Editor’s note: The “Research Spotlight” series is written by Dr. Anna Berkenblit, PanCAN’s Chief Scientific and Medical Officer. Each month, Dr. Berkenblit shares her insights into the latest news and research in pancreatic cancer. Follow Dr. Berkenblit on X and LinkedIn.

Pancreatic cancer researchers are on the verge of developing potentially lifesaving treatment breakthroughs, desperately needed for those patients diagnosed who face a 13% chance of surviving five years. Cancer research is now in jeopardy because of a series of executive and Congressional actions that have stopped the flow of previously appropriated dollars to the biomedical research community and threaten significant cuts in the years to come, raising serious concerns about future advancements in this critical field. We must ensure that scientists have the resources they need to drive progress and improve outcomes.

One of the most promising areas we have seen in pancreatic cancer treatment involves the development of KRAS inhibitors. Mutations in KRAS are present in over 90% of the most common type of pancreatic cancer, pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). Recent advances targeting KRAS are finally providing an opportunity for groundbreaking progress for this deadly disease.

This progress has been made possible by decades of research funding, including federal funding at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), National Cancer Institute (NCI) and dedicated pancreatic cancer research funding in the Department of Defense (DoD) budget that PanCAN advocates fought for years to preserve and increase. Incredibly, 80% of all biomedical research funding comes from the federal government, which is why government advocacy is a critical component of PanCAN’s work. But that funding, that hard work and most importantly that progress are being threatened.

The funding freezes and cuts are already having a profound impact on pancreatic cancer research. I’ve been meeting with my research colleagues across the country, hearing their stories and their concerns about where things are headed. There is a lot of uncertainty about how they will cover essential costs for the equipment they need to conduct their research, and there is fear about how much longer they’ll be able to keep their labs open. This leads to the bleak reality that slashing funding today may lead to the loss of an entire generation of promising young researchers entering this field.

I spent some time on Capitol Hill with PanCAN President and CEO Julie Fleshman a few weeks ago and I know firsthand that it’s more critical than ever that your members of Congress are hearing from you. Congress has a vital role to play in funding life-saving cancer research and they must understand the devastating impact threats to federal research funding would have on progress for this disease. The future of pancreatic cancer research is in danger, and we need Congress to act so that every individual facing this today and, in the future, will have better treatment options available and a better chance of surviving.