---
kind: "section"
citation: "42 U.S.C. § 285a–6"
title: "42"
title_heading: "The Public Health and Welfare"
number: "285a–6"
heading: "Breast and gynecological cancers"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/42/285a-6"
units:
  - "Chapter 6A — Public Health Service"
  - "Subchapter III — National Research Institutes"
  - "Part C — Specific Provisions Respecting National Research Institutes"
  - "Subpart 1 — national cancer institute"
---

# §285a–6. Breast and gynecological cancers

- (a) **Expansion and coordination of activities—** The [Director](/usc/42/11851.md?p=5) of the Institute, in consultation with the National Cancer Advisory Board, shall expand, intensify, and coordinate the activities of the Institute with respect to research on breast cancer, ovarian cancer, and other cancers of the reproductive system of women.
- (b) **Coordination with other institutes—** The [Director](/usc/42/11851.md?p=5) of the Institute shall coordinate the activities of the [Director](/usc/42/11851.md?p=5) under [subsection (a)](#a) with similar activities conducted by other national research institutes and [agencies](/usc/42/8262.md?p=1) of the National Institutes of Health to the extent that such Institutes[^1] and [agencies](/usc/42/8262.md?p=1) have responsibilities that are related to breast cancer and other cancers of the reproductive system of women.
- (c) **Programs for breast cancer—**
  - (1) **In general—** In carrying out [subsection (a)](#a), the [Director](/usc/42/11851.md?p=5) of the Institute shall conduct or support research to expand the understanding of the cause of, and to find a cure for, breast cancer. Activities under such subsection shall provide for an expansion and intensification of the conduct and support of—
    - (A) basic research concerning the etiology and causes of breast cancer;
    - (B) [clinical research](/usc/42/284d.md?p=b) and related activities concerning the causes, prevention, detection and [treatment](/usc/42/11851.md?p=11) of breast cancer;
    - (C) control [programs](/usc/42/274l–1.md?p=4) with respect to breast cancer in accordance with [section 285a–1 of this title](/usc/42/285a–1.md), including community-based [programs](/usc/42/274l–1.md?p=4) designed to assist women who are members of [medically underserved populations](/usc/42/300s–3.md?p=14), low-income populations, or minority groups;
    - (D) information and education [programs](/usc/42/274l–1.md?p=4) with respect to breast cancer in accordance with [section 285a–2 of this title](/usc/42/285a–2.md); and
    - (E) research and demonstration centers with respect to breast cancer in accordance with [section 285a–3 of this title](/usc/42/285a–3.md), including the development and operation of centers for breast cancer research to bring together basic and clinical, biomedical and behavioral scientists to conduct basic, clinical, epidemiological, psychosocial, prevention and [treatment](/usc/42/11851.md?p=11) research and related activities on breast cancer.

    Not less than six centers shall be operated under [subparagraph (E)](#c-1-E). Activities of such centers should include supporting new and innovative research and training [programs](/usc/42/274l–1.md?p=4) for new researchers. Such centers shall give priority to expediting the transfer of research advances to clinical applications.

