This ASCO Daily News article by six NCI DCP scientists, Multicancer Detection Assays Promise to Improve Cancer Screening. But Do They Work?, discusses the current evidence on the tests’ clinical benefit, challenges the tests pose for clinicians, and how NCI plans to address evidence gaps for MCDs.

Read the article.

FDA Authorizes Blood Test for Assessing Risk of Hereditary Cancers

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted marketing authorization for a blood test that detects inherited genetic changes that may increase the risk of developing certain cancers. The test is the first of its kind to be granted marketing authorization, the agency announced on September 29. DCP experts discuss the test in a new Cancer Currents Blog post.

Read the NCI Cancer Currents Blog.

Acting Director of NCI Community Oncology Research Program Named

Brandy Heckman-Stoddard, Ph.D., M.P.H., Chief of the (NCI) Division of Cancer Prevention (DCP) Breast and Gynecologic Cancer Research Group (BGCRG), has been named Acting Chief of the DCP Community Oncology and Prevention Trials Research Group (COPTRG) and Acting Director of the NCI Community Oncology Research Program (NCORP), following the retirement of Worta McCaskill-Stevens, M.D., M.S.

Read the News.

New Insider Cancer Careers Podcast Episodes

The October episodes of NCI’s Center for Cancer Training’s Insider Cancer Careers podcast are out. In one episode, learn about NCI’s Cancer Prevention Fellowship Program from director Dr. Jessica Faupel-Badger and acting director Dr. Lymarie Maldonado-Baez, along with two alums. In another episode, listen to Dr. Tyler Jacks’ insights on the state of cancer research and ongoing work at Break Through Cancer, a foundation supporting translational research in the most difficult-to-treat cancers, in the new Exclusive Episode: Working Together to Break Through.  

Cancer Data Access System Has Data for Research

The Cancer Data Access System (CDAS) is an NCI website where you may request data recorded from various research studies including the Prostate, Lung, Colorectal, and Ovarian Cancer Screening Trial, the National Lung Screening Trial, and the Interactive Diet and Activity Tracking in AARP study. For some studies, you may also request images or biospecimens. CDAS provides extensive public documentation for each study, including a trial summary, an overview of the data collected, and a searchable database of research projects and publications.

Visit the CDAS website to learn what studies are currently available.

June 24-28, 2024
Water’s Edge Resort
Westbrook, CT

The 5-day in-residence NCI-funded Transdisciplinary Research on Energetics and Cancer (TREC) Training Workshop is designed for early career investigators. The workshop places emphasis on developing and applying transdisciplinary and translational competencies in energetics (e.g., obesity, diet, and exercise) and cancer. To apply, visit https://ysph.yale.edu/trecrep/. 

Notification of intent to apply: Email Diane Lowry (dlowry@fredhutch.org) no later than December 15.
Application deadline: January 15, 2024.

PAR-21-330

NCI invites applications that propose to advance research in cancer etiology and early detection biomarkers using the unique biorepository resources of the NCI-sponsored Prostate, Lung, Colorectal, and Ovarian Cancer (PLCO) Screening Trial.

Expires: October 12, 2024

NOSI: Utilization of Cohorts and Prospective Study Designs for Liquid Biopsy Assay Validation for Early Detection of Cancers

NOT-CA-23-004

This NOSI encourages applications that leverage partnerships between assay developers and population-based researchers to investigate the use of existing cohort and ongoing prospective collections for analytical and clinical validation of assays for early cancer detection.

Expires: July 2, 2025