Meharry Medical College-Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center Partnership: Partners in eliminating health disparities Free

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Introduction: Cancer health disparities remain a major health problem in this country. Areas in which serious cancer health disparities exit include cancers of the breast, prostate, colorectal, lung and ovarian. To begin to understand the science of cancer health disparities in underserved populations, the Meharry Medical College-Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center Partnership has undertaken several research initiatives, which attempt to address the scientific basis of this problem. The main goal of the recently renewed MMC-VICC U54 grant is to play active role in reducing cancer health disparities in the greater Nashville, TN and its suburban and rural areas.
 Approach: The U54 partnership has reviving cancer clinical trials research at MMC and establish a minority based clinical cancer participate in national oncology trials oncology program. Currently, investigators of the partnership are engaged in several cancer health disparities research. Our funded project examines the relationship between insulin-resistance, IGFs, and breast cancer risks in African-Americans, energy balance intervention for colorectal cancer in African-Americans, and the relationship between vitamin D and mammographic breast density in African-Americans. We are also comparing the potential application of COX-1 and HDAC inhibitors in suppressing ovarian in African-American and Whites. We are also in the process of identifying new serum biomarkers for head neck cancers in African-Americans. The Meharry/Vanderbilt U54 Cancer Partnership has taken steps to strengthen and expand their existing partnership of cancer research in health disparities by adding Tennessee State University as a partner. With the addition of TSU, the U54 Partnership has strengthened our Community Outreach component which in turn has created a balanced program focusing on population sciences, basic and clinical research. We also continue to expand cancer research opportunities for PhD, medical and population based trainees; and has established new tissue acquisition core for enhancing the acquisition of cancer tissues from African-Americans for future studies
 Results: Our minority accrual rate for cancer clinical trial is about 42%, which is 2 times the national rate. We have detected significant rate in recent mammographic use between African-Americans and Whites. Our pilot projects have detected few serum proteins, which may be useful as a marker for head and neck cancer detection. We have established community-based participatory research program to facilitate cancer outreach in greater Nashville and its surrounding areas. We have also established United Nashville against Cancer (UN-PAC) Network to facilitate our outreach program.
 Conclusion: Our partnership has made significant progress towards reducing cancer health disparities in this nation.