New on NCI’s Websites for November 2021

November 5, 2021, by NCI Staff

News Release: Patient Economic Burden of Cancer Care in the United States

People with cancer in the United States shoulder a large amount of the cost of their care, according to Part 2 of NCI’s most recent Annual Report to the Nation on the Status of Cancer. The analysis, published October 26 in JNCI: The Journal of the National Cancer Institute, provides an in-depth look at the economic impact of cancer on patients. In 2019, the report shows, the national patient economic burden associated with cancer care was $21.09 billion, made up of patient out-of-pocket costs of $16.22 billion and patient time costs of $4.87 billion.

Bottom Line Blog: An Annual Plan that Celebrates the National Cancer Act

In the most recent NCI Bottom Line Blog post, L. Michelle Bennett, Ph.D., director of NCI’s Center for Research Strategy, provides an overview of NCI’s Annual Plan & Budget Proposal for Fiscal Year 2023. This post highlights NCI’s proposal to increase paylines and describes four areas of scientific opportunity where increased funding will spur advances.

Guiding the Future of Cancer Control

NCI’s Division of Cancer Control and Population Sciences (DCCPS) has published its annual report, Overview and Highlights: Guiding the Future of Cancer Control, to inform stakeholders, partners, and the research community about the division’s investment and leadership role in advancing science across the cancer control continuum. In a video message, retiring DCCPS Director Robert Croyle, Ph.D., reflects on the division’s evolution and provides an overview of current initiatives and opportunities across the cancer control continuum. 

New Dietary Assessment Research Resources

DCCPS recently expanded its offering of diet assessment research resources to include the World Cancer Research Fund/American Institute for Cancer Research (WCRF/AICR) Score. This standardized scoring system can be used by researchers to assess adherence to the WCRF/AICR Cancer Prevention Recommendations and examine associations with cancer and other health-related outcomes. 

The Standardized Method for Estimating Intakes of Processed Red Meat and Processed Poultry, a SAS statistical software program that offers researchers a standardized method of estimating various red meat and poultry categories, is also now available.

Center for Cancer Research Website Redesign

NCI’s Center for Cancer Research (CCR) recently launched its newly redesigned and enhanced website. The new site features a modern design with improved navigation and search capability.

My STORI Mobile App

CCR’s Neuro-Oncology Branch launched the free mobile application, My STORI, for people living with a brain tumor. Using the My STORI app, patients and their caregivers can track and manage symptoms and self-care activities to help improve care and improve communication between patients and their health care teams.

Video: Astrocytoma Survivor and Caregiver Journey

Anaplastic astrocytoma survivor JC and his wife Luann share their emotional experience with a life-changing diagnosis, what they have learned, and how they have chosen to live intentionally.

Video: Glioblastoma Caregiver Journey

Family caregiver Barbara shares her experience caring for her husband, Bob, throughout his treatment for glioblastoma, a type of brain cancer. He had standard-of-care treatment at the NIH Clinical Center and was stable for three-and-a-half years, and then he had a recurrence, surgery, and participated in a clinical trial. Bob, who passed away in December 2020, had previously shared his experiences as a glioblastoma survivor on CCR’s website.

Division of Cancer Treatment and Diagnosis Newsletter

The September 2021 edition of the Division of Cancer Treatment and Diagnosis (DCTD) newsletter, pipeline news, features Lyndsay Harris, M.D., director of the Cancer Diagnosis Program, talking about the evolution of cancer biomarkers. The September edition also spotlights the division’s commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the National Cancer Act of 1971, new speakers’ series on cannabis and psilocybin research, and news about DCTD programs and activities. 

Glioblastoma Therapeutics Network 

DCTD has announced funding for a new Glioblastoma Therapeutics Network (GTN). The GTN will consist of collaborative research teams focused on moving potential new treatments from preclinical development, through regulatory investigational new drug (IND) studies, and into pilot clinical studies in humans.

Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genomics News Updates

Researchers in NCI’s Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics (DCEG) have recently reported results from several studies, including on preventable exposures linked to gastric and esophageal cancers, geographic and racial/ethnic trends in estrogen receptor–negative breast cancer, cancers associated with age at first menses, and associations between cell age and bone marrow and stem cell transplant outcomes. 

Breast Cancer and the Environment Workshop Summary

A summary of the Breast Cancer and the Environment: Controversial and Emerging Exposures workshop is now available. The virtual meeting was held May 2021 by NCI and the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences to identify new research opportunities and approaches to address knowledge gaps.

Video: Working in a Cancer Research Lab

A new video gives a behind-the-scenes look inside the DCEG Translational Genomics Laboratory. Video tour guides Francine Baker, B.S., postbaccalaureate fellow and iCURE scholar, and Ludmila Prokunina-Olsson, Ph.D., chief and senior investigator of the lab, discuss the equipment in the lab and how it is used for research.

Video: Office of Cancer Survivorship Vision, Mission, and Future

The NCI Office of Cancer Survivorship (OCS) works to enhance the quality and length of survival of all persons diagnosed with cancer and to prevent, minimize, or manage adverse effects of cancer and its treatment. This video is a message from OCS Director Emily Tonorezos, M.D., M.P.H., regarding OCS’s mission, vision, and future. 

News Release: NCI Study Highlights Pandemic’s Disproportionate Impact on Black, American Indian/Alaska Native, and Latino Individuals

The global COVID-19 pandemic has taken a disparately heavy toll on Black, American Indian/Alaska Native, and Latino individuals in the United States, according to a new NCI study. The pandemic has caused more deaths by population size, both directly and indirectly, in these groups compared with White or Asian individuals, the study found. 

News Release: NIH Study Illuminates Origins of Lung Cancer in Never Smokers

A genomic analysis of lung cancer in people with no history of smoking has found that most of these tumors arise from the accumulation of mutations caused by natural processes in the body. The study was conducted by an international team led by researchers at NCI and describes for the first time three molecular subtypes of lung cancer in people who have never smoked.

Understanding Cervical Changes

This guide provides an in-depth review of cervical cancer screening. It explains when to get screened and next steps after a normal or abnormal Pap or human papillomavirus (HPV) test result.

Advances in Kidney Cancer Research

NCI-funded researchers are working to advance our understanding of how to find and treat kidney cancer. This updated resource describes progress made over the last few decades, especially in finding genes that can drive the growth of kidney cancer.