Contributions of the Department of Defense Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs to Advances in Cancer Therapeutics.

Nearly a billion dollars is spent annually in the Military Health System (MHS) on cancer diagnosis and treatment, with a large portion of that directed toward breast, prostate, and ovarian cancers. Multiple studies have demonstrated the impact of specific cancers on MHS beneficiaries and Veterans, highlighting the fact that active duty and retired military members have a higher incidence than the general public for many chronic diseases and certain forms of cancer. The Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs have supported research that has contributed to the development, clinical testing, and commercialization of 11 cancer drugs approved by the Food and Drug Administration to treat breast, prostate, or ovarian cancers. In addition to hallmark funding mechanisms that prioritize innovative, groundbreaking ideas, the Congressionally Directed Medical Research Program's cancer programs continue to identify new approaches to fill critical gaps across the full research spectrum, including bridging the translational research gap toward developing new treatments for cancer patients in the MHS and in the general American public.