REACH for Survivorship Program
Research
Cancer Control and Prevention Program
Program Goal
The overall goal of this program is to decrease the burden of cancer for 1) the healthy and at risk; 2) cancer patients undergoing therapy; and 3) survivors, by developing a well-integrated program of systematic, hypothesis-driven, interdisciplinary research, education, advocacy and clinical care
Scientific Goals
1. To promote the evaluation of barriers to cancer prevention and early detection practices and develop effective interventions to decrease such barriers.
2. To stimulate research into the determinants of health disparities in cancer survivorship, including the biologic, socioeconomic, demographic and health-related risk factors associated with inferior survival of underserved populations (including populations of color, socioeconomically challenged, adolescent and young adults).
3. To enhance research into health-related quality of life, psychosocial well being and adverse symptomatology that may negatively impact outcome and develop interventions to provide effective symptom management.
4. To identify the incidence, prevalence, spectrum, and severity of adverse long-term health-related outcomes following cancer treatment and develop interventions to prevent or ameliorate such outcomes.
5. To stimulate interactions and collaborations among program members and with members of other cancer center programs, particularly Cancer Epidemiology and Population-Based Research.
Areas of Research Program Expertise
Examples of research activities of the Program include:
- Studying the determinants of obesity, sedentary lifestyle and healthy eating during childhood which may ultimately lead to a reduction in cancer risk during adulthood
- Examining physical activity, energy intake, body mass index, together with polymorphisms in genes involved in energy homeostasis in patients with breast cancer or adenomatous polyps
- Developing methods to examine and improve the cost-effectiveness of health care, management, safety and efficiency of the content and processes of clinical care
- Delineating the complex genetic and environmental factors associated with familial colon cancer and develop an intervention to decrease colorectal cancer health disparities along the cancer control continuum
- Creating and evaluating an innovative electronic data collection system to enhance understanding of the delivery and utilization of colorectal cancer screening
- Customizing and implementing smoking cessation interventions for prenatal and postpartum women, surgical patients, and those receiving care for cervical dysplasia
- Conducting a randomized clinical trial comparing two psychological interventions for newly diagnosed breast cancer patients and an analysis of interactions between mothers and daughters coping with the risk of breast cancer
- Studying patient and caregiver coping strategies and its effect on quality of life and symptom burden
- Developing a working group consisting of epidemiology, cardiology, oncology and radiation biology to collaborative research to study the pathophysiology of anthracycline and radiotherapy-induced cardiac toxicity in cancer patients
- Establishing a biorepository for AYA patients that can be used in both clinical and translational research
- Researching the feasibility of prospectively following patients from time of diagnosis through survivorship to assess cancer health disparities, health-related quality of life, psychosocial well-being and determinants of impaired outcomes
- Evaluating the efficacy of physical activity interventions for childhood and young adult survivors
- Evaluating the incidence, prevalence, severity and risk factors for targeted adverse outcomes in a cohort of young adult Hodgkin lymphoma survivors treated during the more contemporary era of risk-adapted therapy
Research Program Members:
- Bettina M. Beech, Ph.D., M.P.H. Associate Professor Medicine
- John D. Boice, Jr., Sc.D Professor Medicine
- Stephen Bruehl, Ph.D. Assistant Professor Anesthesiology
- Liana Castel, Ph.D., M.P.H. Assistant Professor Medicine
- Bruce E. Compas, Ph.D. Professor Psychology
- Pelayo Correa, M.D. Professor Medicine
- Robert S. Dittus, M.D., M.P.H. Professor & Director Medicine
- Anne Marie Flores, Ph.D. Assistant Professor Orthopedics
- Debra L. Friedman, M.D., M.S. Associate Professor Pediatrics
- Mary Jo Gilmer, Ph.D., M.B.A., R.N. Assistant Professor Nursing
- Kirsten Haman, Ph.D. Research Assistant Professor Psychiatry
- Katherine E. Hartmann, M.D., Ph.D. Professor Obstetrics/ Gynecology
- Beth Malow, Ph.D. Professor Medicine
- Charles E. Matthews, M.S., Ph.D. Assistant Professor Medicine
- Barbara Murphy, M.D. Associate Professor Medicine
- Neeraja Peterson, M.D. Assistant Professor Medicine
- Sheila Ridner, Ph.D., M.S.N. Research Associate Professor Nursing
- David Schlundt, Ph.D. Associate Professor Psychology
- Xiao Ou Shu, M.D., M.P.H., Ph.D. Associate Professor Medicine
- Ken A. Wallston, Ph.D. Professor Nursing/Psychology
- Nancy Wells, D.N.Sc. Research Professor Nursing
Clinical Programs within Cancer Control and Prevention Program:
- REACH for Survivorship Program
- Rehabilitation Oncology Program
- VICC Supportive Care Clinic
- Cardio-oncology
