We propose a Texas Cancer Genetics Consortium (TCGC) in response to the Cancer Genetics Network (CGN) RFA CA-97-004. This TCGC would bring to the CGN extensive expertise in basic and clinical cancer genetics, human and molecular genetics, management of confidential human cancer genetics data, community outreach in human genetics, professional and public education, and psychosocial studies of the impact of cancer genetic counseling and testing. The TCGC will include existing cancer high risk clinical populations, Ashkenazi Jewish populations, registries of familial breast, colon, MEN2, NF1 and other genetic susceptibility syndromes, many followed in studies for decades, patients at high cancer risk participating in screening and early detection studies or chemoprevention trials, and a large database of cancer patients from which to identify high risk family members for potential recruitment to the CGN. The Texas population is diverse in ethnic makeup, and the TCGC includes investigators with proven track records in assessing needs of the Hispanic and African American communities in health care, in providing health education to those communities and their healthcare providers, and in recruiting their participation in familial cancer registries and clinical and research studies. Funding of this application would provide the opportunity for our TCGC to strengthen our within consortium interactions, to contribute our research experience and expertise to the CGN design and implementation, and to utilize our experience and expertise in recruitment of high risk patients to CGN protocols. The long term goal is to contribute to the identification of cancer susceptibility genes, their mechanisms of action, frequency, penetrance, and genetic or environmental risk modifiers, to integrate this information into optimal patient management, and to assess needs and provide education to address the ethical and psychosocial concerns surrounding human cancer genetics.
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