Cancer Prevention and Control

CANCER PREVENTION AND CONTROL PROGRAM
PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT
The Cancer Prevention and Control (CPC) Program’s overarching goal is to advance population
research that elucidates and addresses Catchment Area (CA) cancer risks and outcomes, thus
potentiating the impact of translational research via collaboration among multiple faculty, trainees,
and communities towards improving cancer health outcomes. CPC utilizes CA resources (e.g.,
the NJ State Cancer Registry, the integrated health system) to identify and understand risk
factors and outcome trajectories at multiple levels. Members develop, evaluate, and inform
implementation of interventions, strategies, guidelines, and policies to address these risks,
reduce cancer burden, and improve outcomes. Aligning with the strategic plan and catchment
area priorities, CPC’s research falls into three major areas: 1) advancing the understanding of
individual and contextual drivers of cancer risk, optimal treatment, cancer survivorship, and
prognosis; 2) understanding tobacco use and informing implementation of effective tobacco
control strategies; and 3) elucidating and mitigating cancer risk, and improving prevention and
screening behaviors, as well as quality of life and other cancer outcomes through theoreticallyinformed
individual-, family-, system-level, and technology-based interventions and
implementation science. Since the last review, CPC has shown much growth in expertise,
funding, and collaborations, with novel research findings and direct sustained public health
impact. CPC has 58 members in 17 departments across seven schools in two universities. CPC
members are highly productive and collaborative, as shown by its 729 cancer-focused research
publications, of which 33% are intraprogrammatic, 20% interprogrammatic, and 79% multiinstitutional.
Funding substantially increased by 67%, with a research portfolio of $10.2 million
(annual direct costs) in cancer-relevant grant projects, with $6.9 million (direct costs) from NCI.
CPC is led by senior investigators with complementary expertise and distinct roles in leading the
Program. The Program benefits from various expertise and transdisciplinary collaborations across
the cancer continuum including prevention, survivorship, health outcomes, care delivery and
coordination, and tobacco control, as well as a strong record of mentoring the next generation
of researchers in these areas. CPC research is invoked by bidirectional communication with the
Community Outreach and Engagement team and community to address CA needs that also
impact broader practices, policies, and cancer health outcomes. Future plans include enhancing
transdisciplinary research, cancer research training, and bidirectional community engagement to
address CA priorities, with the ultimate goal of reducing the cancer burden in NJ and beyond.

Grant Number: 3P30CA072720-26S2
NIH Institute/Center: NIH
Principal Investigator: Elisa Bandera