Get to Know the National Cancer Institute

As Americans, we don’t always know where our tax dollars go. Sometimes, we assume that they simply are wasted… but you’ll be happy to learn that the National Cancer Institute, funded by the citizens of the United States, is actually a great use of your money.

The National Cancer Institute is a part of the American National Institutes of Health and has been in existence since 1937. Established as part of the National Cancer Institute Act of that year, the National Cancer Institute has a strong interest in both cancer research and cancer training.

Consequently, the National Cancer Institute:

- Provides grants and funding for cancer research. This enables private organizations to conduct cancer experiments on both animals and humans in an effort to save future lives. Many new treatments for various cancer types have been discovered thanks to the National Cancer Institute’s underwriting.

- Disseminates information about cancer types. As a part of its ongoing cancer awareness campaign, the National Cancer Institute develops brochures, pamphlets, and facts pages in an effort to provide education to people of all ages and abilities. The more the population knows about cancer, the better the chances that those persons affected with the condition will get an early diagnosis.

- Works with the nation’s hospitals, universities, private corporations, and foundations. The National Cancer Institute feels a strong duty to help all like-minded entities, and thus provides support in the area of both money and training.

- Supports a network of cancer centers. Throughout the nation, there are a number of cancer centers supported entirely or partially by the National Cancer Institute. Again, these places of learning and science help develop new screening techniques and treatments so our society has a better chance of winning all the battles with cancer that so many Americans face.