Action on Health Funding Needed for National Breast Cancer Awareness Month and Beyond

By Valerie Nauman, Senior Coordinator, Federal Policy and Advocacy, Susan G. Komen

For over 30 years the country has come together to recognize October as National Breast Cancer Awareness Month (NBCAM). Through the concentrated efforts of the breast cancer patients, survivors, advocates, and researchers, we have been able to continue to develop newer, more effective and more precise treatments, which have helped to lower the mortality rate for breast cancer in the U.S. by 41% since 1989. But with an estimated 284,200 people in the US who will be diagnosed with breast cancer and more than 44,130 people who will die from the disease in 2021 alone, it is clear that our work is not done. Now as October and NBCAM comes to an end, it’s time to renew our dedication to breast cancer patients and survivors through continued and sustainable funding for federal biomedical research and breast cancer services.

Advances that were once unimaginable have been achieved and have opened a world of unprecedented opportunities for science, medicine, and health. Biomedical research is the driving force behind decades of advances that have improved the health of people in every corner of the country—including the lives of those affected by breast cancer. But in order to keep this momentum in the fight against breast cancer, we need robust and sustained investment in breast cancer research at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Department of Defense (DOD).

The researchers at the NIH, and especially at the National Cancer Institute (NCI), drive pivotal basic scientific research while the DOD Breast Cancer Research Program (BCRP) challenges scientists to pursue high-risk, high-reward research. Both distinguished institutions have driven our understanding, detection, and treatment of breast cancer for decades. The list of achievements is long and includes recent progress in understanding the BRCA gene mutation. Biomedical research is a wise investment that will not only defend Americans against cancer and other diseases, but also serves as one of our nation’s primary paths to innovation, global competitiveness, and economic growth.

Thankfully, biomedical research at the NIH has enjoyed continued and increased support from Congress over the past few years and the Breast Cancer Research Program has enjoyed steady funding but we can still do more. Despite its importance, federal support for biomedical research is keeping pace but the obstacles have increased. The COVID-19 pandemic brought many aspects of our lives to a halt but one of the most damaging delays occurred in research labs which is why Komen has supported the Research Investment to Spark the Economy (RISE) Act of 2021 which would provide additional funding to support a wide range of medical research that was stalled or lost due to the pandemic. Ensuring that research has continuous and consistent support from our federal government prioritizes breast cancer patients and survivors for years to come.

While it’s important to support funding for the innovative technologies and therapies developed at NIH and DOD, treatment advances mean little if we do not also support government policies that make the benefits of this research widely available.  This year marks the 30th anniversary of the National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program (NBCCEDP) which provides lifesaving breast cancer screening and diagnostic services to low-income, uninsured, and underinsured women in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, six territories, and 13 tribal organizations. NBCCEDP has served more than 5.8 million women since its founding in 1991, detecting over 71,000 breast cancers, 22,500 premalignant breast lesions, 4,800 cervical cancers and 220,000 premalignant cervical lesions. The program, which is a partnership between the Centers for Disease Control and state health departments, also provides public education, outreach, patient navigation, care coordination, and quality assistance to increase breast cancer screening rates and reach underserved, vulnerable populations.

NBCCEDP is a vital program to ensuring everyone has access to comprehensive breast cancer screening, diagnostic services, and navigation to care but the CDC and state health departments need more support. Unfortunately, even prior to the pandemic, at current funding levels, NBCCEDP serves fewer than 15 percent of the estimated number of women eligible for breast cancer services, and less than 7 percent of women eligible for cervical cancer programming. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic many have gone without health screenings and many face uncertain financial situations, potentially increasing the population of eligible women.

The program, which is currently funded at $197 million, received level funding in both the House and Senate Fiscal Year 2022 Appropriations bills, well below the $275 million authorization. While level-funding allows NBCCEDP to continue the vital work it has been doing, we must do better to ensure this program has the resources to reach its full potential.

National Breast Cancer Awareness Month must be about more than proclamations of support for the breast cancer community. We must enthusiastically provide more support for the proven research programs and services that help breast cancer patients and survivors every day, not just in October. Susan G. Komen urges Congress and the Administration to match their commitment to breast cancer awareness with their commitment to the policies that help those affected by breast cancer.