Billions of dollars – from the federal government, industry, and private donations, among other funding groups – are spent each year on cancer research. May is National Cancer Research Month, a time, according to the National Foundation for Cancer Research, to “highlight the vital role of study and experimentation in the quest for cancer cures.”
In 2019, University of Illinois Cancer Center members garnered more than $32 million in cancer related funding from such organizations as the National Cancer Institute, U.S. Department of Defense, the United States Department of Veterans Affairs and the V Foundation.
New developments in cancer research are helping patients live longer. The number of cancer survivors is expected to increase from about 11.7 million in 2007 to 18 million this year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Between 2007 and this year, the number of deaths is expected to go up 15.2% in men and 8.1% in women, although the rate of cancer deaths per 100,000 people in the United States is expected to keep going down. Cancer death rates to drop the most are:
- Prostate cancer – 26.4%
- Colorectal cancer – 23.4%
- Lung cancer – 21.3%
- Female breast cancer – 19.6%
- Cancers of the oral cavity and pharynx – 16%
- Cervical cancer – 12.5%
- Melanoma – 7.4%
The theme of this year’s awareness month is “Bringing Cancer Research to Life.” To learn more, click the link below.