UICC World Cancer Congress 2006

Abstract: Background: The President's Cancer Panel, a presidential advisory committee charged with monitoring and evaluating the National Cancer Program (the Program), reports at least annually to the President of the United States on barriers to the effective execution of the Program. The Panel traditionally holds a series of meetings around the country to gather input on a given topic from a diverse cross-section of people engaged in cancer research and delivery, advocates, and survivors. As a member of the Panel, Dr. Kripke will present highlights from its latest report, “Assessing Progress, Advancing Change,” released June 2 at the annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology. The two-part report is a follow-up to earlier reports, one on cancer survivorship and a second on the continuum of translating research into new methods for treating cancer patients. Dr. Kripke will focus on the findings relevant to translating research. Objective: The earlier translation report, “Translating Research into Cancer Care: Delivering on the Promise,” released in June 2005, examined barriers that impede transformation of basic research findings into better preventive, diagnostic, and therapeutic interventions and their delivery to the American public. During the “Assessing Progress” series, the Panel revisited issues related to:

• Influencing the culture of research to encourage participation in multidisciplinary team research, an essential element for moving scientific discoveries forward into clinical practice. • Building and retaining the translational and clinical research workforce needed now and in the future to develop and test new technologies and interventions for people with cancer and those at risk. • Improving the dissemination of research advances and new interventions to improve patient outcomes.

Results: Dr. Kripke will report on indications of new initiatives and partnerships that ultimately could influence the culture of cancer research to embrace and value team science and other collaborative cancer research; the successes and challenges of dissemination research and dissemination activities; and on the overarching issues that continue to impede progress: coordination, fiscal constraints, health care coverage, and education and communication.