Rapid Case Ascertainment (Andrew F. Olshan, Ph.D., Facility Director) Rapid case ascertainment is critical to the successful conduct of quality, population-based, epidemiologic studies, particularly case-control studies that incorporate molecular biology and biomarkers. Rapid ascertainment identifies potential cases prior to death or significant morbidity and allows timely interviewing and collection of biologic specimens. The objective of the UNC Lineberger Rapid Case Ascertainment Core is to support population-based epidemiology research by providing personnel for the rapid identification of new cancer cancers (selected sites) in North Carolina. The Core also helps coordinate: project IRB approvals at participating hospitals; reports to hospitals and tumor registrars, and activities among project investigators, the NC Central Cancer Registry, and related state committees. Working in collaboration with the NC Central Cancer Registry and UNC Lineberger investigators, core personnel facilitates case identification and data collection by traveling to and working with smaller, undermanned hospitals, located primarily in rural central and eastern North Carolina counties. These counties are racially and culturally diverse and located within several hours drive of the Research Triangle. Studies in these counties, rather than in the less diverse and more distant west-central and western counties, are more cost-effective and they have the population diversity and numbers to permit investigation of racial differences in cancer incidence and mortality. This is the first time that the UNC Lineberger is proposing Cancer Center Core Grant (CCSG) funding for the Rapid Case Ascertainment Core Facility. Over the past two years, the Center has used institutional funds to support these activities. In 1998, use totaled 2,129 new breast and colon cancer cases rapidly identified and 1,074 accruals to four NCI-funded projects representing two programs (Cancer Epidemiology, Breast Cancer). With the rapid growth of population-based studies, the Center is seeking CCSG support for this vital activity. CCSG funding of $41,727 will primarily support 0.80 FTE of the 3.00 circuit- riding data coordinators in the core resource. CCSG funding will account for 29% of the total budget; peer-reviewed members account for 100% of the use.
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