Kimberly Peters, a patient currently undergoing treatment for stage four uterine cancer at UC San Diego Health, has voiced concerns about recent reductions in federal funding for biomedical research. Peters was first diagnosed with breast cancer in 2015 and later with uterine cancer in 2021. In 2023, her cancer spread to her thigh, and after another round of chemotherapy and maintenance therapy, a routine scan this year revealed the return of her disease.
“When you’re on maintenance, you have to do scans every couple of months to see that everything is okay, and one came back that was not so okay,” Peters said. “It’s incredibly difficult, but I’m hopeful we’ll come out on the other side to where one day I’m not living with it.”
Peters emphasized the importance of ongoing research and clinical trials for patients like herself. She noted that clinical trials are often essential when standard treatments fail but highlighted their high costs and dependence on sustained funding.
“There aren’t many clinical trials available for me and my type of cancer, and that’s what’s scary, especially given what’s going on in the world,” said Peters. “But there’s so much that’s in the pipeline, and we won’t know if it’s going to work if we don’t have the research. These decisions don’t just hurt institutions. They hurt real people. They’re destroying a lot of my hope.”
Recent cuts to National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding have resulted in nearly $3.8 billion in terminated research grants as of June 2025. Legal efforts to reinstate $2 billion focused on diversity, equity, and inclusion were rejected by the Supreme Court in August.
“I have a cancer that’s specific to females and anything even remotely related to DEI, including research related to women’s health, is being targeted, so what does that mean for me?” added Peters.
Medical professionals share these concerns about reduced funding’s impact on future therapies. Dr. Ramez Eskander, clinical professor at UC San Diego Health’s School of Medicine and medical director at Moores Cancer Center’s clinical trials office, stated: “All of the therapeutic advances we utilize now as standard of care treatment approaches were based on discoveries made through innovative clinical trials,” explained Eskander. “This research is how we identify cures for cancer and meaningfully prolong people’s lives. The more clinical trials we have available for patients, the better their care now and in the future.”
Moores Cancer Center is among 57 Comprehensive Cancer Centers designated by the National Cancer Institute (NCI), relying heavily on an NIH Cancer Center Support Grant (CCSG). The center aims to expand its clinical trial operations following its latest CCSG renewal application earlier this year. In 2025, Moores projects enrolling nearly 700 patients into clinical trials—a significant increase from previous years.
However, ongoing reductions in federal support could limit such expansions across centers nationwide by reducing available trials and making access more difficult for patients.
“The reason we have clinical trials is because standard of care therapies are not always effective and we need more options for our patients,” said Eskander. “Cuts to NIH funding may reduce the overall number of clinical trials and impact staffing, making existing trials more difficult to access for patients.”
Despite these challenges, Peters remains committed to advocating against science funding cuts.
“I wish I could take them to my chemo and let them see what it’s like. Let them see the countless people I’ve sat with during long chemo infusions,” she said. “What if the treatment that could save someone in that chemo waiting room — someone’s mother, someone’s child — was one of those lost discoveries?”
She also expressed gratitude toward her care team at UC San Diego Health.
“When I had my first appointment with Dr. Eskander, he sat down next to me, took my hand, and told me ‘We’re going to get through this.’” said Peters. “You can’t imagine what those words mean when you have stage 4 cancer.”
Peters concluded by stressing the continued need for investment in scientific research: “The fact that we haven’t cured cancer tells us that we still need research,” she said. “Patients are people. We’re not a line item. Funding is desperately needed so that one day, we can all be survivors.”
