Introduction

The California Breast Cancer Research Program is excited to announce the initiation of 70 new research projects that will lead to new knowledge about the causes, prevention, detection and treatment of breast cancer. With these new awards, the state of California is investing more than $16 million in the lives of California women. The projects are being performed at 22 institutions across the state, including universities, both public (University of California and California State University campuses) and private (e.g., University of Southern California); research institutes (e.g., Scripps Research Institute), medical centers (e.g., Harbor-UCLA Medical Center) and community agencies (e.g., Central Coast Women’s Cancer Consortium). Highlights of the 70 new projects that were awarded include:

In Summary:

6 projects will expand our knowledge of the biology of the normal breast, including searching for, and understanding the role of, genes and proteins involved in the development of the normal breast, and exploring why pregnancy at a young age protects against breast cancer.

8 projects will investigate factors that increase the risk of breast cancer, including exploration of the effects of pesticides on the breast, study of the role of naturally occurring genetic variation on breast cancer risk, and examination of the differences in breast cancer rates in different regions of California.

5 projects are exploring ways to reduce the risk of breast cancer, including exploring the risk associated with differences in how the body handles environmental pollutants and hormones, and how this risk can be reduced through lifestyle changes, studying whether a common virus in cows could be passed to humans and cause breast cancer, and learning how one type of dietary fat may reduce breast cancer.

24 projects will further our understanding of how breast cancer develops, including how new blood vessels form to feed tumors, and how this process can be interrupted, different pathways by which tumor cells are instructed to grow, and how this can be interrupted, and investigation of newly discovered genes involved in breast cancer progression. Innovative Treatment Modalities

15 projects will develop new treatments for breast cancer, including exploration of the effects of herbs used in Chinese medicine on side effects of chemotherapy, development of new drugs based on recent discoveries and new technology, interfering with blood vessels that feed tumors, and new ways to target drugs selectively to tumors.

5 projects are exploring new ways to detect breast cancer, including using biomarkers and detection of proteins and tumor cells in the blood and in fluid aspirated from the nipple, development and refinement of imaging technologies for better detection, and use of new technology for screening genes to detect ancerassociated changes.

5 projects are exploring socio-cultural, behavioral, and psychological aspects of breast cancer, including communication of risk to diverse populations, exploration of fatigue and memory problems associated with radiation and chemotherapy treatments, and new mechanisms to provide knowledge and support in making decisions to women diagnosed with breast cancer.

2 projects are in the area of health policy; examining the effects of peer navigators on women undergoing breast cancer treatment, and the relationship between race, ethnicity and socioeconomic status and breast cancer rates in California.

1 project will be done by a team of community members/organizations and research scientists focused on an issue identified by, and important to, communities in the state, the impact of peer navigators on the quality of life for women diagnosed with breast cancer.

5 projects are being done by cross-disciplinary teams of research scientists collaborating with each other to bring results of scientific research into practical application, including developing and testing new methods of finding breast cancer, searching for new drugs, and developing better ways to get drugs into tumors.

1 award is bringing together scientists who study the biology of the breast and experts in new computer modeling techniques, to explore how they might help each other make new discoveries.

1 award will bring experts from other fields together with breast cancer experts to generate new ideas.

21 projects are being performed by new investigators in breast cancer, which will help them establish careers in areas that will make an impact in breast cancer.

7 large projects were awarded in areas that have been identified as relatively under-funded, but important to advance our knowledge of breast cancer; namely biology of the normal breast, prevention and risk reduction, and socio-cultural, behavioral and psychological issues.

34 projects are exploring new, innovative concepts that may open up new avenues for breast cancer research and new options for prevention, detection and treatment of breast cancer.

More information, including detailed descriptions of these projects, progress reports for completed and on-going research projects, and application materials for the next funding cycle, can be found on the internet at http://www.ucop.edu/srphome/bcrp/ or can be requested by calling (510) 987-9884 or toll-free (888) 313-BCRP.