Trends in International Cancer Research Investment 2006-2018

Abstract

The International Cancer Research Partnership (ICRP) is an active network of cancer research funding organizations, sharing information about funded research projects in a common database. Data are publicly available to enable the cancer research community to find potential collaborators and avoid duplication. This study presents an aggregated analysis of projects funded by 120 partner organizations and institutes in 2006-2018, to highlight trends in cancer research funding. Overall, the partners' funding for cancer research increased from $5.562 billion (bn) US dollars (USD) in 2006 to $8.511bn USD in 2018, an above-inflation increase in funding. Analysis by the main research focus of projects using Common Scientific Outline categories showed that Treatment was the largest investment category in 2018, followed by Early Detection, Diagnosis, and Prognosis; Cancer Biology; Etiology; Control, Survivorship, and Outcomes; and Prevention. Over the 13 years covered by this analysis, research funding into Treatment and Early Detection, Diagnosis, and Prognosis had increased in terms of absolute investment and as a proportion of the portfolio. Research funding in Cancer Biology and Etiology declined as a percentage of the portfolio, and funding for Prevention and Control, Survivorship and Outcomes remained static. In terms of cancer site-specific research, funding for breast cancer and colorectal cancer had increased in absolute terms but declined as a percentage of the portfolio. By contrast, investment for brain cancer, lung cancer, leukemia, melanoma, and pancreatic cancer increased both in absolute terms and as a percentage of the portfolio.

FIG 1

(A) Investment by type of research between 2006 and 2018 (including absolute investment by USD—clustered columns, y axis and as a percentage of the annual portfolio USD value, secondary y axis, and scatter plots with regression lines). (B) Equivalent investment figures by non-NIH partner organizations. CSO, Common Scientific Outline; M, million; NIH, US National Institutes of Health; USD, US dollars.

FIG 2

Cancer site: change in % investment^a between 2006 and 2018 versus incidence and mortality % (2018)—major sites by investment. ^aFor clarity, individual years’ data points are omitted from the regression line for trends in investment in specific cancer sites (2006-2018) USD, US dollars.

FIG 3

Childhood cancer research—CSO pattern of investment in 2018 for cancer sites of projects wholly and partially related to childhood cancer. CSO, Common Scientific Outline; M, million; USD, US dollars.

FIG 4

Pancreatic cancer research investment. CSO, Common Scientific Outline; M, million; USD, US dollars.

FIG 5

Prevention research. CSO, Common Scientific Outline; M, million; USD, US dollars.

FIG 6

Survivorship research—changes in investment by cancer site between 2006 and 2018. Inset: Survivorship (CSO 6.1) as a percentage of the overall portfolio. CSO, Common Scientific Outline; M, million; USD, US dollars.