Teamwork, a primary

commitment to cancer

prevention science,

and effective 

communication are

hallmarks of our 

reconfigured Division

of Cancer Prevention. This

newsletter energizes and broadens the scope

of our communication with the scientific and

healthcare communities and the public. On

behalf of the Division, I wish to thank Doug

Weed and his colleagues, who have worked

so hard to launch this lead issue.

Advances in basic sciences, new biomedical technologies, and sound clinical prevention research methods led to and will continue to provide exciting opportunities for

progress in cancer prevention. Carefully

designed approaches to training and career

development are providing a new generation

of prevention scientists from a broad array

of disciplines, scientists who contribute

enthusiasm and innovation to current

research efforts. 

Our Division brings such scientists

together in a matrix structure that is unique

at NIH, and our success in implementing

this structure may foretell its adoption by

others in the research community. The

matrix features a Coordinating Unit and

implementation of initiatives through project

teams composed of members from multiple

research groups. It provides a structure for

participatory scientific management and

should help us in our aims to develop

leadership at all levels, to give primary 

roles to those at a less senior level, and 

to try new ideas and new techniques. 

The formation and operation of

interdisciplinary project teams receive major

emphasis. Our Foundations of Prevention

Research Groups—chemopreventive agent

development, community oncology and

New Era in Cancer Prevention Research

PETER GREENWALD

DIRECTOR, DIVISION OF CANCER PREVENTION

DCP Transforms into a Matrix-based Organization

JENNIFER FLACH

“

How’s the matrix treating you?” has become a common greeting among staff in the

Division of Cancer Prevention (DCP). Here the matrix is not a virtual-reality computer program like in the blockbuster movie; rather, it is a new management structure created to harmonize division-wide efforts in cancer prevention.

Reorganization of DCP

When the Division of Cancer Prevention and Control was split into DCP and Division of

Cancer Control and Population Sciences, Peter Greenwald, M.D., Dr.P.H., the Director of

DCP, consulted with management experts, members of the research community, and NCI

staff to determine how best to build for the future. 

In particular, the recommendations of the Chemoprevention Implementation Group

(CIG), a group of extramural scientists that advise the division, helped to direct the

restructuring of the division. The CIG encouraged DCP to build the basic science programs, strengthen agent development efforts, establish infrastructure and planning

continued on page 2

continued on page 11 IN THIS ISSUE

New Era in Cancer Prevention Research 1

DCP Transforms into a Matrix-based 1

Organization

DCP Newsletter Project Team 3

Dr. Christine Berg Receives 3

The Good Housekeeping Award

At the Forefront of Training 4

An Introduction to the Research Groups 6

Cancer Prevention 6

in the “Roaring Twenties”

DCP’s ARC Weathers the Seas of Change 8

Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure 8

Congratulations! 9

News from the Contracting Arena 10

Electronic Access to NCI Official 10

Grant Files Coming to Your Very 

Own PC or Mac!

Transitions 11

Endpoints 12

December 1999

V O L UME 1/NUMBER 1

NEWSLETTER OF THE NCI DIVISION

OF CANCER PREVENTION

PreventionPOST
processes for clinical chemoprevention studies, and develop

chemoprevention expertise in the research community.

“Since the function of the division is translational in

nature,” said Dr. Greenwald, “we recognized a need to

bridge the basic science and the clinical programs.” The

idea of a matrix-based organization emerged as a solution

to this gap. 

Forming the Matrix Structure

In May of 1999, DCP adopted a matrix-based approach

consisting of two arms of research groups, represented as the

boxes on the top and left side of the organization chart

(above). The foundations-of-prevention-science groups

provide the research functions of the division, including:

chemopreventive agent development, community oncology

and prevention trials, nutritional science, basic prevention

science, cancer biomarkers, early detection, and biometry.

The four mission-oriented, organ-system groups target:

breast and gynecologic, prostate and urologic, lung and

upper aerodigestive, and gastrointestinal and other cancers.

“The basic scientists relate to the foundations of prevention

science, whereas the organ systems reflect the categories of

expertise seen in clinical settings,” said Dr. Greenwald.

As described by Arnold D. Kaluzny, Ph.D., from the

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of

Public Health, who has worked with the Division in a number of capacities over the years, “The matrix design provides the opportunity to adapt to a complex and changing

environment at the same time providing an infrastructure 

to facilitate the interdisciplinary work of the various group

within the division.”

Team Work

In the matrix, most of the dayto-day planning, decisionmaking, and implementation are

carried out by project teams—

the “eggs” on the DCP organizational diagram. Project teams are

created by pulling together individuals from the foundations-ofprevention-science and organsystems research groups to carry

out specific goal-oriented projects.

The teams may collaborate with

other NCI staff, DCP’s advisory

groups, extramural scientists, 

and others outside the Institute.

The goal of a given project

determines the team’s composition

and life span, which may be shortor long-term, depending upon the

nature of its aims and tasks. The

PreventionPOST newsletter is the

result of one of DCP project teams.

Other projects are underway, and

new ones are developing all the time. For example, the 

Non-Scientific Staff Project Team meets regularly to address

projects related to the unique functions and needs of the

non-scientific administrative staff in the division. A Protocol

Review Process Project Team was formed to develop a 

standard process for coordinating the reviews of extramural,

clinical protocols of interest to DCP. 

A coordinating unit oversees the activities of research

groups and projects teams. Dr. Greenwald leads the coordinating unit which is made up of the chiefs of the research groups

and additional support staff. The Office of the Director, Office

of Preventive Oncology, and Office of Management

Administrative Resource Center are positioned to interact

directly with both the research groups and project teams. 

