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NEW — Meetings with Congress Stress Importance of Sustained & Increased Federal Research Funding
PanCAN President and CEO Julie Fleshman, PanCAN Chief Scientific and Medical Officer Dr. Anna Berkenblit and pancreatic cancer researchers were on Capitol Hill to meet with members of Congress and reinforce our critical message that sustained federal investment in pancreatic cancer research drives progress – and continued funding is essential to saving more lives.
Representing leading research institutions across the country, Dr. Mustafa Raoof of City of Hope, Dr. Michael VanSaun of the University of Kansas Cancer Center and Dr. Mike Pishvaian of Johns Hopkins joined Julie in meetings with Rep. Terri Sewell, Rep. Ken Calvert, Rep. André Carson, Sen. Pete Ricketts, Sen. Mike Rounds, Sen. Chris Coons, Sen. Jerry Moran and Sen. Roger Marshall.
“This is an exciting and hopeful time in pancreatic cancer research, and I’m deeply grateful to the researchers who shared their expertise and to the bipartisan members of Congress who took the time to meet with us on Capitol Hill,” said Julie.
Throughout the meetings, the group emphasized the urgent need to prioritize patients and ensure researchers have the resources necessary to continue accelerating progress against one of the deadliest cancers. Discussions focused on the importance of increased investments at the National Institutes of Health, including funding for the National Cancer Institute, as well as the Department of Defense’s Pancreatic Cancer Research Program, known as PCARP.
The group highlighted the strong bipartisan support recently demonstrated through congressional Dear Colleague letters supporting pancreatic cancer research funding. The conversations also underscored the growing momentum in the pancreatic cancer field, including excitement surrounding recent breakthroughs involving RAS inhibitor therapies. Researchers shared how these advances demonstrate what is possible when federal investment fuels scientific discovery – while also making clear that much more work remains.
The meetings were productive and encouraging, reinforcing the importance of continued advocacy from you and the rest of our community to help secure the federal funding needed to drive future breakthroughs for patients with pancreatic cancer and families.
“To keep delivering new breakthroughs and more hope for patients and families, we look forward to continuing to partner with Congress to make pancreatic cancer research a funding priority, and as a community, we’ll keep sharing our stories with our members of Congress,” said Julie.
The day before her meetings on Capitol Hill, Julie and Anna met with NCI Director Dr. Anthony Letai, who assumed the role in October of 2025.
After introductions were made, the three discussed the state of pancreatic cancer, research and how PanCAN and the NCI can further collaborate to turn science into survival for patients and families.
Partnership across advocacy, research and medicine is essential to driving meaningful advances for patients and families, and PanCAN remains committed to working alongside leaders across the cancer community to help improve outcomes for everyone affected by this disease.
5/14/2026 — SDCL Results + What’s Next
You sent messages and made calls. And now, the Senate Dear Colleague letter supporting renewed and sustained funding for dedicated pancreatic cancer research has officially closed, and we saw bipartisan support.
This kind of support sends a powerful message about the urgency and importance of continual investment. Thank you!
As we move out of a strong Dear Colleague season and into the next phase of the federal budget process, there’s an important milestone ahead. The House Appropriations Committee has scheduled meetings in early June to mark up the two bills that fund federal cancer research: the Labor-HHS bill (which allocates funding for the National Institutes of Health [NIH] and the National Cancer Institute [NCI]) and the Defense bill (which funds the Pancreatic Cancer Research Program, or PCARP).
By the time those meetings happen, much of the bill framework will already be decided. That means the weeks leading up to them are critical. This is when members of Congress – especially Appropriators – need to hear clearly and consistently from the PanCAN community.
As you may recall, like last year, the President’s Budget Request does not prioritize cancer research, but it is just that – a request. Congress holds the power of the purse, and their decisions will ultimately determine funding levels for NIH, NCI and PCARP. That’s where advocacy – and you – play a defining role.
We’ve seen your impact firsthand. Just last year, when proposed cuts threatened pancreatic cancer research funding, the PanCAN community showed up – and Congress responded. Together, we helped protect critical investments and increased dedicated pancreatic cancer research funding for PCARP to a record high.
Now, we must do it again.
Our role as advocates is to encourage lawmakers to continue working in a bipartisan way to prioritize patients, health and scientific progress. Because behind every funding decision is the potential to change lives.
