CBCRP News

Learning about the Community Research Collaboration Awards

The CBCRP recently hosted Community Research Collaboration (CRC) orientation workshops throughout California, including San Diego, Long Beach, Fresno, Sacramento, San Diego, and Lake County. Workshops, supported by a grant from The California Endowment, provided tools for developing research components and successful CRC collaborations, an introduction to community-based participatory research, and information on the CRC awards and application process. Workshop participants represented various community organizations and research institutions such as the UCSD Rebecca and John Moores Cancer Center, the Scotts Valley Pomo Indians Community Health Program, Union of Pan Asian Communities, Harbor-UCLA, University of Southern California, OCAPICA, Women of Color, Samoan National Nurses Association, Sutter Lakeside Hospital, Shanti, CRIL, California State University East Bay Department of Social Work, Chinese Community Health Resource Center, UCSF School of Nursing, and the BHAWD Alta Bates Summit Medical Center.

Currently, the CBCRP is distributing the CRC Call for Applications, avail- able for download on the CBCRP website (www.cbcrp.org/apply/crcCall/). Important deadlines include November 3, 2005, for the concept papers and February 23, 2006, for CRC applications. Please contact Natalie Collins at 510 987-0646 or Walter Price at 510 987-9886 for more information about the CRC awards and application process.

CBCRP to Begin Electronic Application Submission and Peer Review

Starting with our next grant application cycle (Cycle 12) the CBCRP is implementing an electronic application submission and peer review system. We hope that it will make the grant submission process as easy and convenient as possible. The electronic application is the only means by which one may submit a full application for a grant. The CBCRP has contracted with proposalCENTRAL to ensure a smooth application and review process. The online application is secure; your personal information will not be shared with any individual or institution outside of CBCRP staff and reviewers. Look for additional information on our website in September and details at our symposium, “From Research to Action: Seeking
Solutions,” in Sacramento on September 9-11, 2005.

CBCRP on Tour

If you would like to get the most up-to-date information about the CBCRP, or just talk to CBCRP staff in person, look for our exhibit at the following conferences:
From Research to Action: Seeking Solutions
September 9-11
Sacramento, CA

American Association for Cancer Research–Advances in Breast Cancer
September 21-24
La Jolla, CA

2005 Tobacco Related Diseases Research Program Conference
October 12-13
Los Angeles, CA

Sisters Network ®, Inc. “Gift of Life Block Walk ®”
October 15
San Francisco, CA

3rd Annual Spirit of Survivorship—The Labyrinth: A Women ’s Journey with Breast Cancer
October 15
Long Beach, CA

California Governor and First Lady’s Conference on Women and Families
October 27
Long Beach, CA

CBCRP Supports 4th International Symposium on the Intraductal Approach to Breast Cancer

Laurence Fitzgerald, Ph.D., CBCRP Manager–Core Funding
The CBCRP awarded a Joining Forces Conference award to Dr. Susan Love to support her foundation ’s continuing effort to advance a novel approach to diagnose breast cancer. The 4th International Symposium on the Intraductal Approach to Breast Cancer was held on March 10-13,2005, in Santa Barbara. More than 100 researchers, clinicians, and patient advocates from all over the globe, country, and many from California met to discuss the current status and future of the intraductal approach. This method involves obtaining breast duct fluid via the nipple, either as aspirate fluid (fluid and cells that are sucked from the ducts) or as a lavage (fluid and cells that are flushed from the ducts). The cells and fluid can then be analyzed for pre-cancerous and cancerous proteins, genes, and cytology.

The conference brought individuals together to: (1) describe their experiences and share research or clinical findings, (2) develop multidisciplinary and cross-disciplinary collaborations, (3) award new pilot grants to further stimulate research using the intraductal approach, (4) develop a consensus statement of the current clinical utility of the intraductal approach, and (5) foster a partnership between the individual donors of research funds, advocates, and researchers. The researchers come from a variety of scientific backgrounds, including both basic and clinical sciences, including medical oncology, internal medicine, surgery, radiology, biochemistry, pathology, endocrinology, epidemiology, and biostatistics.

The conference consisted of 38 talks given by invited speakers and 11 presentations from individuals applying for support for pilot research projects. As a result, a total of $65,000 was given to 7 researchers across the country and in Italy for new research projects. The topics of the talks ranged from the normal and abnormal composition of breast ductal fluids to determining whether the collection of ductal fluids could be used to detect and diagnose breast cancer to exploring the use of the ducts as a mode of entry for preventing and treating breast cancer.

In a feature new to the conference, the Dr. Susan Love Research Foundation hosted its first public panel discussion. The panel consisted of experts from medical oncology, surgery, pathology, and basic science. The aim was to provide community members the opportunity to learn about the intraductal approach to breast cancer, research currently going on in the field of breast cancer, and to ask questions about current breast cancer treatment options. After the formal panel presentation, the audience asked questions about ductal lavage and breast cancer care. Several topics were raised, including survival differences for African American women, the use of Herceptin, and breast cancer risk factors.

More information on the conference will be posted on the Dr. Susan Love Research Foundation website (www.drsusanloveresearchfoundation.org) as well as Dr. Susan Love ’s website (www.susanlovemd.org). This provides a session-by-session review of the presentations and discussions. A summary of the scientific information has been accepted for publication in the journal Breast Cancer Research.