11. CANCER PREVENTION, DETECTION AND CONTROL RESEARCH PROGRAM Wendy Demark-Wahnefried, Ph.D., Program Leader The Program (PCPDCR) was founded at Duke University Medical Center (DUMC) in 1991. Efforts have focused on providing an intellectual environment that promotes interactions among program members by meeting routinely (all-inclusive faculty and small working group meetings) and securing pilot funding to spur collaborative research. These efforts have met with success. Over the past 5 years the PCPDCR has skyrocketed. In 1998, the program was comprised of 13 faculty in 6 departments (annual direct costs $3.2M) - now, there are 37 faculty in 12 departments (annual direct costs $13.2M). The PCPDCR banks on a translational research (""""""""bench-to-trench"""""""") framework and is comprised of 2 major subgroups: epidemiology & behavioral science. Program goals are: 1) To determine environmental, biological and epigenetic/genetic factors that influence cancer risk and progression; 2) To determine optimal strategies for conveying risk; and 3) To develop, evaluate and disseminate interventions to promote behaviors that can prevent cancer, improve early detection, and improve health and well-being after diagnosis. The program has contributed to the science in each of these areas - work that is distinguished by cross-cutting themes of racial disparity and gerooncology - work fueled by the expertise of the faculty, co-existence of a leading Center for Aging, and alliances with state government, historical black colleges and other institutions. In going forward the PCPDCR will further align itself to take optimal advantage of the basic science & clinical strengths of DUMC, as well as existing networks that assure wide dissemination; i.e., the Cancer Information Service (a resource housed under this program), cooperative groups, etc. Particular focus will be on determining the contribution of environmental and genetic/epigenetic factors in cancer risk and progression, and on developing and testing lifestyle and psychosocial interventions aimed at improving health and well-being among populations at increased risk for cancer, during time of treatment and throughout survivorship.
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