A recent
study that looked at nonprofit research funding for different types of cancer
found that some of the most common (and most deadly) cancers receive far less
money than others, which can directly affect research, drug development, and
patient education.
The research, which appears
in the Journal of the National
Comprehensive Cancer Network, uncovered trends in cancer funding that highlight areas
needing more attention.
The funding of
certain types of cancer was poor, considering how often they occur and how many
people die from them. These types included colon, endometrial, liver and bile
duct, cervical, ovarian, pancreatic, and lung cancer.
On the other
hand, some cancers — including breast and pediatric cancer, leukemia, and lymphoma — received
significantly more funding relative to those factors.
The lead
researchers, all from Northwestern University in Evanston, IL, were: Suneel
Kamath, the chief fellow in the department of hematology and oncology at the
university's Feinberg School of Medicine at the time of this study; Sheetal
Kircher, assistant professor of hematology and oncology at Feinberg; and Al
Benson, professor of hematology and oncology at Feinberg.
"Well-funded
patient advocacy organizations should be applauded for their successes,"
says Kircher. "We hope to bring awareness to the organizations with less
relative funding so we can collaborate to improve funding and outcomes for all
patients with cancer."
IRS tax records reveal funding disparities
To uncover how
much funding each type of cancer received, the researchers looked at the IRS
tax records for nonprofits that raise money for any type of cancer. They only
included organizations that reported at least $5 million in annual revenue in
2015.
Overall, there
were 119 nonprofit organizations, and together, they raised $5.98 billion in
annual revenue. A large chunk of this amount was not for one specific cancer —
instead, the money went to general cancer funds, such as the American Cancer
Society.
For the
remaining nonprofit organizations, the researchers looked at how much revenue
each generated and compared this with the number of new cases of the particular
type of cancer. They also looked at the number of deaths each type caused and
considered how many years of lost life could result from those deaths.
By doing this,
they were able to determine the rate of funding compared with the prevalence
and mortality rate of the disease.
An alarming trend for certain cancers
The results
showed that poor funding negatively affected the cancers that people tend to
associate with stigmatized behavior.
These cancers
include: lung cancer, which smoking cigarettes can trigger; liver cancer, which can
result from drinking alcohol; and melanoma, which is often
due to a person using tanning beds or spending time in the sun without wearing
sunscreen.
"The goal
of this study is not to divert funds away from cancers that are well-supported,
but rather expand funding for other cancers that aren't getting enough support
currently," explains Kamath.
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