Federal Staff Cuts Delay Experimental Cancer Treatment for Stage 4 Patient

Strategic Insights -

A 43-year-old mother with stage 4 colon cancer, Natalie Phelps, faces an uncertain future due to federal staff cuts that have delayed her treatment. Phelps was accepted into an immunotherapy study at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) but has been waiting for her tumor to grow to at least 1 centimeter, which could take up to eight weeks due to the reduced staff. This delay could cost Phelps her life, as she has already had multiple surgeries and 48 rounds of chemotherapy. The research cuts come as colon cancer rates rise among younger adults, with 20% of new cases in 2019 being in adults under 55.

Key Takeaways:

  • Natalie Phelps, a 43-year-old mother with stage 4 colon cancer, was accepted into an immunotherapy study at the NIH but has been delayed due to federal staff cuts.
  • The cuts, tied to recent federal government restructuring, have resulted in the loss of 1,200 positions at NIH, which has increased the time it takes to modify cells from four weeks to up to eight weeks.
  • Phelps has already undergone multiple surgeries and 48 rounds of chemotherapy, and the delay in her treatment could cost her her life.
  • Colon cancer rates are rising among younger adults, with 20% of new cases in 2019 being in adults under 55, according to the American Cancer Society.
  • The cuts come at a time when the HHS Secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., claims the restructuring aims to save taxpayers $1.8 billion per year, but a report by U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders found NIH research funding was cut by $2.7 billion in early 2025.
  • A cancer researcher at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston warned that halting studies midway wastes taxpayer dollars and delays potential cures.

Statistics:

  • 20% of new colon cancer cases in 2019 were in adults under 55 (American Cancer Society).
  • 1,200 positions were cut at the NIH as part of the federal government restructuring (CNN).
  • The time it takes to modify cells has increased from four weeks to up to eight weeks due to the reduced staff (Natalie Phelps, CNN).
  • $1.8 billion is the amount claimed to be saved by the HHS restructuring (HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., CNN).
  • $2.7 billion is the amount found to be cut in NIH research funding in early 2025, including a 31% drop in cancer research funding (U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders' report, CNN).

Sources:

  • CNN, May 14, 2025
  • American Cancer Society
  • U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders' report, May 13, 2025
  • HHS spokesperson Andrew Nixon
  • HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
  • Dr. Dan Barouch, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston