Abstract C065: Developing and sustaining an NCI U54 CPACHE partnership
Authors: Ford Marvella E. , Loucks Tammy , Stukes James , Berry Cammie , Nelson Joni , Cartmell Kathleen , McCrary-Quarles Audrey , Martin Amy , Tahsoh Joseph , Alekseyenko Alexander , Sweeney Janae , Carroll Steven , McAlister Debra , Gomez Ellen , Long Yaoling , Turner David P. , Salley Judith D. 
Published: December 2023

Purpose: The South Carolina Cancer Disparities Research Center (SC CADRE) is a mature and vibrant multi-institutional Comprehensive Partnership to Advance Cancer Health Equity (CPACHE) enterprise between South Carolina State University (SCSU), an institution serving underserved health disparity populations and underrepresented students (ISUPS) and the Medical University of South Carolina-Hollings Cancer Center (MUSC-HCC), an NCI-designated Cancer Center. Methods: The SC CADRE was built on a foundational relationship that began in 2009, including three consecutive inter-institutional Department of Defense Summer Undergraduate Prostate Cancer Research Training grants and an NCI CPACHE P20 grant. Awarded in 2017, the inaugural U54 SC CADRE had four main goals: 1) further elucidating the biological and social contributors to cancer disparities; 2) enhancing the pipeline of diverse cancer researchers; 3) increasing the number of NIH research proposals led by SCSU faculty as independent investigators; and 4) including greater community engagement in cancer research. Results: Since 2017, the U54 partnership has produced 77 peer-reviewed publications (8 included inter-institutional co-authors) and, not counting the SC CADRE research project awards, 33 grants have been funded (9 were awarded to SCSU investigators as PIs or MPIs), and a national virtual cancer health equity symposium was established. Four ESIs were hired (three at SCSU). An inaugural Biorepository was created at SCSU. Cancer research education was provided for 640 undergraduate students at SCSU, including 22 SC CADRE Scholars. The SC CADRE team members serve as Advisory Board members of South Carolina’s statewide cancer control consortium, the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control, ISUPS and other colleges/universities in South Carolina, and statewide faith-based, professional, and civic organizations. These combined efforts have led to an overall 30% representation of diverse participants in the MUSC-HCC’s cancer clinical trial accruals. Conclusions: While much work remains, mammography and colorectal cancer screening rates, and HPV vaccination rates, are now higher in South Carolina than in the US. The longstanding academic partnership between SCSU and MUSC-HCC, leveraging each entity’s research and educational strengths and community relationships, has positioned the SC CADRE to transform cancer health outcomes in South Carolina and beyond.    

Citation Format: Marvella E. Ford, Tammy Loucks, James Stukes, Cammie Berry, Joni Nelson, Kathleen Cartmell, Audrey McCrary-Quarles, Amy Martin, Joseph Tahsoh, Alexander Alekseyenko, Janae Sweeney, Steven Carroll, Debra McAlister, Ellen Gomez, Yaoling Long, David P. Turner, Judith D. Salley. Developing and sustaining an NCI U54 CPACHE partnership [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 16th AACR Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved; 2023 Sep 29-Oct 2;Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2023;32(12 Suppl):Abstract nr C065.