Lance Armstrong Foundation Awards Nearly $2 Million with 11 Grants to Leading Research Institutions in the U.S. and Australia
Grantees are from Los Angeles, CA; Storrs, CT; Washington, DC; Indianapolis, IN; Boston, MA; Bozeman, MT; New York, NY; Columbus, OH and Sydney, Australia
AUSTIN, Texas – December 16, 2008 – Today the Lance Armstrong Foundation (LAF) awarded nearly $2 million with 11 grants to leading research institutions in the U.S. and Australia. The 2008 research grantees represent City of Hope (Duarte, CA); University of California at Los Angeles (Los Angeles, CA); University of Connecticut (Storrs, CT); Georgetown University (Washington, DC); Veterans Affairs Medical Center (VAMC) and Indiana University (Indianapolis, IN); Montana State University (Bozeman, MT); Massachusetts General Hospital (Boston, MA); Columbia University (New York, NY); Ohio State University (Columbus, OH); and the University of Sydney (Sydney, Australia). The Foundation, which has invested $21 million in research grants in its 10-year history, aims to fund research that meets the needs of underserved populations and encourages and supports the efforts of both established professionals in the field and young investigators in the early stages of their research careers.
"The LAF is proud of the role it plays in advancing the field of survivorship research," said Andy Miller, LAF Vice President of Programs and Policy. "Through this work, the LAF has the opportunity to address the gaps between what is known and what is done to address the needs of people affected by cancer."
The 2008 research grantees are addressing key recommendations from the National Action Plan on Cancer Survivorship and the reports of the Adolescent and Young Adult Oncology Progress Review Group. These grants focus on areas of need in cancer survivorship that will build on the body of knowledge and services focused on access to quality survivor care and services, adolescent and young adult health-related quality of life assessment and cost effectiveness of preventative survivorship interventions. Additionally, through co-sponsorship with the National Lung Cancer Partnership, new knowledge will be gained in the area of lung cancer survivorship. (Please see below for more information about the grantees.)
About the Lance Armstrong Foundation
At the Lance Armstrong Foundation, we fight for the more than 25 million people around the world living with cancer today. There can be – and should be – life after cancer for more people. That's why we kick in at the moment of diagnosis, giving people the resources and support they need to fight cancer head-on. We find innovative ways to raise awareness, fund research and end the stigma about cancer that many survivors face. We connect people and communities to drive social change, and we call for state, national and world leaders to help fight this disease. Anyone, anywhere can join our fight against cancer. Join us at LIVESTRONG.org.
2008 Research Grantees
YOUNG INVESTIGATORS (6)
Access to Quality
Survivor Care and Services - Georgetown University (Washington, DC)
Factors Affecting Mammography Use in Chinese Breast Cancer Survivors
Asian-American breast cancer survivors have a lower rate of participation in surveillance mammography than their non-Hispanic white counterparts. Since women previously diagnosed with breast cancer are at substantial risk for recurrence, compliance with annual surveillance mammography is critical. This study aims to identify the sociocultural and psychological factors that account for Chinese-American breast cancer survivors' utilization of recommended mammography screening. These findings will be used to design interventions to improve mammography screening in this survivor population.
Montana State University (Bozeman, MT)
End-of-Life Decision Making and Quality Care for American Indians
The cancer burden among American Indian populations is significantly higher compared to whites with respect to both incidence and mortality. This study aims to significantly improve end-of-life care for American Indian cancer patients by employing a community-based approach to identify key cultural values and factors influencing end-of-life care. These findings will be used to design and test the effectiveness of a culturally-specific intervention to improve end-of-life care for the American Indian population.
Columbia University (New York, NY)
Fundamental Causes of Social Disparities in Cancer Survival
In the last several decades, remarkable improvements in cancer survival have been made through advances in early detection and treatment. However, not all segments of the population have benefitted equally; the burden of cancer is disproportionately borne by socially disadvantaged racial and ethnic minorities and those with low socioeconomic status. This study aims to explain why social disparities in cancer emerge, endure or change, with the goal of informing public health policy and practice in order to reduce and prevent disparities in access to cancer care.
