Alberta West News: Have there been any real advances in cancer treatment based on billions of dollars going to cancer research?

Friday, June 20, 2025

Have there been any real advances in cancer treatment based on billions of dollars going to cancer research?

Yes, there have been significant advances in cancer treatment resulting from the billions of dollars invested in cancer research. Over the past few decades, substantial funding—approximately $24.5 billion globally between 2016 and 2020 alone—has fueled groundbreaking discoveries and innovations that have transformed cancer care, improved patient outcomes, and reduced mortality rates12. Below are some key advancements directly tied to this investment.

Precision Medicine and Targeted Therapies

Research funding has driven remarkable progress in precision medicine, enabling treatments tailored to individual genetic profiles and specific tumor characteristics. A notable example is the development of KRAS inhibitors, once considered "undruggable" targets. Drugs like sotorasib (Lumakras) and adagrasib (Krazati), approved in recent years, target specific KRAS mutations common in cancers such as pancreatic and colorectal cancer. These inhibitors, along with next-generation molecules targeting variants like KRAS G12D and G12V, are showing promise in clinical trials, with exciting data expected in 202534. Additionally, innovations like molecular glues and cyclic peptides are emerging as novel ways to target previously inaccessible proteins, further expanding the arsenal of targeted therapies4.

Immunotherapy Breakthroughs

Immunotherapy, which harnesses the body’s immune system to fight cancer, has seen transformative advances due to research investments. CAR T-cell therapy, first approved in 2017 for certain leukemias, lymphomas, and multiple myelomas, exemplifies this progress. This therapy modifies a patient’s T cells to attack cancer cells and has shown significant success in clinical trials, including those conducted at institutions like Mayo Clinic5. Furthermore, advances in allogeneic CAR T-cell therapies and Boolean logic-based CAR T cells, which target multiple cancer-specific markers to spare healthy cells, are poised to improve outcomes in hematologic malignancies in 20253. Immune checkpoint inhibitors and engineered immune cells are also enhancing cancer-killing capabilities, with ongoing research supported by organizations like Worldwide Cancer Research6.

Cancer Vaccines and Personalized Approaches

A promising frontier is the development of cancer vaccines, particularly mRNA-based therapies. Vaccines like mRNA-4157/V940, developed by Moderna and Merck, target neoantigens unique to a patient’s tumor and have shown reduced recurrence rates in melanoma patients when combined with drugs like pembrolizumab (Keytruda) in Phase 2b trials. Phase 3 trials began in 2024, with potential approval expected around 20257. Similarly, personalized mRNA vaccines for pancreatic cancer, developed by BioNTech and Memorial Sloan-Kettering, have demonstrated encouraging results, with half of the trial participants showing immune responses that prevented metastases over 18 months7. Vaccines for aggressive brain tumors like glioblastoma, such as DOC1021 by Diakonos Oncology, are also in clinical trials, offering hope for challenging cancers7.

Targeted Radiopharmaceuticals and Antibody-Drug Conjugates

Targeted radiopharmaceuticals, which deliver radiation directly to tumors, represent a burgeoning field with a projected market of $25 billion. Drugs like Novartis’ Pluvicto for prostate cancer and Lutathera for neuroendocrine tumors have achieved significant sales, with Pluvicto nearing blockbuster status at $980 million in 20238. Meanwhile, antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) are improving precision in drug delivery. Mayo Clinic researchers have developed strategies combining ADCs with proteolysis-targeting chimeras to enhance drug internalization in cancer cells, showing up to 1.9 times better absorption in preclinical breast cancer models9.

Early Detection and Supportive Therapies

Research funding has also improved early detection and supportive care. Innovations like liquid biopsies for detecting cancer DNA in blood are advancing early diagnosis for cancers such as prostate and bladder cancer, though continued investment is needed for clinical integration10. Additionally, federally funded trials have led to practice-changing treatments, such as abatacept, which reduces the risk of graft-versus-host disease in bone marrow transplants, and fluciclovine (Axumin), a tracer for visualizing recurrent prostate cancer with PET imaging11.

Impact of Funding on Mortality and Access

The impact of these advancements is evident in outcomes. Federal funding, particularly through the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and National Cancer Institute (NCI), has contributed to a 34% decline in cancer mortality between 1991 and 2022 in the United States, driven by improvements in prevention, screening, and treatment11. However, challenges remain, as only a small fraction of funding—1.4% for surgery and 2.8% for radiotherapy—goes to primary treatments, highlighting a gap between research focus and direct patient benefit12.

In conclusion, the billions invested in cancer research have yielded tangible advances across precision medicine, immunotherapy, vaccines, and targeted therapies, significantly improving survival rates and quality of life for many patients. Despite these successes, disparities in funding allocation and threats of cuts to federal support underscore the need for sustained investment to maintain momentum and address unmet needs in cancer care12 1013.

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