Strengths of the Matrix 

The matrix approach to management has been around for

decades, but is on the cutting edge at the National Institutes

of Health. Versions of the matrix structure have been used

successfully in universities, government organizations, and

private industries, such as Motorola, Intel, and Quintiles.

The matrix-based approach is praised for motivating and

empowering employees, fostering communication and 

collaboration, and improving an organization’s ability 

to respond to its environment. 

Employees are empowered because team membership

gives them “ownership” of projects, explained William

Sollecito, Dr.P.H., Public Health Leadership Program,

University of North Carolina. Instead of performing tasks

for the same supervisor all of the time, they are part of a

team working together to carry out a function. “Yet they

DCP Transforms into a Matrix-based Organization continued from page 1

2 PreventionPost DECEMBER 1999

Organization chart of the DCP new matrix structure

http://dcp.nci.nih.gov/dcp/matrix.html
still belong to a department [of colleages with similar

expertise], where sharing can occur,” he added.

The matrix encourages leadership throughout the division—not just at the higher levels, as in most traditional

management systems. The organizational structure and 

guiding principles of the DCP matrix were developed in a

participatory manner from all levels of staff through division

retreats and all-hands meetings. “It’s like a soccer team,”

said Dr. Greenwald, “Everyone has a role and has to do

something.” Team members—whether oncologists, nurses,

statisticians, or non-scientific medical professionals—are

considered equals and are able to learn from each other. 

Working in teams promotes both internal and external

communications. “Better communication—though at first

hard to achieve—is facilitated because there are a smaller

number of people all interacting to achieve a common

goal,” said Dr. Sollecito. Rose Mary Padberg, R.N., M.S.,

O.C.N., Clinical Trials Nurse Specialist, feels that, because

staff are able to get to know one another better, working in

DCP has become not only more productive but more enjoyable. Until the new structure was created, “I would pass

people in the hall and didn’t even know they were in this

division,” she said. 

The team-based design of the matrix allows the organization to be aware of and responsive to the needs of the community it serves. Outsiders working with the organization can

go straight to a smaller unit or project manager instead of

having to go through a bureaucracy, which helps in providing

high-quality, continuous service, explained Dr. Sollecito. 

Challenges in the Matrix

“In a matrix, the challenges directly relate to the benefits,”

said Dr. Sollecito. When work is done by teams, more time

is spent in meetings and decision-making can become slower. The increased number of meetings can be a source of

frustration to DCP staff, but management experts say that

such “excess” communication is vital to the success of

matrix organizations. Dr. Sollecito stressed, “The key is that

meetings must be problem-solving, action oriented.”

Prudent and fair distribution of resources can become

more of a challenge when responsibility and power are diffused throughout the organization as in a matrix structure.

“Support from the leadership is essential to the success of

any project,” said Barbara Dunn, M.D., Ph.D., of the Basic

Prevention Science Research Group, who is faced with

finding ways to share resources with established programs.

The coordinating unit must give careful attention to allocating staff and funds across the various projects, and must

DCP Newsletter Project Team

Above. From left to right: D. Sullivan, J. Flach,

D. Henson, P. Marcus, S. Winer, E. Graves, D.

Weed, and M. Nestorio. 

Inset. L. Bremerman, T. Cornelison, and R. Lubet

EDITORIAL GROUP:

Douglas L. Weed (Editor-in-Chief), Eric Graves,

Dorothy Sullivan

GRAPHIC ARTS GROUP:

Linda Bremerman, Terri Cornelison, Jennifer Flach

DISTRIBUTION & INTERNET GROUP:

Ron Lubet, Michelle Nestorio, Susan Winer

CONTRACT & LIAISON GROUP:

Don Henson, Pamela Marcus

DON HENSON

One of the top 318 cancer specialists for women

recognized by Good Housekeeping magazine is a

member of DCP. Christine Berg M.D., currently Acting

Chief of the Lung and Upper Aerodigestive Organ System Group, was

recognized for her contributions to the treatment 

of breast cancer while at Georgetown University Medical Center. At

Georgetown, Dr. Berg was an Associate Professor in the Department 

of Radiation Oncology. She treated patients referred from all parts 

of the United States.

As a service to its readers, Good Housekeeping provides an exclusive

guide for women to the country’s most respected experts in lung, breast,

and colon cancer. Selection for the award is rigorous. Good Housekeeping

asks 280 departmental heads at major medical centers to recommend

physicians who provide the most expert care. To eliminate favoritism,

recommendations from the department heads may not come from their

home institution. Of 1,200 names submitted for 1999, Good Housekeeping

selected 318, and Dr. Berg was among them.

Dr. Berg provides leadership at DCP in the early detection and

prevention of lung cancer.

DR. CHRISTINE BERG RECEIVES THE GOOD HOUSEKEEPING AWARD

NEWSLETTER OF THE NCI DIVISION OF CANCER PREVENTION

3

Christine Berg

continued on page 11
Did you ever wonder who those people are coming and

going from EPS Suite T-41? They’re “fellows”:

Cancer Prevention Fellows to be precise. The

dictionary defines fellow as “being of the same kind, group,

occupation, society or locality; having in common certain

characteristics or interests.” And this is certainly what the

Cancer Prevention Fellowship Program (CPFP) is all about.

