June 29 09
I came across a very disturbing article in the New York Times about the state of federally-funded cancer research grant making in our country. In short, many experts - even those within the NIH and NCI who are doling out the money, concede that the process is terribly broken vis-a-vis truly breakthrough research. I almost fell off my chair when I read the quote below from the acting director of NIH!
‘Dr. Raynard S. Kington, acting director of the National Institutes of Health, which includes the cancer institute. “… we also recognize that the system probably provides disincentives to funding really transformative research.” ‘ (my emphasis added)
“Discentives to funding really transformative research”!!!! Are you kidding me?! The man at the top of NIH says that the system provides a disincentive. Well…CHANGE IT! And fast…or get someone in to NIH as the Director who can and will.
It seems that small, ’safe’ projects that, at best will provide small incremental changes, are funded while the people trying to do breakthrough work suffer.
‘The problem, Dr. Young (from Fox Chase Cancer Center) and others say, is that projects that could make a major difference in cancer prevention and treatment are all too often crowded out because they are too uncertain. In fact, it has become lore among cancer researchers that some game-changing discoveries involved projects deemed too unlikely to succeed and were therefore denied federal grants, forcing researchers to struggle mightily to continue.’
Why isn’t our national epicenter of cancer research doing more for “game changing discoveries”? President Nixon declared a war on cancer 38 years ago and the NCI has spent $105 billion during that time. And what do we have to show for it?
‘Yet the fight against cancer is going slower than most had hoped, with only small changes in the death rate in the almost 40 years since it began.’
And, unfortunately, it appears that the American Cancer Society (ACS) is taking a similarly cautious path. While I appreciate the honesty of the ACS’s chief medical officer, I’m appalled by the approach we are taking in research. Furthermore, I fear that Americans think that our country is doing much more in this war on cancer. Keep in mind, these are not just the opinions of an angry father who lost his child to cancer, but these quotes are directly from the experts.
‘Dr. Otis W. Brawley, chief medical officer at the cancer society, said the whole cancer research effort remained too cautious. “The problem in science is that the way you get ahead is by staying within narrow parameters and doing what other people are doing,” Dr. Brawley said. “No one wants to fund wild new ideas.”
“Doing what other people are doing”??? Would it be that hard to marshall the resources of all of these smart people, collaborate in a healthy way, split up the battle (not ‘do what other people are doing’), and apply the resources wisely. What is this…a jobs program???
The process is broken and it needs to be changed! I applaud those brave researchers who are on the inside trying to change the process. But, as you’ll see below, that’s not always easy.
‘“Scientists don’t like talking about it publicly,” because they worry that their remarks will be viewed as lashing out at the health institutes, which supports them, said Dr. Richard D. Klausner, a former director of the National Cancer Institute.
But, Dr. Klausner added: “There is no conversation that I have ever had about the grant system that doesn’t have an incredible sense of consensus that it is not working. That is a terrible wasted opportunity for the scientists, patients, the nation and the world.” ‘
Read that quote again…the former director of NCI says the “consensus that it (cancer research funding process) is not working”…yes, sir, it is a “terrible wasted opportunity”.
This is not an indictment of the truly dedicated people who are trying their hardest to win this war against cancer. It is also not an indictment of all cancer research. But, this IS an indictment of our federally-funded process for cancer research. It is terribly broken and it needs to be fixed…NOW.
God bless the dedicated researchers and those that support them, financially, spiritually, or otherwise.
B+ (I know it’s hard sometimes.)
Ali’s & Andrew’s Dad
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/31596443/ns/health-the_new_york_times/