Breast and Ovarian Cancer Program (BOCP) The mission of the Breast and Ovarian Cancer Program (BOCP), a newly established Program being proposed in this UPCI Cancer Center Support Grant renewal, is to reduce the incidence and death from women's cancer with a focus on breast and ovarian malignancies. This mission is achieved through the development and fostering of basic, translational, and clinical research in breast and ovarian cancer and aimed at translating novel discoveries into improved patient care. The BOCP has four main research themes: 1) basic cancer biology, 2) diagnostic and prognostic markers, 3) prevention, and 4) molecular therapeutics. The BOCP specific aims are to: 1) investigate mechanisms of cancer initiation and progression, 2) identify and validate new diagnostic and prognostic markers, 3) examine the role of tumor evolution and heterogeneity in progression and response to therapy, 4) discover the phenotypic and genotypic dependencies of metastatic cancer, and 5) translate knowledge of the biology into personalized prevention and treatment. The BOCP has 42 members representing 12 academic departments and 3 schools of the University of Pittsburgh. Based upon a retrospective analysis of historical data from January 2010 to April 2014, BOCP members authored or co- authored 517 cancer-related publications, of which 31% resulted from intra-programmatic and 30% from inter- programmatic collaborations. Approximately 54% of the papers represent collaborations with external investigators. Research in the BOCP is supported by an NCI Specialized Program of Research Excellence (SPORE) in Ovarian Cancer shared with Roswell Park Cancer Institute (RPCI), as well as individual federal grants, foundation awards, and philanthropy. BOCP members currently receive a total of $8.2 M in annual direct funding, including $2.6 M from the NCI and $2.1 M in other peer-reviewed grant support. A highly collaborative and interactive group, BOCP members meet regularly at work-in-progress meetings, journal clubs, and a yearly retreat. In addition, the BOCP forges relationships with other programs to enhance the multi-disciplinary nature of breast and ovarian cancer research at UPCI. UPCI support, including Clinical Protocol and Data Management and Shared Resources, specifically the Animal Facility, Biostatistics Facility, Cancer Bioinformatics Services, Cancer Genomics Facility, Cancer Pharmacokinetics and Pharmacodynamics Facility, Cancer Proteomics Facility, Cell and Tissue Imaging Facility, Chemical Biology Facility, Cytometry Facility, Immunological Monitoring and Cellular Products Laboratory, In Vivo Imaging Facility, Investigational Drug Services, and Tissue and Research Pathology Services facilitates and enhances BOCP research.
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