Be An Advocate

12/01/2021

RE: Support Kidney Cancer Research Funding

Dear Chairwoman DeLauro, Ranking Member Granger, Chairwoman McCollum and Ranking Member Calvert:

My name is John Doe from Anytown, VA. I write to thank you and the whole Committee on Appropriations for your continued support for the Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs (CDMRP) by which the Kidney Cancer Research Program (KCRP) is funded. The groundbreaking research that results from the KCRP gives many like myself hope that we can soon unlock the cure for kidney cancer.

Kidney cancer is one of the ten most common cancers. According to the American Cancer Society, over half a million people in the US live with this disease and over 76,000 people will be newly diagnosed in 2021. Sadly, nearly 14,000 people are expected to die of kidney cancer this year. Advancing kidney cancer research to develop new and better treatment options for everyone remains an urgent priority.

The Committee on Appropriations has recognized our community’s needs in the past. Since 2016, the KCRP has funded nearly $42 million in research to identify innovative treatments and potential cures for this disease.

Increased funding overall has resulted in tremendous gains for the kidney cancer community. Thirty years ago, people diagnosed with kidney cancer had no treatment options and a bleak future. Today, there are over a dozen approved treatments and clinical trials expand patients’ options even more. Research on a kidney cancer-causing gene was the genesis of the discovery about how our cells adapt to their environment that won two American physician-scientists a 2019 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine and could change how many cancers are treated.

Despite these advances and CDMRP and National Institutes of Health funding, kidney cancer remains all too common and deadly.

Your commitment to addressing the burdens of kidney cancer on people like me through robust, sustained research funding is vital for providing access to effective care, support, and hope. I encourage you to do the following:

• Maintain the $50 million in funding for the KCRP via the CDMRP
• Increase the NIH budget by $3.2 billion
• Continue supporting legislative initiatives that support medical research funding
• Continue incorporating patient perspectives in legislative policy

Thank you for your years of service. I am grateful for the work of this Committee and hope that you continue to give this matter your full consideration.

Sincerely,

John Doe

Example 123 Street
Anytown, VA 00000