 |
 |
Epidemiology and Genetics Research Program
Division of Cancer Control and Population Sciences
December 7, 2005 |
EGRP BULLETIN
From the Office of
Edward Trapido, Sc.D., Associate Director
Epidemiology and Genetics Research Program
Division of Cancer Control and Population Sciences
National Cancer Institute
This Bulletin brings you news about:
EGRP at APHA Meeting in Philly
New Program Directors To Be Assigned as Iwamoto and Patel Retire
If your EGRP Program Director has been Kumiko (Kumi) Iwamoto, M.D.,
Dr.PH., or A.R. (Joe) Patel, Ph.D., you will be receiving soon an e-mail
message with the name and contact information of your new Program Director.
Dr. Iwamoto retired this fall, and Dr. Patel will retire in early January
2006. We don't want you to overlook the message in the blizzard of
e-mail messages that you receive. The message will have in the subject
line "Program
Director Reassignment". We will work with you to make this transition
as smooth as possible. If you have any questions, please, e-mail: epimeeting@mail.nih.gov.
EGRP Hosts Workshop on Understudied Rare Cancers
 The Epidemiology and
Genetics Research Program (EGRP) sponsored its second leadership workshop
bringing together investigators to identify ways to stimulate research
on understudied rare cancers on September 11-13, 2005, in Boston. EGRP
is responsible for managing NCI's extramural epidemiology research portfolio.
EGRP-funded
investigators conducting research on understudied rare cancers were invited
to the workshop to identify gaps in epidemiologic and genetic research
on the cancers, and to discuss ways to foster collaborations and partnerships
among basic, clinical, and population scientists within the extramural
and intramural communities. The National Institutes of Health's Office
of Rare Diseases also
cosponsored the workshop.
"The four major cancers, lung, breast,
prostate, and colorectal cancer, comprise the lion's share of our portfolio,
but there are other cancers — some of them highly lethal — that need more study," said Ed Trapido,
Sc.D., EGRP Associate Director. "We sought the help of our investigators
to identify the gaps and stumbling blocks and suggest new approaches
to move forward epidemiologic research on these diseases."
Focus
of Workshop
The workshop focused on cancers of the brain, eye,
oral cavity, pharynx, endometrium, ovary, testis, digestive and urinary
systems, larynx, bones, joints, soft tissues, thyroid, and other cancers
of the endocrine systems, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, Hodgkin's disease,
and leukemia. Pancreatic cancer was excluded because it is addressed
in a trans-NCI Program Announcement that EGRP currently is cosponsoring
(PA for Pilot Studies in Pancreatic Cancer (PA
05-116).
Nancy Mueller, Sc.D., of Harvard University and Dana-Farber
Cancer Institute, gave the keynote address on lessons that she has
learned in studying Hodgkin's lymphoma over the past 30 years. Dr.
Mueller has been an EGRP grantee for 28 years. She has found the research
experience richly rewarding but spoke of times when funding for epidemiologic
research was a problem, and there were few advocates for such research,
few epidemiologists with whom to share data, and few basic scientists
interested in collaboration. The reward of rare cancer research lies
in the opportunity to make a difference, she said. "It's really
a labor of love...you do it because you care."
Consortia and Transdisciplinary Science
Working groups
discussed advancing research on understudied rare cancers in the context
of consortia and transdisciplinary science. The consortia approach
is an emerging paradigm in which large interdisciplinary teams of scientists
think and work collaboratively using common questions, protocols, and
methods, and perform coordinated parallel or pooled analyses. EGRP
currently is supporting or assisting in the development of epidemiological
research consortia on 15 types of cancer. Technology and team science
are changing the landscape of research, said Dr.
Trapido.
A panel chaired by Robert Croyle, Ph.D., Director, Division of
Cancer Control and Population Sciences (DCCPS), of which EGRP is a part,
described some of the resources and potential opportunities for collaboration
or partnership that are available through the Division.
DCCPS supports
extramural initiatives in cancer surveillance, quality of care, tobacco
control, behavioral research, energy balance, survivorship, health
disparities, and in the dissemination and diffusion of new knowledge,
as well as epidemiology.
