Title:Cooperative Family Registry for Epidemiologic Studies in Colon Cancer (C-CFR)(Limited Competition U24)

Contact:

Daniela Seminara, Ph.D., M.P.H., Scientific Program Officer and Consortia Coordinator
Breast and Colon Cancer Family Registries
Epidemiology and Genetics Research Program
Division of Cancer Control and Population Sciences
National Cancer Institute
Bethesda MD 20892
Voice: (301) 594-7347
E-mail: seminard@mail.nih.gov

Objective of Project:

The primary purpose of this concept is to continue support for the core activities of the Colon Cancer family Registry (C-CFR), to provide a hypothesis-driven research infrastructure to better address the cutting edge scientific questions in interdisciplinary colon cancer research (CRC). In order to provide the operational infrastructure, data and biospecimen resources and scientific expertise for collaborative research on familial CRC, several specific core activities are conducted through the C-CFR.

Description of Project:

During the next 4 years, the C-CFR activities will be focused on:

  1. Identification and recruitment of mismatch repair genes carriers and type “X” CRC families
  2. Retention and follow-up of participants and their families
  3. Comprehensive accrual of clinical data
  4. Continued biospecimen collection and management (tissues and blood products), including maintenance of local repositories, cooperation in establishing a centralized “split” biospecimen repository and a Virtual Tissue Repository (VTR)
  5. Systematic molecular characterization for: a) Microsatellite Instability (MSI) in African-American and Japanese-American; b) Immunohistochemistry and mismatch repair genes testing c) BRAF gene testing as marker for epigenetic phenotypes. These measures constitute important co-variates for the ongoing and future etiologic and clinical studies based on the C-CFR, and will provide the tool to disentangle colon cancer heterogeneity
  6. Data management and bioinformatics. This activity supports the local databases and interfaces with the Central Informatics Center. It encompasses the collection, management and analysis of data items including family history data, epidemiology data, follow-up data, pathology data, clinical outcomes data, diet data, biospecimen collection, storage, dispatching, and performing molecular characterization testing. The core also supports harmonization and compliance with the NCI CaBIG specifications and the site-specific activities related to public access to data through the Informatics Center.

Anticipated benefits include the capability to:

Specific goals for the Network include: