National Cancer Institute–Supported Obesity and Cancer Research, 2015-2022
Laura A. Dwyer, Tanya Agurs-Collins, Caitlin P. Bailey, Dana L. Wolff-Hughes, Susan Czajkowski, Jill Reedy, Linda NebelingImportance
The National Cancer Institute’s (NCI) interest in obesity and cancer reflects associations of obesity with cancer incidence, as well as potential impacts of obesity on cancer treatment, survivorship, recurrence, and survival. Given the growing prevalence of obesity and its implications for cancer burden, understanding the historical scope and direction of research in this area informs future needs.
Objective
To describe trends in obesity and cancer research supported by the NCI over an 8-year period preceding the widespread uptake of glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists and discuss scientific gaps and opportunities to guide research priorities in a rapidly evolving therapeutic landscape.
Evidence Review
Newly funded NCI grants in obesity from fiscal years (FYs) 2015 to 2022 were obtained from searching the publicly available National Institutes of Health (NIH) Reporter for the NIH obesity spending category. During 2023 to 2024, 2 coders independently categorized grants by areas of scientific focus and summarized funding trends over time.
Findings
From FY 2015 to FY 2022, the newly funded obesity portfolio included 348 grants, and the number of NCI-supported grants focusing on obesity ranged from 38 to 59 new awards each year. An uptick in the number of new awards in FY 2022 was aligned with several funding opportunities relevant to obesity. Common research focus areas within this obesity and cancer portfolio included mechanistic (125 grants [49.4%]) and behavioral (96 grants [37.9%]) research, with breast cancer (54 of 162 grants [33.3%]) and colorectal cancer (30 of 162 grants [18.5%]) being the most heavily studied.
Conclusions and Relevance
In this descriptive study of the FYs 2015 to 2022 obesity and cancer grants portfolio, results showed that the NCI has consistently supported study of this critical research area, establishing a strong evidence base. Understanding the complex intersection of obesity and cancer requires sustained, multidisciplinary research. Multiple opportunities exist for advancing the science, including less studied areas, such as obesity’s impact on cancer treatment and survivorship, obesity and cancer throughout the lifespan, obesity and cancer disparities, and the study of obesity as it relates to multiple cancer sites; additionally, as use of GLP-1 medications continues to expand, new opportunities may emerge to examine how intentional, pharmacologically induced weight loss may influence cancer risk, treatment response, and survivorship.