Dr. Giaconne on the Lack of Funding for Rare Cancers Research

Giuseppe Giaccone, MD, PhD, highlights the difficulties with funding for research focused on rare cancers.

Giuseppe Giaccone, MD, PhD, is a professor of medicine and associate director of clinical research at the Sandra and Edward Meyer Cancer Center at Weill Cornell Medicine in New York, New York.

As is the case with many rare cancers, investigators struggle to find funding to research thymic cancers. On one level, Giaccone understands that there will be less funding available when compared with a malignancy such as breast cancer. However, for patients with thymic cancer, this reach is absolutely vital.

The Department of Defense and small foundations make some funding available. However, Giaccone would like to see the federal government take a more proactive role in making money available for this resarch.