CPFP fellows share a common interest in cancer prevention

and they are a talented group of clinicians and scientists,

having successfully sailed through (some say “survived”) a

rigorous and competitive application process in the Office of

Preventive Oncology, DCP. Most fellows begin their training

by obtaining a Masters in Public Health (MPH) at the

school of their choice. Fellows then come to the NCI and

launch a research program working with mentors on

prevention and control projects. Their research can be in

various areas, such as statistics, survivorship, clinical trials,

special populations, nutrition, early detection, chemoprevention, and molecular epidemiology.

The CPFP also provides to the fellows an intense summer

academic course on the principles and practice of cancer prevention and control. Course attendees are not only current

fellows just completing their MPH; in recent years, scientists

and clinicians from many foreign countries representing varied medical disciplines have attended in increasing numbers.

The summer academic course is also open to the public.

Two other activities for the fellows are the weekly

Colloquia Series and the CPFP Fellows’ Research Meetings.

The former is a series of formal research seminars on all

aspects of cancer prevention and control; the latter are more

informal gatherings for the fellows to present research, hear

speakers on topics pertinent to prevention, and discuss a

journal article. The year 2000 Cancer Prevention Fellowship

Program will add two new activities: a course in molecular

prevention and a hands-on experience in grant writing. Both

activities will be of great benefit to the fellows as they continue on their research career, either at the NCI, academia,

or in the private sector.

In addition to our staff of fellows, we have recently

added new permanent staff to provide for this growth.

Stephen D. Hursting, PhD, MPH, RD, joined our staff as

the Deputy Director for the Cancer Prevention Fellowship

Program. Steve is a former fellow who recently worked at

the MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas. As a

former principal investigator of successfully funded grants

in mechanism-based nutrition and prevention science, he

will be able to furnish much insight into the many intricacies of writing a successful grant as well as heading up the

new molecular prevention course.

Heide Weaver joined our staff in the capacity of a Cancer

Prevention and Control Career Development Specialist.

Most recently she has worked for National Institute of

Mental Health (NIMH) in the Office of the Director. She

has terrific computer and organizational skills!

To complete our staff, we have hired an Administrative

Program Assistant, Lisa Poe, a jack-of-all-trades...procurement, organizational abilities, and attention to detail just 

to name a few.

With all of the various projects and activities, our office

needed a very special student to assist us with our many

projects. We found that person in Charles Dinh. He is a

wonderful worker with a great sense of humor.

We have a terrific staff, stop by and visit! ■

At the Forefront of Training SUSAN WINER

C ANCER PREVENTION FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM 

4 PreventionPost DECEMBER 1999

In October, Dr. Douglas Weed, (Director of the Fellowship

Program), was honored to present the Samuel Harvey Lecture 

at the annual American Association of Cancer Education meeting held in Cleveland. In that lecture, entitled, “Our Future is not

Education.calm,” Dr. Weed discussed three major issues confronting the future of cancer education: the complexity of cancer (ranging from molecules to society), the need for a renewed

commitment to the highest scientific and ethical standards, and

finally, the ever-present challenge of communication.

The dictionary defines fellow as “being of the same

kind, group, occupation, society or locality; having in

common certain characteristics or interests.” And this

is certainly what the Cancer Prevention Fellowship

Program (CPFP) is all about. 
Fellows’ Corner

Our second year fellows have attended a variety of schools

to obtain an MPH:

Christian Abnet, University of Minnesota 

Bill Anderson, Tulane University 

Lisa Colbert, University of South Carolina

Beth Dixon, University of California, Berkeley

Charisee Lamar, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill

Rita Misra, Johns Hopkins University School of Public Health

Ann O’Mara, Uniformed Services University of the Health

Sciences

Christine Sweeney, Johns Hopkins University School of

Public Health

Mary Ellen Wewers, Harvard School of Public Health

Heng Xie, Johns Hopkins University School of Public Health

Our first year fellows and their choice of schools include: 

David Berrigan, University of California, Berkeley

Philip Castle, Johns Hopkins University School of Public Health

Graça Dores, University of Alabama

Mollie Howerton, Johns Hopkins University School of

Public Health

Claudine Kavanaugh, Johns Hopkins University School of

Public Health

Christopher Kennedy, Tulane University

Jackie Lavigne, Johns Hopkins University School of Public

Health

Volker Mai, Harvard School of Public Health

Pothur Srinivas, Johns Hopkins University School of Public

Health

Pamela Mink, with a PhD in Epidemiology from the

University of Minnesota, currently working at the NCI

Rachel Stolzenberg-Solomon, with a PhD in Epidemiology

from the Johns Hopkins University School of Public

Health, currently working at the NCI

Recently three of our fellows took positions in the NCI.

They are Pamela Marcus, Biometry Research Group, DCP;

Luke Ratnasinghe and Karen Woodson, both in the Cancer

Prevention Studies Branch, DCS.

A grant was awarded to one of our fellows—Kathleen

Jennings-Dozier. The grant was awarded by the Oncology

Nursing Society for a two-year study. Congratulations,

Kathleen!

Recently, Maria Canto spoke before a task force that was

established by Maryland Governor Parris Glendenning on

the subject of the allocation of funding from the Tobacco

Settlement in the state of Maryland. Dr. Canto spoke on

Oral Cancer Incidence and Mortality—National Trends and

Perspective. Congratulations on the presentation!

Congratulations also go to two of our fellows! Samir

Sauma and his wife Michelle had a baby girl in May and

named her Chloe. Another fellow, Lisa Colbert, and her

husband Ken welcomed a baby girl in February and named

her Sheila.

