The American Health Foundation Cancer Center (AHFCC) is a unique basic research center that is dedicated entirely to cancer prevention and control. The primary goal of the AHFCC, to reduce the incidence, morbidity and mortality of cancer, relies un a highly interdisciplinary approach in which research areas are targeted by epidemiologic findings, studied in depth using biological and molecular approaches, and appropriate cancer control activities are implemented. Since most of the American Health Foundation's support is derived from peer-reviewed National Cancer Institute (NCI) grants and contracts, the parent organization and the AHFCC are virtually identical. The AHFCC's research is focused upon prevention of the major human cancers known to be related to life-styles: i.e., lung, oral cavity, esophagus, cervix, and pancreas; and those affected by nutrition: i.e., breast, postulate, stomach, and colon. The AHFCC is, at present, the only cancer center principally dedicated to understanding both the biology of cancer prevention and the behavioral aspects required for cancer control. Thus, the AHFCC provides a unique environment that, for 23 years, has pursued research that underlies recent recommendations promulgated by the NCI Cancer Prevention Review Group as being critical for the development of a national strategy to reduce the incidence of cancer in this country. The research of the AHFCC is carried our in four highly interactive programs: 1) Tobacco and Environmental Carcinogenesis, 2) Mechanisms of Carcinogenesis, 3) Chemoprevention and Nutritional Carcinogenesis, and 4) Cancer Control and Health Promotion. New goals of the AHFCC are to augment its expertise in Cancer Control by the addition of a behavioral psychologist and strengthen its commitment to developing new biomarkers in the new program of Cancer Susceptibility by the recruitment of a molecular epidemiologist. These Research Programs are presently supported by nine AHF Cancer Center Support Grant Shared Resources: 1) Analytical Chemistry Facility, 2) Biosafety and Biohazard Facility, 3) Biostatistics and Computing Facility, 7) Organic Synthesis Facility, 8) Research Animal Facility, and 9) Scientific Information and Editorial Facility. AHFCC activities are conducted at three performance sites: the Naylor Dana Institute, 1 Dana Road, Valhalla. NY; 320 E. 43rd St., New York, NY; and 675 Third Ave., New York, NY, which accommodate a current staff of 180. In this renewal application of its Cancer Center Support Grant, the AHFCC requests continuing support for five years in order to expand its unique interdisciplinary research approach to cancer prevention and explore a number of important research leads which are anticipated to further understanding of the biological mechanisms of , and the development of new approaches to cancer control.
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