National Cancer Act Legacy Still Debated, 50 Years Later

Dr. Robin W. Scheffler

PHOTO: JONATHAN SACHS

When President Richard Nixon signed the National Cancer Act on Dec. 23, 1971, he declared war on cancer. A half-century later, debate over what constitutes victory continues, said Dr. Robin W. Scheffler during a recent NIH Biomedical History Lecture.

“The declaration ignited a broad-ranging explosion of research dedicated to understanding, curing and preventing cancer,” said Scheffler, assistant professor of science, technology and society at Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

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