Did you know that 66 fellows have graduated from our

program? 42% have positions in the Federal government;

20% are at universities; 16% work in research firms; 12%

are in private practice; and 6% are at cancer centers. ■

NEWSLETTER OF THE NCI DIVISION OF CANCER PREVENTION

5

Top Row, left to right: Charles Dinh, Mary Ellen Wewers, Heng Xie, Lisa

Colbert, Charisee Lamar, Qing Lan, Beth Dixon, Rita Misra, Deirdre Lawrence,

Kevin Knopf, Philip Castle

Bottom Row, left to right: Stephen Hursting, Christine Sweeney, Barbara

Redding, Christian Abnet, Heide Weaver, Ann O’Mara, Bill Anderson, Kathy

Radimer, Susan Winer, Lisa Poe, Douglas Weed

Not Pictured: David Berrigan, Maria Canto, Graça Dores, Mollie Howerton,

Kathleen Jennings-Dozier, Claudine Kavanaugh, Christoper Kennedy, Jackie

Lavigne, Paul Limburg, Volker Mai, Pamela Mink, Samir Sauma, Pothur

Srinivas, Rachel Stolzenberg-Solomon, Ellen Velie
You may have seen the new organization chart—

foundations-of-prevention-science on the top, organ systems on the side...words like “prevention,” “nutrition,”

and “biomarkers” heading up the columns, and “breast,”

“lung,” and “prostate” beginning the rows. But what does it

all mean? What are people working on in the Division of

Cancer Prevention? Here’s a synopsis, by research group...

Breast and Gynecologic Cancer RG

With the charge of promoting research to prevent breast and

gynecologic malignancies, the Breast and Gynecologic Cancer

Research Group is focused on three priority areas: surrogate

endpoint validation for breast cancer incidence, HPV vaccine

development, and the ASCUS/LSIL Triage Study (ALTS) which

will evaluate management strategies for low grade and equivocal cytology results in the cervix. On the horizon are workshops related to research in these areas including an international conference in the year 2000 regarding the Bethesda system for reporting cervical cytology screening results. 

Prostate and Urologic Cancer RG

The Prostate and Urologic Cancer Research Group (PUCRG)

designs, develops, implements, and monitors clinical trials in

prostate and other urologic cancers (bladder and kidney). A

number of chemopreventive agents for prostate cancer are currently under investigation, including selenium, antiandrogens,

antioxidants, antiestrogens, DFMO, soy isoflavones, vitamin

D analogs, and COX-2 inhibitors. The PUCRG also sponsors

major clinical trials for chemoprevention of bladder cancer

using 4-HPR and DFMO. In August, 1999, the PUCRG held

a national workshop entitled “Strategies for New Clinical

Trials for Prostate Cancer Chemovention,” at which experts

from industry, academia, government (NIH, FDA), and the

public reviewed major issues regarding promising new agents,

high risk populations, biomarkers, and clinical trial designs.

The recommendations from the Workshop are being integrated into an action plan that addresses critical issues identified

in NCI’s Prostate Cancer Progress Review Group report.

Lung and Upper Aerodigestive Cancer RG

The Lung and Upper Aerodigestive Cancer Research Group

(LUACRG) fosters innovative research efforts in the areas of

chemoprevention and screening to lower mortality from

tobacco-related cancers. The prevention of lung and upper

aerodigestive cancers is a major focus of the Extraordinary

Opportunity in Tobacco proposal included in the next

Bypass Budget. The LUACRG also is involved in examining

anti-inflammatory drugs as chemoprevention agents, with an

inhalation trial of the aerosolized steroid budesonide underway and a trial of a lipoxygenase inhibitor being developed.

The LUACRG is currently considering a major trial to assess

the usefulness of spiral Computerized Tomographic (CT)

scans in the detection of early adenocarcinoma of the lung.

Gastrointestinal and Other Cancer RG

The Gastrointestinal and Other Cancer Research Group

(GOCRG) designs, supports, implements, and monitors prevention studies for colorectal, esophageal, liver, hematolymphoid organs, and skin cancer. The GOCRG strives to stimulate clinical investigations in cancer prevention, including

studies of Celecoxib, a COX-2 selective inhibitor that has

shown substantial preventive activity in preclinical studies. 

WHAT’S HAPPENING?

An Introduction to the Research Groups

P AMELA MARCUS AND RON LUBET

Mention the 1920’s and cancer prevention is not the first thing that

comes to mind. Yet midway

through the “Roaring Twenties,”

research on the etiology and prevention of breast cancer made a

giant leap forward. In 1926, a study of

500 breast cancer cases and 500 cancer-free hospital

and clinic controls comparable with respect to nationality, age, civil status (i.e. marital status) and social status (i.e. occupation), was published by the Ministry of

Health, Whitehall, London. The study’s author, Janet E.

Lane-Claypon, M.D., D.Sc. (Lond.)—shown in insert—

turned to the study of breast cancer after a highly successful career as a reproductive physiologist, physician,

and Dean of the London School of Medicine for Women

(1916–1923). Lane Claypon’s methodologically astute

study is one of the earliest to investigate an association between age at menarche and the risk of breast

cancer. Also published in 1926 was her study examining

survival rates of patients undergoing breast cancer

surgery. An early 20th Century advocate for the health

of women and children, Lane-Claypon studied the

impact of welfare laws on infant mortality, the so-called

“poor-law” babies, the effects of boiled milk on infant

growth, and midwifery practices. Born in 1877 and educated at the University of London, Janet Lane-Claypon

embodied the pioneering spirit and dedication to science and humanity crucial to effective cancer prevention. She died in 1967. ■

HISTORY OF CANCER PREVENTION

“Preventive work is at all

times more difficult, and in

some ways less attractive

than curative, but its 

importance can hardly be

exaggerated: it is the essence

of public health work.” 

