Carnacki's diary currently at the top of the rec list is wonderful and heartbreaking.
I work at NCI and I can tell you that the budget has a lot of people extremely concerned. Almost impossible decisions are being made about which programs to cut, which resarch grants not to fund. It's pretty bad.
Dubya was on the NIH campus not too long ago and actually had the nerve to say how proud he was of his administration's support for cancer research - just as he was proposing an '08 budget that actually had a $40 million cut for NCI.
But this diary is about something else. I'd actually like to make a plea for everybody here who is committed to advocating for more research funding to also do something else to fight cancer: eat better and exercise.
Yes, it's a cliche, but be patient and follow me below for the why and how.
The data on diet and exercise are pretty strong. More and more studies are pointing to the role that obesity and poor nutrition play in cancer development. And more and more studies are suggesting that exercise not only decreases cancer risk, but it also suggests that those who exercise regularly before being diagnosed with cancer AND after have better outcomes than those who don't.
So, for those of you who aren't doing it already, start now. Start eating better and getting exercise 3-4 times a week. My wife and I both work and have two kids, but we still both workout 2-3 times a week at a minimum. You can find the time. You just need to make it a priority.
As for nutrition, bag the sodas; make chips and snacks a special once-a-month treat; keep apples and bananas and grapes around at all times; when you're hungry at night, have a cup of green tea or a small bowl of cereal with skim milk; cook more at home and make sure it includes lots of leafy greens and beans and olive oil and tomatoes (including tomato sauce, which you can make on your own remarkably easily); limit your red meat to once or twice a month.
Want to eat more veggies - join a CSA. You will get fresh veggies, often picked that day, and you can learn how to incorporate all of them into your meals for the next week: leeks become potato and leek soup; spinach gets sauteed with olive oil and garlic (and maybe a splash of balsamic vinegar); tomatoes get sliced up and mixed with cucumbers, plain yogurt, red vinegar, and some dill. It's not hard and when it comes from the CSA, it is so freaking fresh and delicious that you will soon find yourself craving this stuff.
Exercising and eating better won't mean you won't get cancer. But it could help reduce your risk, and it will also help you decrease your risk of heart disease, diabetes, and becoming overweight or obese.
So, yes, by all means, help others. But also help yourself.