Every June, National Cancer Survivor Month honors the more than 18 million Americans who are alive today after a cancer diagnosis. That is not just a statistic; it is a national achievement made possible by decades of bipartisan investment in the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the National Cancer Institute (NCI). 

For more than five decades, Congress has made cancer research a bipartisan priority. That leadership created the most advanced biomedical research enterprise in the world. It has helped lower the cancer death rate by 34% since 1991 and contributed to more than 4 million lives saved.  

Federally funded research has powered nearly every major advance in cancer care. Over the past decade, NIH-backed science contributed to 354 of 356 new FDA-approved drugs, bringing cutting-edge treatments to patients who once had no options. Today, more than 36,000 active clinical trials are supported by NIH and NCI, including studies for rare, aggressive, and treatment-resistant cancers. The results are clear: patients treated at NCI-Designated Cancer Centers have a 25% greater chance of survival than those treated elsewhere. 

NIH funding saves lives. Congress must act now to protect the bipartisan legacy that made today’s breakthroughs possible and ensure that patients and families are not left behind. Use your voice to make a difference. Contact your members of Congress today and urge them to provide at least $51.3 billion for NIH in FY 2027, including $7.999 billion for the National Cancer Institute.