Lane-Claypon JE. The Child Welfare

Movement. London:G. Bell and Sons Ltd.,

1920, p.6. Acknowledgment: Warren

Winkelstein, M.D., M.P.H. (Berkeley,

California)

Cancer Prevention in the “Roaring Twenties”

DOUGLAS L. WEED 

6 PreventionPost DECEMBER 1999
A trial of adenoma regression using Celecoxib in persons

with familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP) has recently been

completed with positive results, and several additional studies

involving a wide range of target organs are in development.

Future plans of the GOCRC include improvement and standardization of relevant Phase II clinical trial designs, testing

of a broader range of potential chemoprevention agents,

investigation of targeted agent delivery systems and endpoint

assessments, participation in the upcoming Colorectal Cancer

Progress Review Group, and collaboration with the Division

of Clinical Sciences in on-campus prevention studies.

Chemopreventive Agent Development RG

The Chemopreventive Agent Development Research Group

(CADRG) provides scientific and administrative oversight for

chemopreventive agent research including discovery, preclinical agent development, and Phase 1 clinical trials. CADRG

acts as a Division of Cancer Prevention liaison with the FDA

for chemopreventive agent development and initiates and

maintains industry collaborations. A new program, Rapid

Access to Preventive Intervention Development (RAPID), will

provide technical support and research resources to extramural investigators to help them bridge the gap between identifying promising agents and moving them into clinical testing. 

Community Oncology and Prevention Trials RG

The Community Oncology and Prevention Trials Research

Group (COPTRG) approves, funds, and supports clinical trial

protocols in cancer prevention and control. Protocols are

developed by cooperative groups, such as ECOG, CALGB,

and NSABP, and by four leading US cancer research institutions (MD Anderson, University of Michigan, University of

Rochester, and Wake Forest University) that have received

peer-reviewed grants to develop and implement cancer prevention and control clinical trials. CCOPs, clinical community

oncology programs, enroll patients in the trial, allowing persons throughout the country to participate in cutting-edge cancer research. COPTRG currently oversees many trials including the STAR trial (Study of Tamoxifen and Raloxifene) and

the PCPT trial (Prostate Cancer Prevention Trial).

Nutritional Science RG

The Nutritional Science Research Group plans, develops,

implements, and coordinates an extramural research program in diet and nutrition with the ultimate goal of providing more definitive data for the development of dietary

guidelines that may reduce diet-related cancers. Dietary factors under investigation include eating patterns, specific

foods and food groups, and constituents of foods, including

both nutritive and non-nutritive components. Currently

underway are clinical trials designed to evaluate the usefulness of low-fat dietary patterns, including increased vegetable, fruit, and grain-product intake, in prevention or

recurrence of cancers of the breast, skin, head, and neck.

New methods for assessing nutritional status, metabolic patterns, and genetic predisposition also are being evaluated.

Basic Prevention Science RG

The Basic Prevention Science Research Group (BPSRG) is

developing “Cyber-Prevention Grand Rounds”. The idea is

simple—provide researchers with the opportunity to hear

talks given by cancer prevention specialists using the Internet!

Broadcasts may begin as early as fall of 2000. BPSRG

researchers also are investigating and documenting molecular

characteristics of pre-neoplastic lesions (known as “fingerprinting”), and are exploring the importance of SNPs—single

nucleotide polymorphisms—in affecting cancer risk.

Cancer Biomarkers RG

The Cancer Biomarkers Research Group is creating a national multi-disciplinary, multi-institutional consortium, the

Early Detection Research Network (EDRN), to establish

resources for translational research. The network will foster

systematic discovery and coordination of the pre-clinical

development, evaluation, and application of biomarkers and

reagents for risk assessment and earlier detection of cancer.

The scientific community at large will be encouraged to use

the resources and infrastructure of the EDRN to formulate

new research questions and hasten discovery. Approved in

late 1998 with an initial funding of $61 million for five

years, the Network will support 12 to 14 biomarker developmental labs, 5 or 6 clinical and epidemiologic centers, 2 or

3 biomarker validation labs, and a data management and

coordinating center.

Early Detection RG

The Early Detection Research Group (EDRG) conducts clinical trials of screening technologies and practices, and fosters

other research relating to early detection. EDRG, in conjunction with the Biometry RG and the Division of Cancer

Epidemiology and Genetics, directs and manages the Prostate,

Lung, Colorectal, and Ovarian Cancer Screening Trial

(PLCO), and also publishes the annual PLCO newsletter. The

modeling group of EDRG is working on problems associated

with evaluating and assessing multiple biomarkers as well as

modeling the process of carcinogenesis. A study of virtual

colonoscopy using CT technology is also in the works.

Biometry RG

The Biometry Research Group (BRG) focuses on methodologic issues in cancer prevention and control. A focus of

the BRG is clinical trial methodology, including biomarkers

and surrogate endpoints, the impact of non-compliance, and

monitoring of events to determine whether trials can be

stopped early. BRG researchers also are involved with modeling of dietary data, including dietary intake and nutrient

metabolism. Cancer screening research includes modeling

the spread of screening technology within communities,

modeling the effects of screening without the use of control

subjects, and assessing the usefulness of case-control

methodology. A number of BRG researchers are involved

with the PLCO trial, concentrating on aspects of study

design, data collection and statistical analyses. ■

NEWSLETTER OF THE NCI DIVISION OF CANCER PREVENTION

7
Jackie Havens, Manager of the

Division of Cancer Prevention’s

Administrative Resource Center

(ARC), explains that the ARC “needs to be

responsive, resourceful and creative in carrying out our duties to our peers and the scientific community. One of these duties is to

assist the division staff in getting what they

want and need to facilitate their activities.”

