Cancer Population Science Program

The overarching goal of the Cancer Population Science (CPS) Program is to reduce the burden from cancer at a population level. This is achieved through conducting observational, cohort, and interventional studies that focus on primary prevention, early detection, health outcomes, and the delivery of cancer care to varied communities and populations, thereby advancing the HICCC's strategic focus on accelerating innovative clinical and population science research that benefits the Catchment Area and beyond. The CPS Program is co-led by Dawn Hershman, MD, MS, Chin Hur, MD, MPH, and Adana Llanos, PhD, MPH, nationally renowned leaders in their disciplines with durable track records of research and mentorship. The CPS program comprises 50 Members in three schools and 16 departments. In 2024, the 50 CPS Program Members held $16.8M in cancer-focused, peer-reviewed funding (annual direct costs), of which $7.9M (47%) was from NCI, $2.7M (16%) was from other NIH sources, and $6.1M (37%) from other peer-reviewing agencies. During the project period, CPS Program Members authored 780 cancer relevant research publications, of which 236 (30%) were intra-programmatic and 127 (16%) were inter-programmatic. These include 137 (18%) in journals with an impact factor >10, with 62 in journals with impact factors > 20. In addition to leading numerous epidemiologic studies, CPS Program Members lead institutional and multicenter interventional trials, with 1,317 interventional enrollments over the project period, of which 56% were to investigator-initiated trials. The CPS Program, which has research across the human lifespan and cancer control continuum, has four interrelated Specific Aims: (1) Etiology and Primary Prevention - Investigate multi-level cancer risk factors, including socioeconomic determinants of health (SDOH), environmental and lifestyle factors, and underlying genomic susceptibility, that impact lifelong cancer risk in healthy populations to improve primary cancer prevention; (2) Risk Assessment, Screening and Early Detection - Use implementation strategies to integrate molecular-, genomic-, and imaging-based biomarkers into clinical risk assessment and early detection to enhance evidence-based screening; (3) Cancer Care Delivery - Study patterns of cancer care to inform cost-effective treatment, care delivery interventions, and policy initiatives aimed at patients, providers, and health systems; (4) Survivorship and Palliative Care - Discover strategies and translate them to pathway and data-driven trials for patients living with cancer, with a specific focus on symptom management, cancer survivorship, and palliative care. Over the project period, the HICCC has provided support, totaling close to $10M, for recruitments, pilot funding, and resources to foster the growth and development of the CPS Program. Over the next project period we will continue to recruit new faculty based on strategic priorities, develop new initiatives in implementation and dissemination research, continue to lead NCORP and other NCI initiatives, and further cultivate our commitment to the development of trainees and junior faculty.