A statement from GO2 President and CEO Laurie Ambrose 

I remember the day vividly in 2008. I succeeded in organizing a meeting with the Chairman of the House Appropriations Defense Subcommittee, Congressman John Murtha, to discuss establishing a dedicated medical research pipeline in the Department of Defense Congressionally Directed Medical Research Program (CDMRP) to address the unique and urgent needs of our service men and women impacted by lung cancer.    

Joining me was our board of directors chairman and board member, Ret. Admiral Phil Coady, along with Ret. Admiral Joe Lopez, and Congressman Amo Houghton. Together, we made our case. Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death for men and women. But it has a much greater toll on our military personnel due to their occupational exposures in combat zones near and far, age, and smoking histories. Over 900,000 Veterans are at risk for lung cancer each year, with more than 15 Veterans dying every day from the disease. Our service personnel experience roughly a 30% higher incidence and mortality than the civilian population. They deserved the benefit of a dedicated pipeline for lung cancer research to address their unique needs. Chairman Murtha, a decorated combat war hero, immediately understood the direct relevance and critical need. He agreed to create the Lung Cancer Research Program (LCRP) within the CDMRP portfolio, appropriating its first $20 million.

We have successfully advocated for and secured additional funding to advance medical research to benefit service men and women, their families, and people impacted by lung cancer every year since then. The advancements are real and tangible. The LCRP strategically funds clinically relevant research that has the highest potential impact throughout the cancer care continuum. It fuels innovative research, such as investigating the molecular mechanisms of a variant of small cell lung cancer (SCLC) that initiates in lung sensory cells and investigating potential new biomarkers to identify immune checkpoint-based therapies. This vital research contributes to much-needed progress in reducing the burden of the disease on our military and the public. 

Yet inexplicably, on March 15, the President signed a continuing resolution (CR) passed by Congress, extending government funding through September 30, 2025. This stopgap funding bill slashed the Pentagon-backed CDMRP medical research portfolio by $859 million, roughly 57% of its total budget. Caught in the crossfire of this draconian cut was our 17-year-old Lung Cancer Research Program. Virtually overnight, the Pentagon chose to zero out $25 million – out of a roughly $850 billion defense budget – that supported continued lung cancer research to help support the health and readiness of our warfighters and families. 

This is devastating to the lung cancer community, and it must be reversed. If left unaddressed, this decision will be a costly mistake – one whose price cannot be measured in dollars. Labs will shut down, clinical trials will stop mid-course, and researchers will move on to more stable funded fields. Most of all, service men and women, their families, and people impacted by lung cancer who put their faith in new treatment options will be left wondering what comes next for them.

The Pentagon and federal policymakers have the discretion and authority to fix this. Making cuts without time for informed evaluation is reckless and erases years of hard-fought work. It negates the multiplying effect of investment that has brought tangible hope and more certainty to the future of medical breakthroughs with the ultimate goal of cure. 

Let us join together now to advocate – not only for the restoration of the current $25 million for the Lung Cancer Research Program – but also for increased funding to sustain this vital research engine in years to come. We owe it to the countless service members, Veterans, and the public who rely on the advancements made possible by this program.