A seemingly simple statement until you consider how diverse and extensive each

research group’s needs are. 

Take into consideration the fact that the

entire Division of Cancer Prevention and the

administrative staff will be moved and consolidated in the Executive Plaza North building by Memorial Day and you begin to

understand the depth of this task. Everything

from new chairs and filing systems to paint

and carpet must be taken into consideration

when assessing people’s needs. 

It is the ARC’s responsibility to make

sure that DCP’s needs are met during this

tumultuous journey. The ARC must also

look beyond the horizon and anticipate

what lies ahead so that people’s future

requests can be addressed. This takes a lot

of planning and a good staff.

Fortunately, DCP’s ARC is staffed by some

of the best. Newly on board the ARC is

Carole Watson. Carole came from the FDA

and is our new Personnel Management

Specialist. She says she “is excited by the

enthusiasm and passion of the research scientists here at the National Cancer Institute.”

Carole likes the fact that her work “promotes

public health issues.” 

There are two other fairly new faces to

the Executive Plaza North (EPN) building.

Both Joy Osborne and Mary Palmer have

already made the transition from the campus. Joy is the Deputy ARC Manager. Mary

is the Administrative Officer for DCP’s

Organ Groups and the Office of the

Director. 

Whether the ARC’s staff is making small 

voyages to and from the campus, working 

to facilitate a large pilgrimage of people and

supplies, approving personnel actions, performing procurement activities, or toiling

over the budget, they are stoutly weathering

the seas of change. 

The ARC is also here to help you along

whatever voyage you’re on. Please feel free to

contact us at 301-496-8571 (EPN) or 301-

496-9606 (Building 31). ■

Mary Palmer

Carole Watson

Joy Osborne

DCP’s ARC Weathers the Seas of Change

ERIC C. GRAVES

On a very hot, humid Saturday, June 5, 1999, several employees of DCP 

participated in the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure. David Levin of the

Biometry Research Group and his wife, Fran; Rachel Stolzenberg-Solomon, 

a Cancer Prevention Fellow, and her baby, Julianna; Ann O’Mara, another

Cancer Prevention Fellow, Pamela Marcus of the Biometry Research Group;

Denise Boyer, Hillary Winer, and Lindy Wong of the Community Oncology

Branch; and Susan Winer of the Office of Preventive Oncology participated 

in this race to raise funds for breast cancer research. This is the 10th year for

the race and it was held downtown in Washington, DC near the Washington

Monument. Over 70,000 participants ran, walked or used a wheel chair to

compete in the race. Vice President and Mrs. Gore, staunch supporters of the

Race, were both keynote speakers and runners. Many families participated in

honor of survivors and in memory of those who lost their lives to breast cancer. It was truly a moving experience. ■

SPECIAL EVENTS

ADMINISTRATIVE RESOURCE CENTER

Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure SUSAN WINER

8 PreventionPost DECEMBER 1999

Pictured, left to right: Susan Winer, Rachel Stolzenberg-Solomon 

holding Julianna, Pamela Marcus, Denise Boyer, Lindy Wong, Ann

O’Mara, and Hillary Winer

Not Pictured: David and Fran Levin
INDIVIDUAL SPOTLIGHT

Congratulations to

Claudette Varricchio

for the winning entry

of PreventionPOST in the 

DCP Name That Newsletter

Contest! Claudette Varricchio

is a nurse oncologist who was

born and raised in Fall River,

Massachusetts. She completed

undergraduate studies at

Boston College, completed

masters studies at the

University of Maryland,

received her doctorate in nursing from the University of Alabama in Birmingham, and

spent twelve years on the graduate faculty at Loyola

University in Chicago. Dr. Varricchio is Program Director

and Nursing Consultant in the Community Oncology and

Prevention Trials Research Group in the Division of

Cancer Prevention. Her area of interest is what happens to

the person (and not the disease) when cancer is diagnosed

and her current portfolio includes studies on symptom

management, psychosocial responses, and quality of life.

Who was your most influential teacher? A dean who saw

potential in me that I did not realize I had, and convinced

me that the potential was there.

What event had the most effect on your work? Working at

Memorial Sloan Kettering after my children were in nursery

school, I realized that the role and status of nursing had not

changed in my six-year absence. In order to change it I

would have to initiate change in new nurses, and I therefore

would have to get a doctorate.

What made you decide to come to the National Cancer

Institute (NCI)? I came here on sabbatical from Loyola on

an IPA, and after returning to Chicago, decided to accept

an offer to join the NCI staff.

What do you like most about your work? It lets me satisfy

my need to teach. By mentoring investigators through grant

development, I help people achieve their goals.

How do you relax? Knit, read mystery novels.

What are you currently reading? Tom Clancey’s Executive

Order.

Who is your favorite composer? Chopin.

What is your favorite sound? Crickets and tree frogs in the

summer night.

What is your favorite journey? The three years my 

husband and I lived in Germany and France during his

post-doctorates there.

What place have you never been to that you would like 

to visit? Greece and the Greek Isles.

What is the first thing you want to do in the year 2000?

Wake up in some interesting exotic capital city.

What is your proudest moment? I do not know. They keep

happening.

How did you come up with PreventionPOST for your 

contest entry? It was a joint effort. The name emerged from

the notion of pre-testing and post-testing in research design

and in discussion with my creative daughter. 