Cancer advocates also spoke on the role of
epidemiology in the life of cancer survivors and how they may be
helpful to investigators. This panel was chaired by DCCPS' Julia Rowland,
Ph.D., Director, Office of Cancer Survivorship, and included Douglas
Bank, of the Testicular Cancer Resource Center; Richard Boyajian, R.N.,
M.S., of the Lance Armstrong Foundation Adult Survivorship Clinic,
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute; and Cary Zahrbock, of the National Coalition
for Cancer Survivorship.
Themes To Emerge
Four major themes emerged from the
workshop discussions. The investigators expressed the need for: (1)
improvements to the review process for rare cancer proposals, (2) targeted
funding for rare cancers, (3) suggestions for promoting formation of
consortia, and (4) exploration of the potential usefulness of greater
involvement of cancer registries in research.
EGRP plans to use the information gathered from the workshop
to prioritize funding mechanisms, develop new initiatives, and to discuss
review issues with appropriate National Institutes of Health (NIH) staff.
Presentations from The 2nd Epidemiology Leadership Workshop:
Understudied Rare Cancers may be viewed on
EGRP's Web site, including talks on design issues in the study of rare
cancers, creating consortia, transdisciplinary science, and on DCCPS
resources and opportunities. The meeting report will be added soon; to
be notified when it becomes available, contact andersoL2@mail.nih.gov.
Also
on EGRP's Web site is the report from The 1st NCI
Epidemiology Leadership Workshop, which was
held in 2004 to identify barriers and gaps in cancer epidemiology and
advance solutions to studying tobacco, diet/energy balance, and genes.
Funding Opportunities From Others
NIH Director's Pioneer Award Program
for 2006
 NIH Director Elias A. Zerhouni, M.D., has announced a Request for
Applications (RFA) for the 2006 Director’s Pioneer Award Program
for which the application period will open in January. Unlike other
NIH grants, which support research projects, the Pioneer Award supports
individual scientists. The award gives recipients the intellectual
freedom to pursue new research directions and highly innovative ideas
that have the potential for unusually great impact.
The program is open to scientists at all career levels. Scientists
may currently be engaged in any field of research provided they are interested
in exploring biomedically relevant topics and willing to commit the major
portion of their effort to Pioneer Award research. Awardees must be U.S.
citizens, non-citizen nationals, or permanent residents.
Applications may be submitted between January 15 and February 27, 2006.
In September 2006, NIH expects to make five to 10 new Pioneer Awards
of up to $2.5 million in direct costs over a 5-year period. The first
Pioneer Awards were made in 2004, and 13 scientists received awards.
The electronic application process includes a 3- to 5-page essay,
a biographical sketch, identification of the applicant's most significant
publication or achievement, and three letters of reference.
Small Grants for Behavioral
Research in Cancer Control
Our Division of Cancer Control and Population Sciences’ (DCCPS)
Behavioral Research Program invites behavioral research applications
in cancer control from new investigators or established scientists
refocusing their research interests to behavioral research in cancer.
This Small Grants Program is to aid and facilitate the growth of a
nationwide cohort of scientists with a high level of research expertise
in behavioral cancer control research. Small grants are short-term
awards to provide support for pilot projects, development and testing
of new methodologies, secondary data analyses, and/or innovative studies
that provide a basis for more extended research. Preliminary data
are not required in these applications. The Program Announcement (PAR)
uses the Small Research Grant (R03) mechanism.
- Contact: Veronica Chollette, R.N., M.S., Program Director, Behavioral
Research Program (BRP), DCCPS, NCI; e-mail: vc24a@nih.gov.
- See the NIH Guide (PAR-06-73)
Dissemination and Implementation Research in Health
Two Program Announcements (PAs) are being cosponsored by DCCPS to encourage
grant applications on dissemination and implementation research relevant
to cancer control. Applications are sought that will identify, develop,
and refine effective and efficient methods, structures, and strategies
that test models to disseminate and implement research-tested health
behavior change interventions and evidence-based prevention, early detection,
diagnostic, treatment, and quality of life improvement services into
public health and clinical practice settings. PAR-06-071 uses the Small
Research Grant (R03) mechanism and PAR-06-072 uses the Exploratory Grant
(R21) mechanism.
