War on Cancer, 1971–

The phrase "war on cancer" was most famously coined by Richard Nixon during the debate and eventual passage of the National Cancer Act of 1971, and the so-called War on Cancer is often dated to the passage of the Act. The immense resources that the United States has poured into cancer cure research has significantly altered the way biomedical research and patient care are administered in the US, for better and for worse. The infrastructure built for the War on Cancer played a significant role in rapid development of the molecular genetics of cancer, research into animal retroviruses, and eventually the Human Genome Project.