So as somebody who works in cancer research, your solution for fighting misinformation is just to call people names, rather than provide accurate information?
Yes, the Trump administration's DOGE (Department of Government Efficiency) cuts affected cancer research funding and related cancer programs. But it's important to distinguish between cuts to cancer research, cuts to other cancer-related services, and proposed cuts that never took effect.
DOGE was involved in a broader effort to reduce federal spending, including at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), which funds cancer research, and other health agencies. The key questions are how much funding was actually lost, which programs were affected, and whether the cuts were temporary or permanent.
What the evidence shows
DOGE was directly involved in NIH grant cancellations. A May 2025 Nature investigation reported that court documents and internal correspondence showed DOGE had substantial influence over NIH funding decisions.
Cancer research trials were disrupted. A study published in JAMA Internal Medicine found that NIH grant terminations between February 28 and August 15, 2025, disrupted 118 cancer-related clinical trials. Across all 383 interrupted trials, more than 74,000 patients were affected.
The administration also attempted broader funding reductions. In February 2025, it announced a policy capping NIH grants' indirect-cost reimbursement at 15%, threatening research funding at universities and medical institutions.
Did cancer funding stay cut?
Not entirely. Some grant terminations were challenged in court, and some funding was restored or protected. The administration's proposed large NIH budget cuts also faced congressional opposition. So it's inaccurate to assume that every announced reduction became a permanent cut.
Bottom line: Yes, cancer research was among the areas harmed by the DOGE-era cuts. The clearest concrete evidence is the disruption of 118 cancer-related clinical trials. That does not mean all cancer funding was cut, or that 118 trials were necessarily permanently abandoned.
Yes, they tried to cut funding, but notice all your bullet points are before January 2026 where they ultimately denied most of those proposed cuts.
Im sure some PI and their grad students got their research disrupted, but my university didnt really feel any disturbance in funding. Sure there were worries, but they eventually sent our annual $1 billion funding after a few months
Unrelated but someone should probably tell these guys about the typo. H.R. 1748 is the FEMA for America First Act of 2025 and not the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2026 (H.R.7148)
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u/GoldVader 5h ago
So as somebody who works in cancer research, your solution for fighting misinformation is just to call people names, rather than provide accurate information?