NYT: National Cancer Institute’s New Chief Talks of Budget Cutbacks

[DeepModem Mom]

Cancer Institute’s New Chief Talks of Cutbacks
By GARDINER HARRIS
Published: August 17, 2006

WASHINGTON, Aug. 16 — A surgeon who was appointed by President Bush this week to lead the National Cancer Institute said Wednesday that he had great hopes for finding new nontoxic cancer drugs but that given a shrinking of resources, some of the institute’s programs would probably have to be phased out.

In an interview, the appointee, Dr. John E. Niederhuber, also said that Mr. Bush’s limits on federal financing of embryonic stem cell research were acceptable for now but that they might someday slow cancer discoveries.

Dr. Niederhuber, in an expected appointment, was named by Mr. Bush on Tuesday to become the 13th director in the history of the cancer institute. He has been running the institute since last fall, however, when his predecessor, Dr. Andrew C. von Eschenbach, was appointed acting commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration. He requires no Senate confirmation for his new post.

Dr. Niederhuber picked his words carefully when asked in the interview about the president’s stem cell limits. After several efforts, he finally concluded: “I think the research questions that we have before us are quite doable under the current constraints. However, I anticipate that these constraints could be limiting as our knowledge increases.”

The more pressing question is how the institute will adjust to a changed fiscal outlook. From 1998 through 2003, spending at the National Institutes of Health doubled. In recent years, however, budgets have flattened. And since expenses have risen, cuts are needed....

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/08/17/washington/17cancer.html

[madrchsod]

1. sick people are a drain on the homeland

it is better for them to die than to drain resources that are needed for the war on terror

[rubberducky]

2. Of course there will be cutbacks everywhere.

We MUST fund Halliburton, big oil and pharma!! How many people will die because of this admin.??? How much death will be enough??

[savemefromdumbya]

3. They want you to be sick so it lines the pockets of the big health compani

[rubberducky]

4. I can`t help but think...

they wish ALL the poor folks would just die so * wouldn`t have to even worry his "beautiful mind" about them.

[grilled onions]

5. Well we certainly can't worry about disease...

..when we have countries to conquer! We simply have to get our priorities in order.It makes no difference that we have terror right here in the way of hunger,displacement,homeless,diesease and medical crisis's. The only terror they care about is those that involve obtaining land grab,power and getting their claws into natural resources all over the world(and perhaps other planets if they can manage it). Things like cancer research can be a real drain and caring for people who have long term,horrible diseases like this are a drain on state and federal finances. We simply cannot AFFORD our time and $$$ on illness when we still have a country or two to get involved with.:mad:

[oscar111]

6. RECOMMEND button is at bottom of orig post. Please click it

thanks

[oscar111]

7. ALL medical research is now cut, not only cancer

If i properly understood a local researcher on local tv news.

he said all medical research is now cut.

funds for the NIH cut.

in detail, it is more, but less than inflation. Which,... bottom line, is a cut.


Note that bush promised to triple NIH funds.

He cut them. Typical GOP lying.

[DeepModem Mom]

11. Thank you, Oscar. How many of us have not had our family...

or ourselves, stricken by cancer? It's unbelievable what this administration can spend billions on, while limiting this life-saving work. It's similar to the stem cell issue. These are life and death issues for each and every one of us, and for those we love.

[oscar111]

8. TAXCUTS FOR THE RICH.. means GOP "must" now cut all sorts of funding

bridge repair

medical research

VA hospitals

cop funds

firefighter funds

curbside mail sending boxes removed

school crossing guards removed

soldiers without toothpaste or armor
==========================================================
taxcuts for the rich totalled so far... over 350 Billion.
============================================================

to end homelessness... only 4 billion

to end hunger... 13 billion

rollback the taxcuts.

[OzarkDem]

9. He's focusing on the right area

They can probably afford to get rid of some "legacy" cancer research programs that are no longer necessary. There's a lot of politics in cancer research, and, though it happens more often w/ NIH grants, there can be some pork barrel spending on pet projects that have outlived their usefulness.

The cuts in funding for NCI's cancer centers will come at a bad time, when they're treating more and more uninsured people while the cost of cancer treatment drugs is skyrocketing. Hospitals are getting caught in the middle, along with consumers.

Its frustrating after spending the last several years using funds to encourage people to pursue research careers, to suddenly have to cut jobs in the field.

As Sen. Tom Harkin said, "I don't recall anyone calling a retreat in the war on cancer". Bush has.

[Lars39]

10. It would not surprise me if bushco tries to eventually eliminate

all government funding for cancer research by privatizing it.
I've had this worrisome thought since Lance Armstrong went bike riding with the idjit.

His foundation receiving government funding, and pushing cancer patients to be advocates for getting funding reminds me a little too much of the faith-based organizations that are edging out government social nets.

[gratuitous]

12. What's more important: Curing cancer or Paris Hilton?

Jeez people, priorities. How could we look future generations in the eye (well, you know what I mean) if we were to cure cancer but Paris Hilton didn't get every penny of the inheritance her overrich family will leave to her?

[cain_7777]

13. Our research grants have been cut

I do NeuroOncology research at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center. Our new round of grants have been drastically reduced for next year. Many salaries are paid for by these grants, and some labs are downsizing because of the cuts.

[DeepModem Mom]

14. Thank you for this confirmation from your own experience --

this is tragic, a literal matter of life and death.