NIH Conference and Scientific Meeting Support
NIH recognizes the value of supporting high quality conferences/scientific
meetings that are relevant to its scientific mission and to the public
health. A conference/scientific meeting is a gathering, symposium, seminar,
scientific meeting, workshop, or any other organized, formal meeting
where persons assemble to coordinate, exchange, and disseminate information,
or to explore or clarify a defined subject, problem, or area of knowledge.
Support is contingent on the fiscal and programmatic interests and
priorities of the individual Institutes and Centers, which are linked
to the NIH
Conference Grant Web site. The
Web site includes contact information for the participating NIH components
and links to detailed information about specific interests and funding
parameters.
A conference grant application must contain a letter from the appropriate
NIH staff documenting advance permission. Investigators are urged to
initiate contact well in advance of the application receipt date. Agreement
to accept an application does not guarantee funding.
NIOSH Conference and Scientific Meeting Support
The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH),
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), participates in the
NIH Program Announcement (PA) on support of scientific conferences
and meetings. (See preceding item, including mention of electronic
submission requirement.) Support of such meetings is contingent on
the fiscal and programmatic interests and priorities of NIOSH, which
are linked to the Web
site.
Prospective applicants must submit letters of intent to NIOSH staff.
- NIOSH contact: Susan Board, M.S.; tel.: (404) 498-2512; e-mail: sboard@cdc.gov.
Ongoing Funding Opportunities Sponsored by Us! – EGRP
Environmental Influences on Epigenetic Regulation (R21, R01)
(RFA-ES-05-007).
Deadline: January 18, 2006 -
Pilot Studies in Pancreatic Cancer (R21, R03)
(PA-05-116)
Studies of Energy Balance and Cancer in Humans (R01, R21, competitive
supplements to existing NCI-funded grants) (PA-04-124) Exfoliated Cells, Bioactive Food Components, and Cancer (R01, R21,
R03) (PA-04-114) Occupational Safety and Health Research (R01) PA-04-038 Research on Malignancies in AIDS and Acquired Immune Suppression (R01,
R21) (PA-04-157) Small Grants Program for Cancer Epidemiology (R03) (PAR-04-159) Small Business Grants (SBIR/STTR Programs) - NCI Cancer Genetics Network - Request
for Proposals (RFP). Deadline:
December 6, 2005.
Newly Published Overviews on EGRP-Sponsored Breast and Prostate Cancer
Cohort Consortium,
Long Island Breast Cancer Study Project
This month in Nature Reviews Cancer are two “Perspectives” papers
on initiatives sponsored by EGRP – the Breast and Prostate Cancer
Cohort Consortium and the Long Island Breast Cancer Study Project (LIBCSP):
- The
Breast and Prostate Cancer Cohort Consortium (BPC3) is conducting
a pooled analysis of nine large cohort studies to conduct studies
of hormone-related gene variants and environmental factors involved
in the development of breast and prostate cancer. Data are from more
than 5,000 cases of breast cancer and 8,000 cases of prostate cancer.
The goal is characterize common variations in about 50 genes that
mediate the steroid hormone metabolism and insulin-like growth factor
signaling pathways, and associate these variations with cancer risk.
The PBC3 is a “proof of principle” study
aimed at demonstrating that pooling data and biospecimens across
large-scale studies through consortial arrangements is an effective
way to approach research on genes and the environment.
