For his exceptional advocacy for NIH funding. Saltzman was diagnosed in 2010 with chronic lymphocytic leukemia, a type of cancer that becomes resistant to treatment and is generally not curable. At the time of his diagnosis, he was given five to eight years to live. Because of innovations in treatment made possible by NIH funding, he has surpassed this estimate by seven years.
Saltzman shared his story in the AACR Report on the Impact of COVID-19 on Cancer Research and Patient Care in early 2022. More recently, he published an op-ed in the Sacramento Bee and spoke with policymakers at Baldwin’s Senate forum about the importance of NIH-funded clinical trials, especially for patients with incurable cancer who need advances in treatment to outpace the progression of their disease. Saltzman’s powerful personal story is a moving reminder of what is at stake when federal funding for cancer research is threatened.