In April, Congress approved the 2018 budget for the Department of Defense (DoD). Included in the DoD is a sizable portion dedicated to the investigation and development of new and effective cancer treatments. In order to qualify for this funding, however, a group must study one of the Congressionally approved Topic Areas affecting military personnel. Of this group, there are 17 cancers, including mesothelioma. Keep reading to learn more, or follow the original source here for more information.
What is Mesothelioma?
Mesothelioma is a form of cancer occurring in the thin tissue layers which cover most of the body’s organs. Many cases of mesothelioma occur as a result of being exposed to and inhaling particles of asbestos. Pleural mesothelioma primarily affects the tissues surrounding the lungs while peritoneal and pericardial mesothelioma affect the tissues of the abdomen, heart, and testicles. Mesothelioma may take as long as 20-50 years after exposure to asbestos to produce symptoms.
Click here to learn more about mesothelioma.
The 2018 DoD Budget
For fiscal year 2018 (FY18), Congress allocated $80 million for the DoD supported research. This is a major increase from $25 million allocated four years ago. The DoD program funding cancer research is known as the FY18 Peer Reviewed Cancer Research Program, or PRCP for short.
In order to qualify for an award, an investigator’s research must respond to at least one of a set of Military Relevance Focus Areas. The research must address either military related risk factors regarding cancer (e.g. radiation, chemicals, potential infections, factors related to and stress itself, and environmental carcinogens), or areas which may affect the mission readiness of military personnel (e.g. cancer prevention tools, screenings, early detection, diagnosis, and treatment).
There are a variety of available awards available for various, teams, fields, and ideas. Many of them require a submission to be made in June or July to be considered though some extend into August.
