CANCER CONTROL RESEARCH PROGRAM

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The mission of the Cancer Control Program is to promote collaborative research to reduce cancer risk and mortality and to enhance the quality of life of cancer patients. The Program fosters research across three thematic areas: (1) Prevention/risk reduction; (2) Screening/early detection; and (3) Quality of life/quality of care. Cross-cutting themes include research on communications, and translation/dissemination/adoption, with a developing health services research theme. The Program consists of 21 members from 10 departments accounting for $6.6 million in total funding, of which $4 million is from the NCI. This group of investigators has published 268 peer-reviewed manuscripts during the current funding period, of which 88 (33%) were joint publications with other programs, indicating a high degree of inter-programmatic collaboration, a substantial increase in such activity since the last review. In addition, 79 (29%) of the publications were intra-programmatic, reflecting collaborative work among our 21 program members. Program highlights include novel findings in all three thematic areas. Prevention researchers have published and disseminated findings from a trial to promote sun-safe behaviors among adolescents. They have published research showing a relation between exposure to smoking in movies and adolescent smoking, research that forms the basis for a public health campaign to reduce movie smoking depictions. Screening researchers lead one of 5 mammography registries in the U.S. and are disseminating successful interventions to promote cancer screening in primary care. Program members ask penetrating questions about the utility of current approaches to cancer screening, given issues such as over-diagnosis bias. Quality-of-life researchers have published novel findings on the adverse effects of cancer treatments on cognitive function, showing also that the epsilon 4 allele of APOE is associated with higher risk for this complication. Communications researchers are devising effective ways to discuss treatment and medication decisions with patients and working with the FDA to disseminate them. We are building our capacity to do research in communications and health services delivery through a recruitment and mentorship program. Program leaders host regular meetings among members and across programs to foster collaboration and ensure mentorship of young investigators, and members participate in a T32 Ph.D. training program in health services research. Going forward, the Program anticipates additional recruitment and continued expansion in areas of strength, including research into media influences on cancer risk behaviors, mammography research, and dissemination of practice systems of care to support cancer screening.