Mission Statement

The Cancer Diagnosis Program (CDP) strives to improve the diagnosis and assessment of cancer by effectively moving new scientific knowledge into clinical practice. This national program stimulates, co-ordinates and funds resources and research on diagnostics and improved technologies to better characterize cancers to guide the choice of treatment as well as to evaluate the response to treatment.

The CDP is a part of the National Cancer Institute, which is part of the National Institutes of Health. We support research at medical centers, hospitals, businesses and universities throughout the United States. The CDP is not directly involved with patient care. Information for cancer patients and for health care providers about cancer diagnosis can be obtained via the NCI Home Page, Cancer.gov.

The Cancer Diagnosis Program is divided into three branches:

• Diagnostic Biomarkers and Technology Branch (DBT)
  • Investigator-initiated research proposals
  • Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) Grant Program
  • Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Grant Program
  • Technology development initiatives
• Resources Development Branch (RDB)
  • NCI-supported human specimen resources
  • Human subjects regulations and policy
  • Legal and ethical issues as they apply to human specimens
• Diagnostics Evaluation Branch (DEB)
  • Investigator-initiated research proposals
  • Cancer marker research initiatives
  • Prognostic and predictive marker development