Cancer research group urges Trump administration to restore data access

Medical organizations are raising alarms over the sudden removal and alteration of key government health data, including resources from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Food and Drug Administration (FDA), following executive orders from President Donald Trump.

The American Cancer Society (ACS) issued a statement urging the administration to restore access to comprehensive data, ensure accurate future data collection, and uphold evidence-based science without additional restrictions. "Any limitation on gathering and releasing this data could hinder efforts to reduce the cancer burden across all communities," said interim CEO Dr. Wayne A. I. Frederick.

The ACS specifically pointed to the removal of the Social Vulnerability Index, a CDC tool that assesses community risk factors like poverty, disability, and housing instability. The organization emphasized that such data is essential for targeting resources to cancer patients and survivors who need them most.

The Trump administration has not responded to requests for comment.

The data removals come in response to Trump's executive orders eliminating diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives and policies on transgender identities within federal agencies. As a result, webpages related to HIV, LGBTQ+ health, vaccines, and gender equity were taken down, with officials confirming that terms such as "pregnant people" and "chestfeeding" were flagged for removal.

Frederick warned that restricting data access could undermine critical reports like "Cancer Statistics, 2025" and "Cancer Facts and Figures," which inform cancer prevention, treatment, and survival strategies. "Our guidelines rely on the latest available data to meet the needs of clinicians and the public," he said.

The ACS’s concerns come shortly after the medical nonprofit group Doctors for America sued several federal agencies over the removal of health information from government websites. The lawsuit, filed in Washington, D.C., demands that the Office of Personnel Management and the Department of Health and Human Services restore the missing webpages and datasets.

A CDC spokesperson confirmed that the changes align with Trump’s executive orders on DEI and gender identity policies. The agency also cited an HHS directive placing a temporary "pause" on public communications not directly related to emergencies.

Doctors for America argues that these actions create a dangerous gap in public health data, weakening the ability to track disease outbreaks, guide medical practice, and communicate with patients.

When asked whether government websites would be temporarily shut down for content removal, Trump did not rule out the possibility. "DEI would have ruined our country, and now it’s dead," he said. "If they want to scrub the website, that’s OK with me."