) It is known that overall, African-Americans are more likely to develop cancer than whites. The incidence rate for African-Americans was 454 per 100,000 compared to 394 per 100,000 for whites. Furthermore, approximately 3.0 percent African-Americans are more likely to die of cancer than their white counterparts. This year, the National Cancer Institute issued a report card on the progress being made in the field of cancer research. Although the incidence and mortality rates for all races and both sexes for the time period between 1973-1995 show a decline in rates based on the data obtained from SEER, National Center for Health Statistics, and US Census data, the NCI report card clearly demonstrates the lack of success among minority populations, particularly African-Americans. It is in this light that the Howard University Cancer Center (HUCC), the only stand alone Cancer Center at a historically Black College or University in the country, is committed to addressing the needs of this community that is so desperately needed. It is our aim to study the cancer diseases that have a disparate impact on the African-American population utilizing a more systematic and comprehensive approach. The evidence from research-intensive Universities suggests that productive research is more likely to occur where there is a critical mass of investigators focused on an area of interest, than where lone practitioners toil in heroic isolation. The Howard University Cancer Center is planning to become a NCI designated specialty center in basic and population based science. The site-specific programmatic areas that the Cancer Center will focus on include breast, prostate, and GI cancers. In addition, we will establish a prevention and cancer control program. Our goals will be to address those research questions that are prevalent and unique to the African-American population.
| Adams-Campbell, Lucile L; Ahaghotu, Chiledum; Gaskins, Melvin et al. (2004) Enrollment of African Americans onto clinical treatment trials: study design barriers. J Clin Oncol 22:730-4 |
| Smoot, D T; Elliott, T B; Verspaget, H W et al. (2000) Influence of Helicobacter pylori on reactive oxygen-induced gastric epithelial cell injury. Carcinogenesis 21:2091-5 |
