NIH release--VICE PRESIDENT GORE ANNOUNCES HISTORIC CANCER I

[Jean Kajikawa]

National Institutes of Health
National Cancer Institute

For Response to Inquiries
Thursday, January 29, 1998

NCI Press Office
(301) 496-6641

VICE PRESIDENT GORE ANNOUNCES HISTORIC CANCER INITIATIVE
January 29, 1998

"We've won a great many battles, but we know we can't stop
until we win the war.  That is why, even as we are
balancing the budget and making tough cuts across the
board, we must invest more in the war against cancer.  We
must give America 's families new hope for a healthy
future."

--Vice President Gore, January 29, 1998

Today, Vice President Gore announced a historic initiative
to step up the battle against cancer. Building on the
Administration's support for legislation to prevent genetic
discrimination by health insurers and employers, the
President's new cancer initiative includes:

A historic $4.7 billion increase in spending in cancer
research at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), a 65
percent increase over the next five years; and

A groundbreaking initiative mat explicitly provides
coverage of cancer clinical trials for Medicare
beneficiaries.

More than 40 percent of Americans will be diagnosed with
cancer during their lifetime and more than 20 percent will
die from it.  While scientists have made important strides
in cancer, particularly in childhood cancers, experts
believe that we are at the cusp of important new
breakthroughs in the war against cancer that merit or
justify a much greater investment in research that could
lead to help better  diagnose, prevent, treat, and
potentially cure cancer.

Less than 3 percent of cancer patients participate in
clinical trials.  Americans over the age of 65 make up half
of all cancer patients, and are 10 times more likely to get
cancer than younger Americans.  Many scientists believe
that higher participation in clinical trials could lead to
faster development of therapies for more of those in need,
as it often takes between three and five years to enroll
enough participants in a cancer clinical trial to make the
results scientifically legitimate and statistically
meaningful.  Furthermore, older Americans frequently cannot
participate in cutting edge cancer clinical trials because
Medicare does not pay for such treatments until they are
established as standard therapies.

Historic Increases in Cancer Research at the National
Institutes of Health.  The Vice President announced a 65
percent increase in funding for cancer research at the NIH
over the next five years.  This is part of the President's
proposal for an unprecedented $1.15 billion increase at the
NIH in FY l999 and a nearly 50 percent increase over the
next five years.

Unprecedented new investment of $4.7 billion in cancer
research over five years. In 1999 alone, the Administration
is proposing a 10 percent increase in cancer research by
2003, the NIH will spend $4.8 billion on cancer research.
A significant and new increase in research has great
potential to improve early detection and diagnoses of
cancer; speed the discovery and development of new cancer
drugs and devices; dramatically increase adult
participation in clinical trials; and provide all cancer
patients and their care givers with easy access to the
latest information on treating their disease.

Investment will support cancer research throughout the NIH.
Almost 90 percent of the cancer research money will be
supported at the National Cancer Institute, but the
initiative will also involve new and enhanced activities in
at least 12 other Institutes of the NIH, such as the Human
Genome Project.

Coverage of Cancer Clinical Trials for Medicare
Beneficiaries.  The Vice President also
announced that, for the first time, Medicare beneficiaries
would be able to have the patient
care costs associated with cancer clinical trials
explicitly covered through a new demonstration.
This would give Medicare beneficiaries access to
cutting-edge treatments and encourage higher
participation in clinical trials.

Gives Medicare beneficiaries access to cancer clinical
trials.  The Administration's proposal would establish a
three-year demonstration program for Medicare
beneficiaries, to cover the patient care costs for those
who participate in certain federally-sponsored cancer
clinical trials.  The proposal is based on NIH-sponsored
clinical trials but will allow for determination of the
eligibility of an alternative set of trials by the
Secretary of Health and Human Services within the same
funding constraints, with the advice of the Institute of
Medicine's National Cancer Policy Board.  The President's
budget would establish a three-year demonstration program,
specifically for Medicare beneficiaries, to cover the
patient care costs for those who participate in NIH
sponsored cancer clinical trials.

Administered through HCFA for Medicare beneficiaries, but
has no impact on the Medicare Trust Fund.  The
demonstration would be administered by the Health Care
Financing Administration, which administers Medicare, but
would be funded by $750 million in receipts from tobacco
legislation.  It would therefore have no effect the
financial condition on the Medica: Trust Fund.  The
proposal includes a review and evaluation of the
demonstration by the Secretary of Health and Human
Services, in consultation with the Institute of Medicine's
National Cancer Policy Board, to consider whether to extend
and/or expand the demonstration, no later than 30 months
after enactment.

Builds on the bipartisan legislation in the Congress.
Senator Mack and Senator Rockefeller and Representative
Nancy Johnson have taking leadership in this area by
proposing similar legislation that would provide cancer
clinical trial coverage for Medicare beneficiaries.  The
Administration looks forward to working closely with these
leaders, as well as other Members of Congress, on this
important issue.
(more)