We’re already seeing what sustained investment can make possible. Promising breakthroughs – including exciting new results for daraxonrasib, one of the first therapies designed to directly target RAS-driven cancers, which has the potential to change how nearly every patient with pancreatic cancer will be treated in the future – reflect decades of federal commitment to cancer research.
We’re coming into this moment with momentum.
Breakthroughs don’t happen overnight – they are built over time through consistent support and advocacy.
That’s why it’s so important to act now. As committees begin drafting the very bills that fund the programs driving pancreatic cancer research breakthroughs, your voice can help shape the outcome.
This is a pivotal moment. And once again, all of us – patients, families, researchers and advocates – have a role to play in what comes next.
Together, we can turn science into survival.
4/09/2026 – Time for Senators to Support Dedicated Pancreatic Cancer Research Funding
Today, our champions in the Senate launched a letter gathering support for renewed and continued dedicated funding for the Pancreatic Cancer Research Program (PCARP) at the Department of Defense (DoD).
We have just a few weeks to get as many senators as possible to sign that letter.
On Friday, the President’s Budget Request was released. You can find PanCAN’s response here. Like last year, the administration’s budget does not prioritize cancer research funding, which underscores why your advocacy is needed more than ever.
Every message sent and every voice raised to Congress helps move us closer to better treatments, earlier detection and more lives saved. Because of advocates like you, we’ve seen unprecedented momentum for pancreatic cancer research – and together, we won’t stop.
3/26/2026 — A Record-Breaking Show of Support
Thanks to the relentless efforts of PanCAN advocates across the country, this year’s House Dear Colleague letter, supporting $25 million for the Pancreatic Cancer Research Program (PCARP) at the Department of Defense, garnered a record-breaking 127 signatures – thank you to the representatives who signed in support.
Even more powerful, this milestone reflects strong bipartisan support – a clear signal that improving outcomes for patients with pancreatic cancer is a shared priority.
To every advocate who took action and shared their story – thank you. Your voices are driving momentum at a critical time in the FY27 budget process. This achievement builds on the success we saw in FY26 and reinforces a simple truth: advocacy – your advocacy – works.
But our work isn’t over.
A strong, bipartisan House Dear Colleague letter is a major step forward, but it is only one part of a long process. We must continue to connect with lawmakers at every stage to ensure this support turns into the full $25 million appropriation for PCARP.
Next, we turn our focus to the Senate.
Soon, a Senate Dear Colleague letter will begin circulating, and we will once again call on our community to take action. Sustaining – and growing – this momentum is essential. Every connection and every story shared keeps pancreatic cancer top of mind for decision-makers.
This is a marathon, not a sprint. Progress takes persistence, and the stakes are too high to slow down now.
Together, we’ve proven what’s possible. Now, let’s keep going – for patients, for families and for the future we’re building.
3/05/2026-When We Act Together, We Change the Story
The federal government funds nearly 80% of all pancreatic cancer research. For pancreatic cancer — one of the deadliest cancers with a five-year survival rate stuck at 13% — federal investment is the backbone of progress.
Sustained, predictable and robust support for the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the National Cancer Institute (NCI), and the Pancreatic Cancer Research Program advance quality science that saves lives as these investments focus on research in earlier detection tools, innovative clinical trials and desperately needed treatments for patients.
We know our advocacy works.
In FY26, the PanCAN community — that’s you! — raised its voice and Congress listened. Lawmakers rejected proposed cuts and instead delivered increases for cancer research funding. That victory was not accidental. It was the direct result of passionate people contacting their members of Congress and demanding action.
It’s a new fiscal year for the federal government. So now, we must do it again.
In addition to protecting and increasing NIH and NCI funding, there is something we can do now. We are urging strong support for a bipartisan Dear Colleague letter circulating in the House that calls for $25 million for the Pancreatic Cancer Research Program at the Department of Defense.
Securing signatures on this letter is critical to ensuring continued, dedicated investment in pancreatic cancer research — and that only happens when Congress hears directly from us.
The stakes are too high for silence.
We proved in FY26 that when we act together, we change the story. Let’s re-engage, reach out to our members of Congress and fight for the funding patients deserve.
Take action today.