Honorable Mention goes to Jaye Viner for her entry of

Endpoints in the DCP Name That Newsletter

Contest. Endpoints will become the name of a permanent editorial section in the newsletter. Jaye Viner is a

medical oncologist and native Washingtonian. She was a

medical student at the University of Virginia, resident at the

University of Maryland, and oncology fellow at the

National Cancer Institute. Dr.

Viner is now Program Director

and Project Officer in the

Gastrointestinal and Other

Cancer Research Group of the

Division of Cancer Prevention.

Her areas of interest are skin

and hematolymphoid cancers.

Jaye Viner acknowledges

that her colleagues Dr. Julia

Lawrence, Program Director in

the Breast and Gynecologic

Cancer Research Group, and

Dr. Ernest Hawk, Acting Chair

of the Gastrointestinal and

Other Cancer Research Group, are co-contributors to

Endpoints. Together they are a creative force, as evidenced

by the following interview.

Who was your most influential teacher? Experience.

What do you like most about your work? Teamwork.

What has been your favorite journey? It’s not the journey,

it’s the destination.

What is your favorite film? Anything from the Mel Blank

oeuvre.

What is your favorite sport? Competitive parking.

What are you currently reading? Title 9, CFR1-1, Section

2.126 - Access and inspection of records and property.

What is your greatest accomplishment to date? Honorable

Mention in this contest.

How did you come up with “Endpoints” for your contest

entry? We put on our thinking caps. ■

Congratulations!

TERRI L. CORNELISON

NEWSLETTER OF THE NCI DIVISION OF CANCER PREVENTION

9

Claudette Varricchio

Jaye Viner, Ernest Hawk

Not Pictured: Julia Lawrence
T

he Prevention, Control and Population Sciences Section

(PCPSS) of the Research Contracts Acquisition Branch

(RCAB) is composed of four contracting teams dedicated

to support the contract requirements of the Division of Cancer

Prevention and the Division of Cancer Control and Population

Sciences. The section provides guidance and assistance to the

project officers in preparation of project plans, the development of statements of work, reporting requirements, technical

proposal instructions, evaluation critieria, and any other assistance necessary to bring a research concept to contract award.

PCPSS will also assist with any special requirements such as a

Justification for Other than Full and Open Competition

(JOFOC), when a sole source procurement is appropriate.

PCPSS will then track the project through the various preaward stages to include release of a request for proposal,

receipt and review of proposals, source selection determination, and ultimately contract award. Once the contract for the

project is awarded, the contracting staff will help the project

officer in tracking both contract expenditures and progress. 

Support is provided to the program area through a wide

array of contracting mechanisms including master agreement orders. Contracts are both for biomedical research

(N01 contracts) and support services (N02 contracts).

PCPSS currently supports the following areas: pre-clinical

and clinical trials in support of the chemoprevention drug

research program, a bio-repository contract in support 

of DCP clinical trials, a major early detection trial for

prostate, lung, colorectal and ovarian cancer (PLCO), 

and major clinical management trial atypical squamous

cells of undetermined significance/low grade squamous

intra-epithelial lesion (ASCUS/LSIL Triage Study). 

Some breaking news on the horizon is the development

of a new contracting arrangement whereby NCI/DCP, with

the assistance of PCPSS/RCAB, is forming a partnership

between our clinical trials principal investigators, the pharmaceutical industry, and the NCI to test promising new

chemopreventive drugs on different target organs. Already

several meetings have been held to ensure that all issues are

addressed, such as data rights, patent rights, control over

the trial, etc. NCI is breaking new ground by using this type

of arrangement and it appears that we will see more multiple partnership initiatives in the future. PCPSS is a service

organization ready to work with the DCP project officers 

in all their endeavors. The Chief of PCPSS, Ms. Jeannette

Johnson, can be contacted at (301) 435-3838, Fax (301)

402-8579 and E-mail johnsonj@rcb.nci.nih.gov. ■

Whether responding to correspondence or a 

telephone call, any grants-related action taken 

by a grants management specialist or program

director generally requires that the official paper grant 

file be physically obtained and reviewed from the Grants

Administration Branch (GAB) Records Management

Center located in Executive Plaza South, on the Terrace

Level. For a large institute like National Cancer Institute

(NCI), the management of 20,000 official grant files is a

major undertaking. The movement and tracking of thousands of paper files to and between specialists, program

directors and other support staff is time consuming 

and expensive. 

GAB, NCI is launching an Electronic Image

Management System (eGrants) on November 1, 1999.

Thus far more than two million grant document images

have been converted to indexed electronic images. eGrants

will enable authorized users to access official grant file

multi-page documents (notices of grant award, progress

reviews, other support listings, grant related correspondence, the research application itself, etc.) via the NCI

Intranet through an indexing scheme or through full text

search. Once accessed, documents and sets of documents

can be paged through, printed, annotated (but not changed

in storage), inserted as images into text documents (e.g.,

Word, Word Perfect, spread sheets, etc.), and transmitted

electronically to another user. 

Internet Explorer or Netscape will be required to access

and use eGrants from any authorized PC or Mac workstation. Stay tuned for further details. ■

1 0 PreventionPost DECEMBER 1999

News from the Contracting Arena

JEANNETTE JOHNSON

Electronic Access to NCI Official Grant Files Coming to Your Very Own PC or Mac!

DONALD COURTNEY

GRANTS AND CONTRACTS

DCP home base: Executive Plaza North and South
The reorganization of the Division of Cancer Prevention has brought about many changes and new faces. 

To introduce these new faces we have set aside a special place in our newsletter.

