  Second, much of basic cancer research—e.g., research on the cell and molecular bases of the disease—is supported by federal funds, which often are allocated in the hopes that such research will (eventually) yield better health outcomes. Yet, the relationship between “bench and bedside” is, by all accounts, extremely indirect, and shaped by many factors outside of the merits of the science itself. So, it’s unclear whether and how “basic” cancer science ought to be evaluated in light of whether or how it leads to better health outcomes. However, this is hard to avoid, particularly when so many lives depend upon a research program’s promised outcomes.