Senate Report Reveals 31% Reduction in U.S. Cancer Research Funding Under Trump Administration

In the first quarter of 2025, the Trump administration significantly cut cancer research funding by 31% compared to the same period in the previous year, a Senate report has disclosed. The report, commissioned by Senator Bernie Sanders, highlights that at least $13.5 billion in health research funds were eliminated, encompassing 1,660 grants and leading to the loss of thousands of scientific jobs. The National Cancer Institute suffered a budget reduction of over $300 million from January to March, bringing its funding to the lowest levels in over a decade, while the broader National Institutes of Health experienced a $2.7 billion cut.

Senator Sanders criticized the administration's actions, describing them as an unprecedented attack on science and scientists, emphasizing the active efforts to undermine scientific progress. The report is based on interviews with federal scientists and health workers and depicts a chaotic environment within the Department of Health and Human Services, which is led by Vaccine skeptic Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

Some of the impacts include the deletion of over 175 public health datasets by the CDC, creating gaps in guidance for clinicians. Additionally, a cancer patient undergoing a complex treatment at NIH expressed concern that staff shortages caused by funding cuts could jeopardize her care, highlighting the human toll of these reductions.

The report also raises alarms about the rise of misinformation amid a measles outbreak, which has resulted in over 1,000 infections and three deaths. It points out that more than 40 grants related to vaccine hesitancy have been canceled.

Despite proposed cuts to the Department of Health and Human Services’ budget for the following year, the administration allocated $500 million for Kennedy’s 'Make America Healthy Again' initiative, focusing on nutrition, physical activity, and reducing dependence on medication. These developments mark a contentious chapter in U.S. health research funding, with critics raising concerns about the long-term implications for public health.

source: https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-05-trump-slashed-cancer-percent-senate.html