How Much Money Is Spent on Cancer Research?

Cancer research is the scientific study dedicated to understanding, preventing, diagnosing, and treating cancer. This multidisciplinary field involves various scientific disciplines, from genetics and molecular biology to epidemiology and clinical trials. Quantifying the financial investment in cancer research highlights the resources allocated to scientific advancements.

Global and National Spending Overview

The financial commitment to cancer research represents a substantial global endeavor. Between 2016 and 2020, public and charitable organizations collectively invested approximately $24.5 billion in cancer research worldwide. This figure underscores the significant resources directed toward advancing scientific knowledge and developing new interventions against cancer. However, this global investment decreased between 2019 and 2020, coinciding with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The United States is a primary contributor to this global funding, providing 57.3% of the total public and charitable cancer research funding awarded globally during the 2016-2020 period.

Within the United States, federal agencies allocate considerable funds. For fiscal year (FY) 2023, the National Cancer Institute (NCI) received a budget of approximately $7.3 billion, part of the broader National Institutes of Health (NIH) budget of around $47.5 billion. For FY 2024, the NCI’s allocation was approximately $7.2 billion, while the NIH budget was about $47.1 billion.

These figures represent direct research funding, distinct from spending on cancer medicines. Global spending on cancer medicines reached $223 billion in 2023, projected to increase to $409 billion by 2028. In the U.S. alone, spending on oncology medicines was approximately $99 billion in 2023, anticipated to grow to nearly $180 billion by 2028.

Key Contributors to Research Funding

Funding for cancer research flows from diverse sources, each playing a distinct role in advancing scientific understanding and therapeutic development. Government agencies represent a substantial portion of this investment, acting as foundational pillars for research infrastructure and initiatives.

Government Agencies

The National Cancer Institute (NCI), the principal federal agency for cancer research, receives its budget from the U.S. Congress as part of the broader National Institutes of Health (NIH) budget. The NCI allocates over 70% of its funds through extramural grants and cooperative agreements to external entities such as universities, medical schools, hospitals, and research laboratories. The NCI also conducts intramural research within its laboratories.

Non-Profit Organizations

Non-profit organizations also contribute significantly. The American Cancer Society (ACS) is the largest non-governmental, non-profit funder of cancer research in the United States. The ACS committed over $400 million in cancer research grants in 2021 and 2022, increasing this to over $445 million in 2023. These grants support various research types, including investigator-initiated projects and seed money for early-career investigators.

Pharmaceutical and Biotechnology Industries

The pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries are major investors, especially in new cancer treatment development. Oncology research and development (R&D) accounts for approximately 23% of global pharmaceutical R&D spending. Industry-sponsored clinical trials enrolled eight times more patients than federally sponsored trials between 2018 and 2022.

Academic and Research Institutions

Academic and research institutions, including universities and medical centers, directly receive much of this funding. They are hubs where basic scientific discoveries are made and translated into clinical applications. These institutions secure grants from government agencies and non-profits, and contribute their own resources and infrastructure to support extensive research programs.

Private Philanthropy

Private philanthropy, through individual donors and large charitable foundations, provides substantial contributions. These philanthropic gifts support specific research projects or establish large-scale initiatives and research centers. For instance, donations include $100 million to Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and $69 million to Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. Philanthropic funding often supports high-risk, high-reward research that might not qualify for traditional government grants.

Categories of Research Investment

Funds allocated to cancer research are strategically distributed across various scientific inquiry areas, each contributing uniquely to the overall fight against cancer. This categorization ensures a comprehensive approach, from understanding the fundamental biology of the disease to improving patient quality of life. The National Cancer Institute (NCI), for example, classifies its expenditures across specific cancer sites, types, and research mechanisms, acknowledging that funding areas often overlap.

Basic Research

Basic research is foundational, studying cells, molecules, and genes to understand cancer development and progression. Preclinical research, including laboratory studies, has historically received a substantial portion of public and philanthropic funding between 2016 and 2020.

Translational Research

Translational research bridges basic scientific discoveries and their practical application in clinical settings. It moves promising findings from the lab to the patient, including preclinical studies and early-phase clinical research for new diagnostics, treatments, and preventive therapies.

Clinical Research and Trials

Clinical research and trials involve human studies to test the safety and efficacy of new treatments, diagnostic methods, and preventive strategies. These trials validate findings from basic and translational research. Early-phase clinical trials (Phase I and II) evaluate novel approaches and are often supported by non-profit organizations. Clinical trials explore a wide range of interventions, including new drugs, surgical techniques, radiation therapies, and combinations thereof.

Prevention and Early Detection

Prevention and early detection research focuses on strategies to stop cancer from developing or to identify it at its earliest, most treatable stages. This includes studies on lifestyle modifications, dietary interventions, and the development and implementation of screening programs. Investment in this area can significantly reduce the overall burden of cancer.

Supportive Care and Survivorship

Supportive care and survivorship research improves the quality of life for individuals living with and beyond cancer. This encompasses studies on managing symptoms and side effects of cancer and its treatments, optimizing palliative care, and addressing the long-term physical, psychological, and economic challenges faced by cancer survivors. Integrated supportive care can lead to improved patient outcomes.

Tracking and Reporting Research Expenditures

Tracking and reporting cancer research expenditures involves a multifaceted system designed to ensure accountability and transparency across diverse funding sources.

Government Reporting

Government agencies, such as the National Cancer Institute (NCI) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH), maintain rigorous internal systems. Federal grant recipients must submit detailed financial and progress reports, including Research Performance Progress Reports (RPPR) and Federal Financial Reports (FFR), to document how funds are utilized and what scientific advancements are achieved. These reports are crucial for ensuring compliance with federal regulations. The NIH uses public platforms like RePORT and RePORTER for comprehensive searches of federally funded projects by various criteria, including investigator names, institutions, and specific research areas.

Non-Profit and Public Access

Major non-profit organizations, such as the American Cancer Society (ACS) and Cancer Research UK (CRUK), also have internal mechanisms and external platforms, like Researchfish, for their funded researchers to report on the outputs and impacts of their grants. Government agencies make detailed budget breakdowns and research portfolios available through their official websites. Non-profit organizations publish annual reports that detail their revenue, expenditures, and the impact of their research investments. Additionally, non-profits are legally required to file IRS Form 990s, which are publicly accessible documents. Clinical and epidemiological data, such as that collected by the National Cancer Database (NCDB), is also made available to researchers and the public through specialized web-based applications.

Challenges in Global Comparison

Despite these robust reporting mechanisms, obtaining a precise, globally comparable picture of cancer research spending presents inherent complexities. Variations in accounting practices and reporting standards across different countries and organizations can make direct comparisons difficult. Proprietary industry data, often considered trade secrets, is not always publicly disclosed in granular detail. Furthermore, the long timeframes involved in research, where preclinical discoveries can take many years to translate into patient benefit, add a layer of complexity to assessing immediate returns on investment. Some analyses also suggest that funding allocation may not always perfectly align with the global burden of specific cancer types.