  - (2) **Implementation of plan for programs—**
    - (A) The [Director](/usc/42/11851.md?p=5) of the Institute shall ensure that the research [programs](/usc/42/274l–1.md?p=4) described in [paragraph (1)](#c-1) are implemented in accordance with a plan for the [programs](/usc/42/274l–1.md?p=4). Such plan shall include comments and recommendations that the [Director](/usc/42/11851.md?p=5) of the Institute considers appropriate, with due consideration provided to the professional judgment needs of the Institute as expressed in the annual budget estimate prepared in accordance with [section 285a–2(9)](/usc/42/285a–2.md)[^2] of this title. The [Director](/usc/42/11851.md?p=5) of the Institute, in consultation with the National Cancer Advisory Board, shall periodically review and revise such plan.
    - (B) Not later than October 1, 1993, the [Director](/usc/42/11851.md?p=5) of the Institute shall submit a copy of the plan to the President’s Cancer Panel, the [Secretary](/usc/42/201.md?p=c) and the [Director](/usc/42/11851.md?p=5) of NIH.
    - (C) The [Director](/usc/42/11851.md?p=5) of the Institute shall submit any revisions of the plan to the President’s Cancer Panel, the [Secretary](/usc/42/201.md?p=c), and the [Director](/usc/42/11851.md?p=5) of NIH.
    - (D) The [Secretary](/usc/42/201.md?p=c) shall provide a copy of the plan submitted under [subparagraph (A)](#c-2-A), and any revisions submitted under [subparagraph (C)](#c-2-C), to the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Labor and Human Resources of the Senate.
- (d) **Other cancers—** In carrying out [subsection (a)](#a), the [Director](/usc/42/11851.md?p=5) of the Institute shall conduct or support research on ovarian cancer and other cancers of the reproductive system of women. Activities under such subsection shall provide for the conduct and support of—
  - (1) basic research concerning the etiology and causes of ovarian cancer and other cancers of the reproductive system of women;
  - (2) [clinical research](/usc/42/284d.md?p=b) and related activities into the causes, prevention, detection and [treatment](/usc/42/11851.md?p=11) of ovarian cancer and other cancers of the reproductive system of women;
  - (3) control [programs](/usc/42/274l–1.md?p=4) with respect to ovarian cancer and other cancers of the reproductive system of women in accordance with [section 285a–1 of this title](/usc/42/285a–1.md);
  - (4) information and education [programs](/usc/42/274l–1.md?p=4) with respect to ovarian cancer and other cancers of the reproductive system of women in accordance with [section 285a–2 of this title](/usc/42/285a–2.md); and
  - (5) research and demonstration centers with respect to ovarian cancer and cancers of the reproductive system in accordance with [section 285a–3 of this title](/usc/42/285a–3.md).
- (e) **Report—** The [Director](/usc/42/11851.md?p=5) of the Institute shall prepare, for inclusion in the biennial report submitted under [section 284b](/usc/42/284b.md)[^3] of this title, a report that describes the activities of the National Cancer Institute under the research [programs](/usc/42/274l–1.md?p=4) referred to in [subsection (a)](#a), that shall include—
  - (1) a description of the research plan with respect to breast cancer prepared under [subsection (c)](#c);
  - (2) an assessment of the development, revision, and implementation of such plan;
  - (3) a description and evaluation of the progress made, during the period for which such report is prepared, in the research [programs](/usc/42/274l–1.md?p=4) on breast cancer and cancers of the reproductive system of women;
  - (4) a summary and analysis of expenditures made, during the period for which such report is made, for activities with respect to breast cancer and cancers of the reproductive system of women conducted and supported by the National Institutes of Health; and
  - (5) such comments and recommendations as the [Director](/usc/42/11851.md?p=5) considers appropriate.

## Footnotes

[^1]: So in original. Probably should not be capitalized.
[^2]: So in original. Probably should be section “285a–2(b)(9)”.
[^3]: See References in Text note below.

## Source credit

(July 1, 1944, ch. 373, title IV, § 417, as added Pub. L. 103–43, title IV, § 401, June 10, 1993, 107 Stat. 153.)

## Notes

### Editorial Notes

### References in Text

Section 284b of this title, referred to in subsec. (e), was repealed by Pub. L. 109–482, title I, § 104(b)(1)(C), Jan. 15, 2007, 120 Stat. 3693.

### Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

### Change of Name

Committee on Labor and Human Resources of Senate changed to Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions of Senate by Senate Resolution No. 20, One Hundred Sixth Congress, Jan. 19, 1999.

Committee on Energy and Commerce of House of Representatives treated as referring to Committee on Commerce of House of Representatives by section 1(a) of Pub. L. 104–14, set out as a note preceding section 21 of Title 2, The Congress. Committee on Commerce of House of Representatives changed to Committee on Energy and Commerce of House of Representatives, and jurisdiction over matters relating to securities and exchanges and insurance generally transferred to Committee on Financial Services of House of Representatives by House Resolution No. 5, One Hundred Seventh Congress, Jan. 3, 2001.