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U.S. National Institutes of Health
Cancer Diagnosis Program Cancer Imaging Program Cancer Therapy Evaluation Program Developmental Therapeutics Program Radiation Research Program Translational Research Program Biometric Research Branch Office of Cancer Complementary and Alternative Medicine
Last Updated: 04/25/2012

PARTNERSHIPS AND COLLABORATIONS

Cancer Disparities Research Partnership Program

http://rrp.cancer.gov/initiatives/cdrp/index.htm

Contacts:
Bhadrasain Vikram, M.D.
301-496-6111, vikramb@mail.nih.gov

Rosemary Wong, Ph.D.
301-496-9362, wongr@mail.nih.gov

Cancer health disparities are exemplified by differences in cancer morbidity and mortality as a function of gender, ethnic­ity, or socioeconomic status. Health care institutions that provide cancer services to medically underserved, low-income, minority populations often are not linked effectively to the national cancer research enterprise and struggle to maintain state-of-the-art cancer care.

RRP’s Cancer Disparities Research Partner­ship (CDRP) program aims to reduce the negative consequences associated with cancer health disparities. This goal will be reached by building clinical trials research in radiation oncology in institutions that care for a disproportionate number of medically underserved segments of the U.S. population. These groups traditionally have not been involved in NCI-sponsored research.

Based in large measure on the CDRP grantees and their mentors, the Radiation Therapy Oncology Group (RTOG) now has a robust Cancer Disparities Committee, and the American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology (ASTRO) has incorporated a symposium on health disparities into its annual meeting so that addressing health disparities is a strong focus of radiation oncology. Lessons learned from the CDRP program are shared with other health disparities programs at NCI and NIH, such as the Center to Reduce Cancer Health Disparities.

At the end of the second and final funding period (2009 to 2013), CDRP grantees are now in the process of transitioning into existing NCI cancer disparity programs like the Division of Cancer Prevention’s Community Clinical Oncology Program (CCOP) [http://prevention.cancer.gov/programs-resources/programs/ccop] or NCI Community Cancer Centers Program (NCCCP) [http://ncccp.cancer.gov].

Cancer Disparities Research Partnerships

Rapid City Regional Hospital,
Rapid City, SD (U54CA142157)

http://rrp.cancer.gov/initiatives/ cdrp/coop_grant/rapidcity.htm

Principal investigator: Daniel Petereit, M.D.

Primary partner: University of Wisconsin Comprehensive Cancer Center

UPMC McKeesport,
McKeesport, PA (U54CA142318)

http://rrp.cancer.gov/initiatives/ cdrp/coop_grant/upmc.htm

Principal investigator: Dwight E. Heron, M.D.

Primary partners: Washington University in St. Louis School of Medicine and Roswell Park Cancer Institute

New Hanover Regional Medical Center,
Wilmington, NC (U54CA142152)

http://rrp.cancer.gov/initiatives/ cdrp/coop_grant/nhrmc.htm

Principal investigator: Patrick D. Maguire, M.D.

Primary partner: University of North Carolina School of Medicine

Singing River Health System,
Pascagoula, MS (U54CA142158)

http://rrp.cancer.gov/initiatives/ cdrp/coop_grant/srhs.htm

Principal investigator: James Clarkson, M.D.

Primary partner: University of Alabama at Birmingham