Patricia Steeg Receives 2008 Brinker Award
Dr. Patricia Steeg, head of the Women's Cancers Section in NCI's Laboratory of Molecular Pharmacology, has been awarded the Komen Brinker Award for Scientific Distinction - the highest honor conferred by Susan G. Komen for the Cure. Dr. Steeg will receive the basic science award along with fellow clinical science awardees Dr. Richard Gelber of the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Dr. Aron Goldhirsch of the European Institute of Oncology.

Dr. Steeg is being recognized for her work in tumor metastasis, identifying the first metastasis suppressor gene and bringing this research to clinical trial, as well as pioneering work on brain metastasis of breast cancer.

The Komen Brinker Award was established in 1992 to recognize leading scientists for their significant work in advancing research concepts or clinical application in the fields of breast cancer research, screening, or treatment. The recipients will receive their awards at a dinner presentation on December 11, and they are also invited to present their work in a lecture at the annual San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium.

NCI Patient Education Materials Receive Awards
The Health Information Resource Center (HIRC) recently presented NCI's Office of Communications and Education with five National Health Information Awards. The HIRC, a national clearinghouse for consumer health information programs and materials, received more than 1,000 entries. The awards recognize the nation's best consumer health information programs and materials produced each year. Judging is based on content, format, success in reaching the targeted audience, and overall quality.

NCI's "Toolkit to Improve Health Literacy for Radiation Therapy Patients" (in English and Spanish) received a gold award; the Radiation Therapy Fact Sheet Series received a silver award; "La radioterapia y usted: Apoyo par alas personas con cancer" received a bronze award; and merit awards were given to "What You Need To Know About Thyroid Cancer," "You Can Manage Radiation Therapy Side Effects," and "Chemotherapy and You: Support for People with Cancer."

SBIR to Showcase Products and Research
NCI's Division of Cancer Control and Population Sciences is sponsoring the fifth annual Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) showcase, "Linking eHealth Science and Business," on October 6-7, at the Hyatt Regency in Bethesda, MD. NCI-funded SBIR grantees will present user-centered, science-based, commercially viable products, and their final research findings to staff from several government institutes, the public health community, and commercial organizations.

Additional details about the event and the SBIR program can be found at: http://cancercontrol.cancer.gov/hcirb/sbir/research/2008_showcase.html.

New Clinical Trial Reporting Requirements Coming in 2009
Beginning next January, NCI grantees must adhere to a new set of mandatory clinical trial reporting requirements. This new Clinical Trials Reporting Program will include up-to-date information about the status of all NCI-funded and sponsored clinical research, patient demographics and accruals, treatment, and toxicity outcomes.

These new requirements will provide NCI with a more global view of emerging knowledge to identify important patterns in a timely way in order to assure patient safety and an optimal return on investment in cancer clinical trials. The data provided will allow NCI to better coordinate research efforts and ensure patient safety to optimize the investment in cancer research.

For more information and updates about these changes, go to www.cancer.gov/ncictrp.

Disparities Summit Report Available
NCI's Center to Reduce Cancer Health Disparities, the National Center on Minority Health and Health Disparities, and the National Center for Research Resources recently released the report on the Cancer Health Disparities Summit 2007, Catalyzing Trans-disciplinary Regional Partnerships to Eliminate Cancer Health Disparities. The report evolved from a 3-day workshop held July 16-18, 2007 and can be accessed and downloaded at http://www.cancermeetings.org/chdsummit07/FinalReport.pdf.