The Number One Cancer Killer for Women Receives the Least Amount of Research Funding
January 1, 1970
The Women and Lung Cancer Research and Preventive Service Act will expand resources to understand the science of lung cancer in womenSan Carlos, CA and Washington, DC –GO2 for Lung Cancer (GO2) announced today that, in a bi-partisan show of support to eliminate gender disparity in lung cancer research funding, federal policymakers introduced the Women and Lung Cancer Research and Preventive Services Act (BILL NUMBER). Lung cancer kills more women than any other type of cancer, yet it receives the least amount of federal research funding. Every day, nearly 200 American women die of the disease.“Gender bias is still alive and well in medical research. This legislation will help us to better understand the science of lung cancer in women,” said Laurie Fenton Ambrose, President and CEO of GO2. “Women who never smoked are more than twice as likely to get lung cancer as men who never smoked. Lung cancer impacts women differently than men and expanding lung cancer research to investigate the causes, risk factors and disease progression is critical.”Authored by Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) the legislation directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services, in consultation with the Secretary of Defense and Secretary of Veterans Affairs, to conduct an interagency review to evaluate the status of, and identify opportunities related to:
- Increased research on women and lung cancer.
- Improved access to lung cancer preventive services.
- A national public awareness and education campaign on lung cancer.
Lung cancer receives $3,580 per death in research funding from the National Institutes of Health. By comparison, breast cancer receives $19,050 per death.“Lung cancer is sadly one of the only cancers where patients are routinely blamed as responsible for their condition,” said Marsha B. Henderson, GO2 Board Member and Retired Associate Commissioner for Women’s Health at the Food and Drug Administration. “Expanding research and awareness about lung cancer promises that more women will get screened and effective therapies and prevention strategies specific to women will be produced, improving the lives of women with lung cancer.”Recently, Women’s Health Access Matters (WHAM) commissioned The RAND Corporation to develop a report on lung cancer in women. The report found that doubling current spending on research into lung cancer in women would pay for itself may times over, even if the research led to only modest changes in outcomes. The study found that if just $40 million for lung cancer research focused on women there would be large returns including 22,700 years of life added, 2,500 years restored to the workforce, $45 million added back in labor productivity. Overall, increased research could potentially generate nearly $61 million in returns to the economy and bring a 1,200% return on investment.The Women and Lung Cancer Research Act is cosponsored by XXXX, XXXX, XXXXX and set to be heard in XX committee on DATE.
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