National Cancer Advisory Board Discusses NCI Funding Patterns, Program Updates ► NCI Cancer Bulletin for December 11, 2012 - National Cancer Institute

NCI Cancer Bulletin for December 11, 2012 - National Cancer Institute

National Cancer Advisory Board Discusses NCI Funding Patterns, Program Updates

On November 28 and 29, the National Cancer Advisory Board (NCAB) met on the NIH main campus in Bethesda, MD.
NCI Director Dr. Harold Varmus opened the meeting with several updates, including the search for new leaders for the Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics (DCEG), Center for Cancer Genomics, Center for Bioinformatics and Information Technology, and Center for Cancer Research's Medical Oncology Branch. He also spoke at some length about funding patterns, noting that about 15 percent of R01 applications and 10 percent of R21 applications were funded in 2012 and that the rate for renewals was about twice as high.
Dr. Varmus concluded his remarks with brief updates on several items, including the Recalcitrant Cancer Research Act of 2012, Provocative Questions Project, and the future of The Cancer Genome Atlas.
NCI Deputy Director Dr. Douglas Lowy then spoke about the need to increase human papillomavirus vaccination rates to prevent cervical cancer in the United States and elsewhere. He mentioned the Lasker Foundation's cervical cancer initiative and noted that Mexico will now offer the vaccine to all fifth-grade girls. "What governments decide to do could have immense impact," he said.
Dr. James Doroshow, director of NCI's Division of Cancer Treatment and Diagnosis, gave a brief update on the changes to the cooperative group program, noting that applications for the National Clinical Trials Network are due in mid-January. He also explained a new initiative on molecular identification that will take data from targeted drug trials in which fewer than 10 percent of patients had a response and try to identify why those patients responded.
The board also heard updates on DCEG, the Pancreatic Cancer Working Group, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, the Division of Cancer Prevention, and the NCI Community Oncology Research Program, a new program that will combine NCI's three community-based research networks.
The agenda and an archived videocast of the proceedings are available online. Videocasts of past meetings are available here.