Awareness | Debate | Action

NOT for Cancer Prevention: The National Cancer Institute (NCI) and the American Cancer Society (ACS)

The American Cancer Society's mission statement says it is dedicated to "preventing cancer and saving lives—through research education, advocacy, and service." Yet what the Society seems to do best is accumulate wealth

Both the National Cancer Institute and the American Cancer Society (ACS) are fixated on damage control—screening, diagnosis, and treatment—and genetic research, and are largely indifferent to cancer prevention.

Of an approximately $4.6 billion 2003 budget, the NCI allocates less than one percent to researching occupational cancers, even though they are the most preventable cancers. Over 10 percent of adult cancer deaths result from occupational exposures, which are also a recognized cause of cancer in children: parents exposed to carcinogens on the job often expose their unborn children to the same cancer-causing chemicals. And while the NCI says that diet accounts for roughly one-third of all cancers, it spends just $1 million on education, media, and public outreach to promote the consumption of fruits and vegetables for cancer prevention, while ignoring well-documented evidence that produce contaminated with carcinogenic pesticide residues increases risk. It also fails to educate the public about the cancer risks posed by a wide range of industrial by-products and contaminants, particularly dioxin.

The cancer establishment has been most negligent in its failure to provide Congress, regulatory agencies, and the public with well-documented scientific evidence of known cancer risks. This information is essential for Congress if it is to protect the public by legislating or banning the addition of recognized carcinogens, from food additives to pesticides.

...It is time for the cancer establishment to deploy its considerable war chest toward implementing meaningful cancer prevention strategies and eliminating the toxic output of industry. We must put lives before profits. Only then will we begin to make real progress in the war on cancer.

Read more at www.preventcancer.com

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Comment by Cromag on September 27, 2009 at 10:22pm

2009 UPDATE: ACS Allocates More Funding for Prevention in 2010

from the ACS website FAQ

The American Cancer Society is the nationwide community-based voluntary health organization dedicated to eliminating cancer as a major health problem by preventing cancer, saving lives, and
diminishing suffering from cancer through research, education,
advocacy, and service. With more than two million volunteers
nationwide, the American Cancer Society is one of the oldest and
largest voluntary health agencies in the United States.

Organization

The American Cancer Society, Inc. consists of a National Home Office
with 13 chartered Divisions throughout the United States and a presence
in most communities.

The National American Cancer Society
The National Home Office is responsible for overall planning and
coordination of the Society’s programs for cancer information delivery,
cancer control and prevention, advocacy, resource development, and
patient services. The National Home Office also provides technical
support and materials to Divisions and local offices, and administers
the intramural and extramural research programs. The National Board of
Directors includes representatives from the Divisions and the general
public.

The Divisions
The Society’s 13 Divisions are governed by Division Boards of Directors composed of both medical and lay volunteers throughout the United
States and Puerto Rico. The Divisions are responsible for program
delivery in their regions.

Local Offices
More than 3,400 local offices nationwide are organized to deliver cancer prevention, early detection, and patient services programs at
the community level.

Volunteers
More than two million volunteers carry out the Society's mission of
eliminating cancer and improving quality of life for those individuals
facing the disease. These dedicated volunteers donate their time and
talents to further cancer research; educate the public about early
detection and prevention; advocate for responsible cancer legislation
in the local, state, and federal governments; and serve cancer patients
and their families as they manage their cancer experience.

How the American Cancer Society Fights Cancer

Research
The aim of the Society’s research program is to determine the causes of cancer and to support efforts to prevent and cure the disease. The
American Cancer Society is the largest source of private, nonprofit
cancer research funds in the United States, second only to the federal
government in total dollars spent.

Beginning in 1946 with $1 million, the Society’s research program has invested about $3 billion in cancer research. The Society has funded 42 Nobel Prize winners early in their careers.

The research program focuses primarily on peer-reviewed projects initiated by beginning investigators working in leading medical and scientific institutions across the country. The research
program consists of three components: extramural grants, intramural
epidemiology and surveillance research, and the intramural behavioral
research center.

Education
Knowing the facts about cancer can save lives. What you eat and drink, how you live, where you work . . . all these factors can affect your
risk for cancer.

Primary cancer prevention means taking the necessary precautions to prevent the occurrence of cancer. Prevention programs are designed to help adults and children make healthy lifestyle choices
that continue throughout life.

The Society offers programs to help educate the public about cancer risks, early detection methods, and prevention. Educational efforts include:

Tobacco control
Relationship between diet and physical activity and cancer
Sun Safety
Comprehensive school health education

In addition to cancer prevention, the Society focuses on a variety of early detection programs and encourages regular medical checkups and recommended cancer screenings.

Finding cancer in the earliest stage possible gives the patient the greatest chance of survival. For this reason, the Society seeks to provide the public and health care professionals with the
latest cancer resources to help them make informed decisions. Through
national conferences and workshops, a Web site (www.cancer.org), the
National Cancer Information Center (1-800-ACS-2345), workshops,
multimedia, and print publications, the Society reaches out in multiple
ways with lifesaving information.

Patient Services
Because cancer takes a toll on the person diagnosed—as well as family and friends—the Society offers support and service programs to try to
lessen the impact. These programs cover a wide range of needs—from
connecting patients with other survivors to providing a place to stay
when treatment facilities are far from home.

Advocacy
Cancer is a political issue. Many of the most important cancer decisions are made not just in the doctor’s office, but in your state
legislature, in Congress, and the White House. Government officials
make decisions everyday about health issues that affect our lives. The
Society’s advocacy efforts work in concert with its research,
education, and service initiatives to strengthen our nation’s laws,
regulations, and programs in a way that will:

Increase federal funding for cancer research
Help more people benefit from advances in prevention, early detection, and treatment
Make it easier for patients to navigate the health care system
Improve the quality of life of cancer patients, survivors, and their families

Society advocacy initiatives rely on the combined efforts of a community-based, grassroots network of cancer survivors and caregivers, Society volunteers and staff, health care professionals, public health
organizations, and other collaborative partners.

In addition, the Society has established a sister issue advocacy organization, the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network(SM) (ACS CAN) (www.acscan.org). ACS CAN is dedicated to
eliminating cancer as a major public health problem through voter
education and issue campaigns aimed at influencing candidates and
lawmakers to support laws and policies that will help people fight
cancer.

Funds Allocation
Allocation of funds for the fiscal year ending August 31, 2008 (numbers
are rounded to the nearest million):

Research ($156 million)	15%
Prevention ($189 million)	18%
Patient Support ($268 million)	26%
Detection /Treatment ($142 million)	14%
Total Program Services ($755 million)	73%

Management, General ($73 million)	7%
Fundraising ($213 million)	20%
Total Supporting Services ($289 million)	27%