Lack of funding is common among many cancers with high incidence and mortality, particularly among Black patients, according to study findings presented at the 2022 ASCO Annual Meeting.

Researchers evaluated funding from the National Cancer Institute (NCI) and nonprofit organizations (NPOs) supporting lung, breast, colorectal, pancreatic, hepatobiliary, prostate, ovarian, cervical/endometrial cancers, leukemia, lymphoma, and melanoma between 2015 and 2018.

Breast cancer ($3.75 billion) and leukemia ($1.99 billion) were found to have the largest combined NCI and NPO funding. Cancer research areas with the least amount of funding included endometrial ($94 million), cervical ($292 million), and hepatobiliary ($348 million).

“Disease-specific funding correlated well with incidence, but correlated poorly with mortality (PCCs: .74, P = .006 and .30, P = .346, respectively),” wrote researchers.

Findings showed colorectal, lung, hepatobiliary and uterine cancers were consistently underfunded, but breast cancer, leukemia, and lymphoma were consistently well-funded.

“NCI and NPO funding increased proportionately as incidence increased for White patients (PCC: .73, P = .007), Hispanic patients (PCC: .66, P = .02), Asian/Pacific Islanders (PCC: .77, P = .003) and Native Americans and Alaskans (PCC: .72, P = .008) while cancers with higher incidence in the Black population were underfunded (PCC: .52, P = .08),” reported study authors.

The number of clinical trials for a disease (PCC: .91, P < .0001) was significantly associated with the amount of combined NCI and NPO funding for that particular cancer.

"Underfunding strongly correlates with fewer clinical trials, which could impede future advances in underfunded cancers," wrote investigators.

Reference:
Kamath SD, Chen Y. Disparities in NCI and nonprofit organization funding and effect on cancers with high incidence rates among Black patients and mortality rates. J Clin Oncol. 2022;40(suppl 16): abstract 1509. doi:10.1200/jco.2022.40.16_suppl.1509