Program 60: Cancer Risk, Prevention, and Early Detection

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Cancer Risk, Prevention, and Early Detection Program Project Summary / Abstract The mission of the Cancer Risk, Prevention, and Early Detection (CaRPED) Program is to decrease the burden of cancer by (a) focusing a broad array of research around the critical period of cancer initiation and early growth, and (b) devising clinically effective strategies to intercept this process among people at risk. The Program’s scope ranges from the general population to high-risk groups to individuals with pre-cancerous lesions or targetable mutations. CaRPED is a new Program that evolved from a previous Program in Cancer Risk and Disparities (CaRD). Its mission relies on leveraging DF/HCC expertise in cancer biology, epidemiology, prevention, and the science of implementation, together with the breadth and depth of the Boston ecosystem for technological innovation. The Program is committed to the translation of scientific advances and the dissemination of knowledge into sustainable community-based practices as well as the alleviation of cancer-related disparities. Training a new generation of researchers with transdisciplinary, quantitative, clinical, technological, and implementation skills is an important Program focus. Our 86 members (55 primary and 31 secondary) represent all seven DF/HCC institutions and 17 academic departments. In 2019, peer-reviewed grant funding attributed to the Program was $5.7 million in direct costs from the NCI and $6.7 million from other sponsors. During the current funding period, primary CaRPED members published 914 cancer-relevant papers. Of these, 23% were inter-institutional, 9% were intra- programmatic, and 43% were inter-programmatic collaborations between two or more DF/HCC members. These numbers reflect the breadth of inter-Program interactivity stewarded by Program and senior DF/HCC leaders in close alignment with the Cancer Center’s strategic plan. For the next CCSG funding period, the Program’s Specific Aims are to 1) develop and validate new technologies for pre-cancer and early cancer detection, 2) develop personalized and precision approaches for cancer interception using new technologies for risk assessment and pre-cancer and early cancer detection, and 3) apply personalized and precision approaches for cancer interception through multidisciplinary teams. DF/HCC’s extensive infrastructure for transdisciplinary collaboration, innovative clinical trials, community engagement, shared resources, education, and training will be instrumental in achieving these concrete goals.