J. UW. WILLITNEY & CoO.
630 FIFTIL AVENUIE
NEW YORK, N.Y. 10020

January 31, 1977

The President

The White House

1600 Pennsylvania Avenue
Washington, D. C. 20500

Dear Mr. President:

As Chairman of the President's Cancer Panel, I am pleased
to enclose herewith the Panel's annual report on the National Cancer
Program as required by Section 407(c)(4) of the National Cancer Act
of 1971.

The Director of the National Cancer Institute and the National
Cancer Advisory Board have already reported to you on the progress
of the Program during the past year. The enclosed report does not
undertake to duplicate the material contained in those reports. It does,
however, attempt to give you the Panel's evaluation of the Program and
to deal briefly with some of the important issues which we feel should
be brought to your attention.

The National Cancer Act of 1971 reflected a desire by the
Congress and the Administration to give cancer research a higher
priority. Inthe implementation of this policy, the funds which have
been made available to the National Cancer Institute have been in-
creased in successive steps from $180 million in 1970 to $816 million
in 1977. These increases have enabled the Cancer Institute to support
more and better cancer research than has ever heretofore been possible.
Despite the rapid growth of the Program, a high order of excellence
has been achieved in the work supported, and a good balance has been
maintained among the various types of research involved and the
varying research objectives. Although not everyone agrees with these
conclusions, the Panel believes that the Program to date has been
exceptional. The differences of view are dealt with in some detail in
the enclosed report.

The most important recommendation for this Program at the
moment is the recommendation of the appointment of Dr.-Arnold Brown
as Director, National Cancer Institute. This subject was dealt with
jn an earlier memorandum dated December 3, 1976, and submitted
during the transition period. A copy of this memorandum is also
The President -2,.

enclosed for your convenience. I am most hopeful that this appoint~
ment can be made promptly after the designation of the Assistant
Secretary for Health and the Director of the NIH. I look forward to
the opportunity to discuss this appointment with the Secretary of
HEW as soon as those appointments are made.

The Panel believes that a strong program in cancer research
is essential to the best interests of the American people and of people
everywhere. This disease, which today strikes one in four Americans
and kills two out of three of those it strikes, must be better understood
so that we can do a better job of prevention, diagnosis and treatment.
This can only be achieved through research. I will cooperate with you
and the Secretary of HEW in any way in which I can be helpful in bringing
about the best program in cancer research of which American medicine
and American science is capable.

With every good wish to you in the successful discharge of the
enormous responsibilities which are now yours, I am,

Yt ; .
fle Meh —ab f-
fe ri

B

enno C. Schmidt
Chairman
President's Cancer Panel

Enclosures