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Gov. DeSantis approves historic $100 million for cancer care and research

Ron DeSantis
Posted at 2:34 PM, May 17, 2022
and last updated 2022-05-17 14:38:22-04

MIAMI, Fla. — Governor Ron DeSantis and First Lady Casey DeSantis announced the approval of $100 million for cancer research and care in the fiscal year 2022-2023 budget, which is a $37 million increase over the current budget.

“Cancer remains a leading cause of death in Florida, and we will continue to support those fighting this deadly disease,” said Governor Ron DeSantis. “With this funding, cancer centers will continue their cutting-edge research and provide high quality care to patients. Our family is grateful for the care that the First Lady received during her cancer treatment this past year, and we want to make quality care available for all Floridians.”

“I am incredibly proud to see this record funding secured for cancer patients, their families, and the facilities that serve them,” said First Lady Casey DeSantis. “Early detection is a game changer in the cancer fight. I encourage anyone reading this to be proactive about your health — it might just save your life.”

Cancer has been the second leading cause of death in Florida since 2014, which is why the Florida Consortium of National Cancer Institute (NCI) Centers Program was created. The $100 million for this program is nearly a 60% increase from previous years, and will go to Moffitt Cancer Center, the University of Miami Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, and the University of Florida Health Cancer Center.

Florida’s three NCI-designated and NCI-seeking centers provide world-class care to residents in different regions of our state. These centers use this funding for enhanced research projects and care to support their patients.