Cost Effectiveness of Preventative Survivorship Interventions City of Hope (Duarte, CA)
Cost Effectiveness of Cardiac Guidelines for Survivors of Pediatric Cancers
Studies show that childhood cancer survivors are at risk for developing cardiac problems because of their exposure to chest radiation and certain types of chemotherapy. Although several sets of guidelines have been proposed for screening childhood cancer survivors for heart problems, it is not clear which of these guidelines are the most effective relative to cost. Overly aggressive screening approaches have the potential to put undue burden on both survivors and the healthcare system. This study aims to identify the cost-effectiveness of one of the most comprehensive and widely accepted set of screening guidelines for identifying cardiac problems among the childhood cancer survivor population.
Adolescent and Young Adult Health-Related Quality of Life Assessment
University of California at Los Angeles (Los Angeles, CA)
Health-Related Quality of Life in Young Men with Testicular Cancer
Testicular cancer is the post prevalent cancer among men in late adolescence and early adulthood, and its diagnosis can have a significant impact on quality of life. However, there is currently a lack of valid and reliable tools to assess health-related quality of life in this population. This study aims to fill that gap by developing and testing a health-related quality of life assessment tool for adolescents and young adults diagnosed with testicular cancer.
Lung Cancer Survivorship
University of Sydney (Sydney, Australia)
The Impact of Physical Activity on Quality of Life in Lung Cancer Patients
The majority of lung cancer patients are diagnosed with advanced disease where the current aims of treatment are to prolong survival and improve quality of life, rather than cure. Fatigue, breathing problems and insomnia can significantly impact quality of life for patients diagnosed with this disease. This study aims to determine if a physical activity intervention will help improve fatigue and quality of life for advanced-stage lung cancer patients.
ESTABLISHED RESEARCH PROFESSIONALS (5)
Access to Quality Survivor Care and Services
Indianapolis VA and Indiana University (Indianapolis, IN)
Disparities in Access to Cancer Follow-up Care and Personal Health Records
Studies show that large disparities exist in follow-up care among cancer survivors, especially among rural, low socioeconomic and other vulnerable survivor populations. This study aims to develop a web-based treatment summary and survivorship care plan for survivors of colorectal cancer to improve follow-up care outcomes and reduce disparities.
Massachusetts General Hospital (Boston, MA)
Are Adult Survivors of Childhood Cancer Underinsured?
Childhood cancer survivors who reach adulthood are vulnerable to continued medical problems, employment discrimination and lack of health insurance coverage. Previous studies have shown that these survivors are vulnerable to being uninsured, but simply looking at the rate of coverage is only part of the picture. What is unknown is whether childhood cancer survivors who have health insurance coverage have adequate access to care. This study will comprehensively examine underinsurance among this vulnerable survivor population to ultimately inform policy changes to improve access to care.
Ohio State University (Columbus, OH)
Developing a Communication Tool for Appalachian Breast Cancer Survivors
Rural, low-income populations in Appalachia continue to experience significant barriers to receiving effective, follow-up survivorship care. This study aims to develop and test a culturally-relevant communication intervention delivered on a personal digital assistant (PDA) to reduce disparities in effective survivor care among Appalachian breast cancer survivors.
Adolescent and Young Adult Health-Related Quality of Life Assessment
University of Connecticut (Storrs, CT)
Innovations in Assessing Quality of Life in Young Adult Cancer Survivors
Cancer diagnosis and treatment during late adolescence and young adulthood significantly impacts health-related quality of life for these survivors, yet current quality of life measures lack a developmental perspective and fail to assess domains that are important to adolescence and young adults such as education, career, romantic relationships, independent functioning and worldview development. This study aims to fill this gap by developing and validating a health-related quality of life assessment tool specific to adolescents and young adults. Such a tool will facilitate efforts to improve survivorship outcomes and provide important new insights into the impact of cancer on this population.
Massachusetts General Hospital (Boston, MA)
Assessing Quality of Life for Adolescent and Young Adult Survivors
Brain and spinal cord tumors are among the most commonly diagnosed cancers in adolescents and young adults and such a diagnosis can significantly impact quality of life. However, there are currently no valid and reliable measurement tools to assess health-related quality of life in adolescent and young adult survivors of these tumors. This study aims to fill this gap by creating and testing an adolescent and young adult-specific quality of life assessment tool specific to central nervous system tumors. |