The Nature Reviews paper describes in detail the scope of the
study. The principal investigators and participating cohorts are:
David Hunter, M.D., Sc.D., Harvard School of Public Health (Physicians'
Health Study I and II, Nurses' Health Study, Health Professionals
Follow-up Study, Women's Health Study); Michael Thun, M.D., American
Cancer Society (American Cancer Society's Cancer Prevention Study
- II (ACS CPS-II); Elio Riboli, M.D., Imperial College (European
Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC); and
Brian Henderson, M.D., University of Southern California/Norris
Comprehensive Cancer Center (Multiethnic Cohort). Two cohorts
of NCI’s
Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics (DCEG) also participate:
Prostate, Lung, Colorectal and Ovarian (PLCO) Cancer Screening
Trial and the Alpha-Tocopherol, Beta-Carotene Cancer Prevention
(ATBC) Study, directed by Richard Hayes, D.D.S, Ph.D., and Demetrius
Albanes, M.D., respectively. (The cohorts themselves are funded
separately by NCI and other sources.) “A candidate gene
approach to searching for low-penetrance breast and prostate cancer
genes,” by
The National Cancer Institute Breast and Prostate Cancer Cohort. Nature
Reviews Cancer 5, 977-985 (December 2005).
- The Long Island Breast Cancer Study
Project (LIBCSP) was funded in the early 1990s in response to
a Congressional mandate to investigate possible environmental factors
that may be responsible for high rates of breast cancer in Nassau
and Suffolk counties (Long Island) and two other counties. More
than 10 studies were conducted and a geographic
information system (LI GIS) was developed that presently
is available to researchers to explore relationships between environment
exposures and breast cancer. This paper summarizes the LIBCSP and
its findings, and provides a broad overview of NCI’s extramural
epidemiologic research initiatives on the environment and breast cancer
that have been supported since the early 1990s, including the presently
funded Breast Cancer and Environment Research
Centers. “The Long Island Breast Cancer Study Project,” Winn
DM, Nature Reviews Cancer 5, 986-994 (December 2005).
New NCI Information Resources
 |
Everything You Wanted to Know About the NCI Grants Process
But Were Afraid to Ask. This newly revised publication
describes how NCI grants are awarded and administered. It was
prepared by NCI’s Grants Administration Branch. (However,
it predates information about NIH’s transition to the new
SF424 Research and Related (R&R) application form and electronic
transmission of submissions via Grants.gov. Also
see article in EGRP Bulletin.)
|
| |
 |
The Nation’s Investment in Cancer Research:
A Plan and Budget Proposal for Fiscal Year 2007. This
publication describes continuing and new activities that NCI
believes will accelerate achievement of the 2015 challenge
goal to eliminate the suffering and death due to cancer. Current
and future activities encompass three key components for a
strong cancer research enterprise: capitalizing on powerful
scientific opportunities, targeting specific public health
needs, and continuing to build a sound research infrastructure
and capacity for the future.
The report describes the major components of the NCI research
portfolio, infrastructure, and resources. It also details five
proposed high-impact strategic investments for 2007 and how they
will improve patient care and public health. These investments
will foster integration within and among NCI-designated Cancer
Centers, respond to recommendations for re-engineering cancer
clinical trials, link cancer science and technology, advance
and support medical informatics and health information systems,
and integrate the disciplines and cultures in cancer science.
The FY 2007 budget request comprises the increase required to
maintain the present level of operations or “current services,” plus
the increases required for the five new strategic investments.
|
| |
 |
The Excitement of Cancer Control Research. In
this 12-minute online video, scientists engaged in research in
cancer control and population sciences talk about why they find
their work exciting and the many opportunities the field offers
for making a difference to public health. The video was prepared
by NCI’s Division of Cancer Control and Population Sciences
(DCCPS) and is freely available from the Division’s Web
site. |
| |
 |
Also available online is
the Division of Cancer Control
and Population Sciences: Overview & Highlights.
The publication provides an overview of this extramural Division
that has lead responsibility at NCI for supporting research in
surveillance, epidemiology, health services behavioral science,
and cancer survivorship. |
| |
 |
Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER)
Program. This publication describes the SEER Program,
which collects and publishes cancer incidence and survival
data from population-based cancer registries covering about
26 percent of the U.S. population. SEER data and data analysis
tools provide researchers with unique opportunities to explore
and explain cancer. The publication is available via NCI’s
Publications Locator.
|
Subscribe to EGRP Bulletins and News Flashes
You are welcome to invite
others to subscribe to receive occasional Bulletins and News Flashes
from the Epidemiology and Genetics Research Program (EGRP).
|
