Neuro-Oncology Program

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ABSTRACT – NEURO-ONCOLOGY PROGRAM According to data published by the National Cancer Institute in 2014, there were an estimated 162,341 people living with brain and other nervous system cancer in the United States. Malignant primary brain tumors are the most frequent cause of cancer death in children and young adults and account for more deaths than cancer of the kidney or melanoma. The Neuro-Oncology Program is one of the most well-known and oldest cancer programs at Duke, having celebrated its 80th anniversary in 2017. The first to establish brain tumor research and clinical activities at Duke was Dr. Barnes Woodhall, who came to Duke from Johns Hopkins in 1937. The Neuro-Oncology Program has been a premier program within the DCI since its initial designation as an NCI Comprehensive Cancer Center in 1972. Research ranges from the most basic science to clinical trials encompassing various focus areas including basic and functional genomics; establishment of a world class biorepository including more than 4000 adult and pediatric brain tumor samples, more than 80 xenografts and transgenic models to recapitulate human disease and for drug/agent screening; development of novel immunotherapies for primary and metastatic CNS tumors; design and execution of Phase I, II, and III clinical trials; improving patient’s quality of life and treatment experience through Supportive Care clinical trials; and molecular epidemiology and genomic studies to identify causation factors of malignant brain tumors. This research is driven by the Neuro-Oncology Program’s mission to identify the cause and relevant tumor biomarkers in all major types of adult and childhood malignant brain tumors and to invent and translate novel therapeutics from screening in innovative and predictive model systems to human testing and development in pioneering clinical trials. Maintenance of the comprehensive tumor biorepository and training of the next generation of neuro-oncologists ensures the continuing development of the Neuro-Oncology Program and its research goals. The Program is comprised of 27 primary members and 6 secondary members from a wide spectrum of 8 different departments and 1 school and institutes within Duke University. Total direct funding for primary Program members is $11.9M of which $6.1M is peer reviewed, including $3.7M from the NCI. From 2014-2018, Program members published 415 papers in peer-reviewed journals cited in PubMed. Of these publications, 33% are the result of intra-programmatic collaborations and 36% are due to inter-programmatic collaborations. During the current grant period, the program enrolled 948 subjects to all trials, 736 to interventional trials, and 551 to treatment trials.