Biomedical Computing Support of Cancer Control and Surveillance

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The Division of Cancer Control and Population Sciences (DCCPS) is one of the six Divisions of the National Cancer Institute (NCI), the largest of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The DCCPS is the arm of the National Cancer Institute that both generates new knowledge and seeks to ensure that the products of cancer control research are effectively applied in all segments of the population. DCCPS is designed to: - understand the causes and distribution of cancer in populations, - support the development and implementation of effective interventions, - monitor and explain cancer trends in all segments of the population, and - effectively communicate this information to the population. Central to these activities is the process of synthesis and decision making that aids in: - evaluating what has been learned, - identifying new priorities and strategies, and - effectively applying research discoveries to reduce the cancer burden. The Division is comprised of the Office of the Director (OD) and five research programs: 1. The Applied Research Program (ARP) plans, conducts and supports research related to evaluating patterns and trends in cancer related risk factors, health behaviors, economics, outcomes, and health services and determining the influence of those factors at the individual, societal and systems level on patterns and trends in measures of cancer burden, including incidence, morbidity, mortality and survival. The ARP is comprised of three branches: Health Services and Economics, Outcomes Research, and Risk Factor Monitoring and Methods. 2. The Surveillance Research Program (SRP) plans, directs, coordinates, and evaluates a program of cancer surveillance and health services research involving the collection and analysis of data and the assessment of the impact of health care delivery and other health system factors. The program strives to answer key questions about cancer incidence, mortality, and cancer related health behaviors in diverse regions and populations of the U.S. The Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Program, a major component of the SRP, collects cancer data on a routine basis from designated population based cancer registries in various areas of the country. The SRP includes the Cancer Statistics Branch (CSB) and the Statistical Research and Applications Branch (SRAB). 3. The Behavioral Research Program (BRP) initiates, supports, and evaluates a comprehensive program of behavioral research ranging from basic behavioral research to research on the development and dissemination of interventions in areas such as tobacco use, dietary behavior, sun protection, decision making, and counseling about testing for cancer susceptibility and participation in cancer screening. The BRP is comprised of the Applied Cancer Screening Research Branch (ACSRB), Basic Biobehavioral Research Branch (BBRB), Health Communication and Informatics Research Branch (HCIRB), Health Promotion Research Branch (HPRB), and Tobacco Control Research Branch (TCRB). 4. The Epidemiology and Genetics Research Program (EGRP) plans, develops, and manages a comprehensive program of grant supported, population based research that brings to bear the talents of extramural investigators to increase our understanding of the etiology and prevention of cancer. This program includes the Analytic Epidemiology Research Branch (AERB) and the Clinical and Genetic Epidemiology Research Branch (CGERB). 5. The Office of Cancer Survivorship (OCS) develops and supports a research agenda that explores the long and short-term physical and psychological effects of cancer and its treatment. The NCI established the Office of Cancer Survivorship in 1996 to provide a focus within the NIH for the support of research and education aimed at professionals who deal with cancer patients and survivors. In consultation with the medical and consumer communities, the OCS articulates and coordinates a research strategy that will result in improvement in the quality of life, and a reduction in morbidity and mortality in cancer survivors. This Contract provides computer systems analysis, programming, data management, data analysis, statistical reporting, and documentation services for research efforts primarily or secondarily conducted by the ARP (approximately 34% of the total) and SRP (approximately 60% of the total), with a smaller portion (approximately 6% of the total) supporting the remaining Programs or overall project management.