Steve Hursting, 

Ph.D., MPH, RD

Deputy Director, Cancer

Prevention Fellowship

Program

From the M.D. Anderson

Cancer Center in Houston,

Texas

David Kausal, M.A.

Program Specialist, 

Prostate and Urologic

Cancer Research Group

From the Food and Drug

Administration (FDA)

Mukesh Verma, Ph.D.

Program Director, Cancer

Biomarkers Research Group

From National Institute of

Allergy and Infectious

Diseases (NIAID) research

Heide Weaver

Program Specialist, 

Office of Preventive

Oncology

From the National Institute

of Mental Health (NIMH)

Pamela Marcus, Ph.D.

Epidemiologist, Biometry

Research Group

From the Cancer Prevention

Fellowship Program

Lisa Marie Poe 

Administrative Assistant,

Office of Preventive

Oncology

From the National Archives

and Records Administration

MICHELLE NESTORIO

Charles Dinh

Office Automation Clerk, 

Office of Preventive Oncology

Christine Donati

Administrative Program Assistant, 

Cancer Biometry Research Group

DeBorah Gunter, Pharm.D.

Clinical Research, Pharmacist

Prostate and Urologic Cancer Research Group

Nicole Harris

Secretary, Lung and Upper Aerodigestive 

Cancer Research Group

Andrew Hruszkewycz, M.D., Ph.D.

Special Expert, 

Prostate and Urologic Cancer Research Group

prevention trials, nutritional science, cancer biomarkers,

early detection, basic prevention science, and biometry—

coordinate their efforts with our Organ System Research

Groups—breast and gynecologic cancer, prostate and

urologic cancer, lung and upper aerodigestive cancer, and

gastrointestinal and other cancers. 

This coordinated approach encourages rapid and focused

response to research opportunities. It fits our translation

research mission to achieve public health benefits based on

evidence from a broad range of prevention sciences. Also, it

leverages our knowledge and encourages effective communication and networking across the Division, the Institute, our

ever-widening research community, and society. The dynamic, flexible nature of the Division’s matrix is a highly suitable framework for facilitating research progress and should

serve us well in advancing the frontiers of biomedical science as they relate to cancer prevention research.

I am very pleased to join you in welcoming this first issue

of our newsletter. We view the newsletter as an integral part

of our overall communication process, one that will encourage an open exchange of information with organizations and

individuals who are working to reduce the cancer burden

and, thus, one that will help us to open a new era in cancer

prevention research. ■

also resolve conflicts between project team leaders and

research groups.

The Future of the Matrix

As Dr. Kaluzny indicated, “The challenge will be to overcome the different cultures and perspectives that have

emerged within the division and sustain the commitment to

the larger division over time. Clearly, the benefits outweigh

the risks. Yet as marathon runners like to say, ‘the race

starts at the 22nd mile’.” 

In the sci-fi movie, “The Matrix,” the heroes fought to

save the human race from the machine controllers of the

oppressive matrix. In DCP, everyone is working hard to

make the matrix a success and model for the institute.

Although initially some apprehension was apparent, Dr.

Greenwald now sees a great deal of enthusiasm about the

changes in DCP. When DCP staff are asked “how are things

in the matrix?”, the answer is usually positive. 

An update on life in the DCP Matrix will appear in the

next issue of the PreventionPOST. Stayed tuned. ■

New Era in Cancer Prevention Research continued from page 1

TRANSITIONS

DCP Transforms into a Matrix-based Organization continued from page 3

NEWSLETTER OF THE NCI DIVISION OF CANCER PREVENTION

1 1
Graça Dores, M.D.

Dr. Dores is a fellow in

the Cancer Prevention

Fellowship Program.

PreventionPOST

Newsletter of the Division of Cancer Prevention

National Cancer Institute

Executive Plaza South, Suite T-41

6130 Executive Boulevard, MSC-7105

Bethesda, Maryland 20892-7105

Teamwork: one of

the trendy catchwords of our

popular business culture,

along with leadership, communication, and commitment. You can fill a bookstore shelf with claims about what it

takes to be a team player. The topic

begets aphorisms, like “Every team

needs a coach,” or Knut Rockne’s

famous admonition to his players: 

“no star playing, just football.” 

Despite its popular appeal, teamwork is not the usual stuff of biomedical science. We don’t do teams.

Instead, we talk of “collaborators.”

And although collaboration means

“working together” it also implies a

detached almost sterile set of interpersonal interactions. Collaboration is

what spies do. Teamwork is somehow

very different. Teams play together

and celebrate victory together; teammates trust and rely upon one another. 

Building effective teams is just as

appropriate and important for us in a

government research agency as it is for

salespeople and CEOs. We need teams

because we are committed to the basic

(and indeed, beneficent) goal of cancer

prevention and teamwork will help us

realize our goals.

Easy to say. And in my short experience as editor of this newsletter, achievable. In six months, the newsletter

team—a small all-volunteer army comprised of administrative staff, scientists,

and managers representing several components of the newly reorganized

Division of Cancer Prevention—put

heads and hands together and crafted a

fine newsletter. We worked together. We

each did our share and relied on the

others to do theirs. We argued a bit. But

we never took our sights off the common goal: that this first issue would

arrive on time and, by all the gremlins

that keep government organizations

from doing their best, it would be an

excellent publication. I believe we have

achieved what we set out to accomplish.

But don’t take my word for it. Read this

first issue of the PreventionPOST.

Decide for yourselves. Then let anyone

on our team know what you think. ■

ENDPOINTS

The DCP Newsletter Team

Douglas L. Weed

Editor-in-Chief