NEW DIRECTIONS IN THYROID CANCER RESEARCH AND TREATMENT

描述（由申请人提供）：“甲状腺癌研究和治疗的新方向”系列教育计划的长期目标是让基础和临床科学家了解甲状腺癌生物学和临床护理的重要进展。 有几个原因说明为什么针对该主题的集中教育举措是及时且必要的。 2007年，美国将有大约30,000例新发甲状腺癌病例。人们可能认为这种恶性肿瘤是一种罕见疾病，然而，由于未知的原因，甲状腺癌的发病率增长速度比任何其他实体瘤都快。 最重要的是，在过去的二十年里，导致甲状腺癌主要组织学类型的突变或染色体重排已经被确定。 这些以及其他实体瘤中的类似发现刺激了制药业开发针对基因突变或突变激活的代谢途径的治疗药物。 一些甲状腺癌的靶向治疗已经在临床前研究甚至早期临床试验中显示出活性。 这些新疗法为局部晚期或转移性甲状腺癌患者带来了巨大希望。 此外，这些疗法代表了“个性化基因组医学”的一个典型例子。 目前，没有任何社会或协会将开发和提供甲状腺癌教育项目作为其主要使命。 两年前，一群对甲状腺癌非常感兴趣的基础科学家和临床医生认识到需要开展广泛的甲状腺癌教育计划，成立了国际甲状腺肿瘤学组 (ITOG)。 ITOG 管理机构设在华盛顿大学，其主要使命和这笔赠款的具体目标有双重：提供教育计划，激发甲状腺癌研究的新思路，并为临床医生提供为患者提供最佳护理所必需的临床研究技能。 我们将高度重视确保教育计划基于甲状腺癌最相关的基础和临床科学主题，并且选定的演讲者是各自领域的专家。 教育计划将包括：教学讲座、小组讨论和海报会议。这些教育项目将向基础科学家、临床医生、博士后实习生和患者倡导者开放。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The long-term objective of the series of educational programs, "New Directions in Thyroid Cancer Research and Treatment", is to provide basic and clinical scientists, with an understanding of important advances in thyroid cancer biology and clinical care. There are several reasons why a focused educational initiative of this subject is timely and needed. There will be approximately 30,000 new cases of thyroid cancer in the United States in 2007. One might consider this malignancy a rare disease, however, for unknown reasons the incidence of thyroid cancer is increasing at a rate more rapid than that of any other solid tumor. Most importantly, over the last two decades, the mutations, or chromosomal rearrangements causing the major histological types of thyroid cancer have been identified. These and similar discoveries in other solid tumors, have stimulated the pharmaceutical industry to develop therapeutic agents, which target either the genetic mutation, or the metabolic pathway activated by the mutation. Some targeted therapies for thyroid cancer have already shown activity in preclinical studies, and even in early clinical trials. These new therapies have great promise for patients with locally advanced or metastatic thyroid cancer. Moreover, these therapies represent a prime example of "personalized genomic medicine". Currently no society or association has as its primary mission the development and offering of educational programs in thyroid cancer. Two years ago, recognizing the need for broad based educational programs in thyroid cancer, a group of committed basic scientists and clinicians with a major interest in thyroid cancer, formed the International Thyroid Oncology Group (ITOG). The ITOG administration is based at Washington University and its primary mission, and the specific aim of this grant, is twofold: to provide educational programs, which will stimulate new ideas for research in thyroid cancer and to provide clinicians with the clinical research skills, necessary to provide the best care for their patients. Great emphasis will be placed on assuring that the educational programs are based on the most relevant basic and clinical science topics in thyroid cancer and that the selected speakers are experts in their field. The educational programs will include: didactic lectures, group discussions, and poster sessions. The educational programs will be open to basic scientists, clinicians, postdoctoral trainees and patient advocates.