expansion of the overall Cancer Program. As noted in "The Strategic 

 Plan," to achieve the target operating level at this time "is not only 

 impossible from the scientific standpoint but impractical and 

 undesirable from the standpoint of impact on national biomedical 

 resources." As the Program is steadily expanded, the required research 

 scientists are to be drawn from the growing research manpower pool. 

 In addition, training programs are planned for "filling specific critical 

 scientific discipline deficiencies." 



In spite of these measures, "a deficiency in the number of 

 scientists may begin to occur in FY75 and may continue to increase as 

 the program expands." This estimate applies to the total number of 

 research scientists needed for the Program, and does not include the 

 specific disciplines in which deficiencies are expected. Critical 

 deficiencies, however, exist currently in the scientific areas of 

 carcinogenesis, immunology, cancer biology, epidemiology, and 

 pharmacology, according to a preliminary analysis presented in "The 

 Strategic Plan." 



Scientific manpower deficiencies, such as these, are likely to occur 

 at the outset of any large, new effort involving research and develop- 

 ment as a major component. These deficiencies, furthermore, are 

 likely to persist for several years, unless existing programs employing 

 the needed scientists are reduced, because of the long time period 

 required for training scientists. Thus, the existing scientific 

 manpower — and the time lag in expanding the supply — will generally 

 act as a major constraint on the rate of growth of new R&D-intensive 

 programs. 



Prospects for the Cancer Program 



The success of the National Cancer Program will depend directly 

 upon the continuing progress of fundamental biological science. 

 Success lies, more particularly, in reaching an understanding of the 

 nature of a living normal cell and the alterations to which it is subject. 



The basic research which must be done to achieve this 

 understanding cannot be given more than broad, general direction. 

 Given sufficient support and resources, the research must follow its 

 own leads, the intellectual structure building upon the platform 

 already constructed. It is of little consequence to society whether this 

 very large area of fundamental biology is formally viewed and 

 financially supported as "cancer research" or simply as "fundamental 

 cellular biology." The same scientific community will be enlisted in the 

 task, and those investigators who focus on "the nature of cancer" will 

 continue to gather clues in the attempt to develop the understanding 

 required so that the societal goals envisioned by the National Cancer 

 Program Plan may one day be reached. 



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