New on NCI’s Websites for September 2022
, by Daryl McGrath
NCI’s collection of cancer information products is constantly growing, so we provide periodic updates on new and updated content of interest to the cancer community.
Fiscal Year 2024 Annual Plan and Budget Proposal
Each year, NCI prepares a plan for advancing cancer research and proposes a budget to the President and Congress required to fund its research portfolio, support the cancer research workforce, and sustain the infrastructure that enables rapid progress against cancer.
The NCI Annual Plan and Budget Proposal for Fiscal Year 2024 opens with a message from NCI Acting Director Douglas Lowy, M.D., who writes that the scientific opportunities available today combined with the right investments will help to achieve President Biden’s goal of ending cancer as we know it.
The fiscal year 2024 plan highlights four areas of scientific opportunity that, with further research, have the potential to greatly accelerate progress against cancer:
• asymptomatic multi-cancer detection
• cell therapy to treat cancer
• persistent poverty and cancer
• undruggable cancer targets
New Cancer MoonshotSM Research Goals and Programs
On September 12, President Biden spoke at the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum in Boston about the reignited Cancer Moonshot on the 60th anniversary of President Kennedy’s moonshot speech. In his address, the President detailed the progress that’s been made because of the Cancer Moonshot and described new initiatives intended to achieve his vision of ending cancer as we know it. Visit NCI’s website to learn about the research goals of the reignited Cancer Moonshot and newly announced programs.
NCI Bottom Line Blog: Raising the R01 Payline and Funding Other NCI Priorities
In this NCI Bottom Line blog post, NCI Acting Director Dr. Douglas Lowy and NCI Associate Director for Finance and Legislation Patrick McGarey explain why raising the R01 payline to the 15th percentile by fiscal year 2025 and supporting more R01 grant awards is a top priority for NCI. They also discuss why allocating funds for this priority must be balanced with maintaining other critical NCI programs extramural scientists rely on to support their research.
New Cancer Prevention Science Blog Posts
Several new posts in the Division of Cancer Prevention’s Cancer Prevention Science blog cover research on a range of topics, including
• Samples from People with and without Cancer Could Help Verify Future Blood Tests to Detect Cancer Early
• Researchers Seek to Care for the Whole Patient
• Rising Endometrial Cancer Rates Spur New Approaches to Prevention
• Research Highlights: Recently Published Studies on Compounds from Foods and Their Effect of Cancer Risk Measures
Cancer Cachexia: After Years of No Advances, Progress Looks Possible
Cachexia is a wasting syndrome common in people with advanced cancer that leads to loss of skeletal muscle and fat. Although estimated to occur in up to 80% of people with advanced cancer, cachexia has long been understudied. But, as this updated page explains, recent research is providing new insights into this common but poorly understood condition.
Childhood Cancer Data Initiative (CCDI) Data Ecosystem
The CCDI Data Ecosystem is a connected network of tools and resources designed to bring together clinical, research, and registry data on children, adolescents, and young adults with cancer from separate collections of stored data. This new page explains how the CCDI Data Ecosystem will bring together new and existing data to help advance childhood cancer research.
DCTD pipeline news for September 2022
The Division of Cancer Treatment and Diagnosis (DCTD) has published the September issue of their quarterly newsletter, Pipeline News. The current issue includes a profile of DCTD’s Biological Testing Branch, an update from the division’s chief diversity officer, a spotlight on the 2nd Annual NIH Integrative Medicine and Women’s Health Webinar, and a roundup of news across DCTD.
Advances in Brain and Spinal Cord Tumor Research
This new page highlights recent progress in brain and spinal cord tumor research, including advances in diagnosis and treatment. It also discusses new research in survivorship and quality of life for people with brain cancer and spinal cord tumors.
Genetics of Cancer
Cancer is a genetic disease. The Genetics of Cancer page has been updated to include more information on how genetic changes cause cancer and why cancer runs in some families.
Pathology Reports
A pathology report is a medical report that describes the characteristics of a tissue specimen taken from a patient. This updated page explains what information might be in a pathology report and how to understand it.
Tumor Grade
Tumor grade describes how cancer cells look under a microscope, whether they look normal or abnormal. This new page provides information about tumor grade and explains how it is determined, how it is described, and how it may affect one’s treatment options.