Cancer Research Funding

Today, the president released his proposed budget for Fiscal Year 2026 which contains a 26.2% cut to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). This includes a 37% cut to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and eliminates the National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

With Friday marking the end of the legislative session in Hawai’i, cancer survivors, patients, and advocates with the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN) commend the state legislature for committing to health equity by passing a bill that enables researchers to study why cancer disproportionately impacts Native Hawaiians, Pacific Islanders, and Asian Americans including Filipinos in Hawai’i.

Maryland state lawmakers have released details on the agreed upon 2025-26 budget—the contents of which are a mixed bag in the fight against cancer. While the state made sound investments in cancer research and protected Medicaid recipients’ ability to access biomarker testing, it missed an opportunity to save the lives and lungs of Maryland’s youth by cutting funding for the state’s tobacco prevention and cessation programs.

Yesterday, the U.S. Senate voted to confirm Jay Bhattacharya, MD, PhD, as the new director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH).