research funding for radiation oncology to a more balanced level this year. The letter highlights the outsized public health benefits of radiation therapy for patients with cancer and the many changes that are currently underway (i.e., shorter, more convenient radiation courses, integration of genomic assays, synergies with immunotherapy, life-prolonging metastatic ablation, and benefits of advanced technologies). The letter notes that in spite of the opportunities to improve understanding of basic cancer biology, NIH's RePORTER currently forecasts only a $390 million investment in radiation oncology research in FY 2022, accounting for less than 5.7% of NCI’s $6.9 billion approved budget.
 
 
Copyright © 2024 American Society for Radiation Oncology