Introduction
The California Breast Cancer Research Program is proud to announce the initiation of 64 new research projects that will lead to new knowledge about the causes, prevention, detection and treatment of breast cancer. With these new awards, the State of California is investing more than $18 million in the lives of California women. The projects are being performed at 28 institutions across the state, including universities, both public (University of California campuses) and private (e.g., California Institute of Technology); research institutes (e.g., Buck Institute for Age Research), medical centers (e.g., California Pacific Medical Center) and community agencies (e.g., The Wellness Community). Highlights of the 64 new projects that were awarded include:
In summary:
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6 projects will expand our knowledge of the biology of the normal breast, including searching for and understanding the role of genes and proteins involved in the development of the normal breast, and changes that occur with breast-feeding.
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6 projects will investigate factors that increase the risk of breast cancer and ways to reduce the risk of breast cancer including exploration of the effects of pesticides on the breast, study of the role of naturally occurring genetic variation on breast cancer risk, and the potential of natural herbs to reduce breast cancer risk.
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21 projects will further our understanding of how breast cancer develops, including how new blood vessels form to feed tumors, and how this process can be prevented, different pathways by which tumor cells are instructed to grow, how this can be interrupted, and investigation of newly discovered genes involved in breast cancer progression.
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13 projects will develop new treatments for breast cancer, including exploration of the effectiveness of herbs used in Chinese medicine, new ways to enhance the immune system to fight breast cancer, development of new drugs based on recent discoveries and new technology, and new ways to target drugs selectively to tumors.
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9 projects are exploring new ways to detect breast cancer, including using biomarkers and detection of proteins and tumor cells in the blood, development and refinement of imaging technologies for better detection, and educational interventions for underserved populations.
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4 projects are exploring socio-cultural, behavioral, and psychological aspects of breast cancer, including issues for deaf women, factors affecting quality of life, and innovative ways to provide support to women with breast cancer.
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5 projects are in the area of health policy and health services; examining the impact of the structure of health delivery sites on quality of care, effects of peer navigators on women undergoing breast cancer treatment, and geographic variation in stage at diagnosis within California.
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4 projects explore racial/ethnic differences in breast cancer biology, incidence, morbidity and mortality, or treatment.
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3 projects are being done by cross-disciplinary teams of research scientists collaborating with each other to bring results of scientific research into practical application, including new tools for the detection of breast cancer and measuring the biological effect of preventive compounds.
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1 award will bring experts from other fields together with breast cancer experts to generate new ideas.
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26 projects are being performed by new investigators in breast cancer, which will help them establish careers in areas that will make an impact in breast cancer.
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8 large projects were awarded in areas that have been identified as relatively under-funded, but important to advance our knowledge of breast cancer; namely, health policy and health services, racial/ethnic differences in breast cancer, biology of the normal breast, and socio-cultural, behavioral and psychological issues.
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21 projects are exploring new, innovative concepts that may open up new avenues for breast cancer research and new options for prevention, detection, and treatment of breast cancer.
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5 projects will be done by teams of community members/organizations and research scientists focused on issues identified by, and important to, communities in the state, including measuring the impact of peer navigators on the quality of life for women diagnosed with breast cancer, testing the effectiveness of on-line support groups, and identifying factors that impact women returning to work after breast cancer surgery.
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5 of the most exiciting projects are funded by revenue from the California State Income Tax Check-off.
