Where does public funding for cancer research go

Abstract

With the advent of vaccines, antibiotics, hygiene, and food safety, the toll of infectious diseases on human lives has decreased substantially. Pathogens are no longer the major cause of death, disability, and suffering in both the developed world and many developing countries. In lieu, other diseases have risen in importance: According to the US Center for Disease Control and Prevention, cardiovascular disease (CVD), cancer, and chronic respiratory diseases—primarily chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)—are now the major causes of death and disability worldwide. CVD, the principal health problem for developed countries, has been the primary cause of mortality since 1921. Cancer is the second leading cause of death globally after CVD; in 2015, it killed 8.8 million people (http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/en/), and the number of patients diagnosed with cancer grows each year as populations get older. COPD has become the third most deadly disease after cancer, causing 3.2 million deaths in 2015 [1]. > … as money flows into research institutes, universities and hospitals, the question is how funding is being allocated to study specific diseases… It is harder to compare such numbers with CVD, also known as “heart disease”, which includes multiple conditions and diagnoses, such as chest pain (angina), myocardial infarction, or stroke. In contrast, COPD and cancer are more clearly identifiable diseases in terms of diagnosis, biology, and pathogenesis. COPD is a chronic inflammatory lung disease that causes breathing difficulties, whereas cancer is an uncontrollable division of cells that invade nearby tissues. Governments, industry, and philanthropies have been investing massively into research to understand the causes and mechanisms of these diseases and to develop new diagnostics, therapies, and preventive measures. Yet, as money flows into research institutes, universities, and hospitals, the question is how funding is being allocated to study specific diseases; in other words, does the investment meet the …