April 6, 2000
Dana-Farber physician named Director of Research for the Asian American Network
The National Cancer Institute (NCI) has announced a $7.6 million grant to lead a five-year program known as the Asian American Network for Cancer Awareness, Research, and Training (AANCART), which is composed of six major cancer centers, including Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.
Frederick P. Li, M.D., Vice-Chair for Population Sciences in the department of Adult Oncology at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School, professor of Clinical Cancer Epidemiology at Harvard School of Public Health will be leading this effort in Boston as Director of Research for the AANCART.
A distinguished cancer researcher and epidemiologist, Li received the 1999 Medal of Honor in Clinical Research from the American Cancer Society - the society's most prestigious award. His research focuses on inherited cancer-susceptibility genes, and his work has given new impetus to cancer-prevention efforts in high-risk populations. In his role with AANCART Li will plan, organize and conduct multi-center studies to reduce disparities in cancer and outcomes among diverse Asian-American populations.
"This initiative is an important step in lowering cancer rates among Asian-Americans," said Li. "Their cancer rates indicate that we can do much more to provide information about screening and prevention, as well as access to clinical trials that meet specific cultural needs."
The AANCART is the first national cancer control research initiative targeted specifically at Asian Americans. This program will develop cancer awareness and prevention programs targeted to specific groups of Asian Americans. In addition, it seeks to increase the number of Asian Americans participating in clinical and prevention trials, train more Asian American health workers in community cancer prevention, and develop and implement grant-funded research that will reduce the burden of cancer among Asian Americans.
Asian Americans are often thought to be at low risk of developing cancer, but that perception is incorrect. The percentage increase in Asian Americans who are dying of cancer is growing faster than for any other ethnic group. Cancer is the leading cause of death in Asian-American women, the only population group in the U.S. for which this is true, and cervical cancer occurs five times more often in Vietnamese-American woman than in Caucasian women.
This multi-institutional collaboration is being lead by Moon S. Chen, Jr., professor of public health and a researcher at The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center. It will also include researchers at: Columbia University, University of California, San Francisco, Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center and Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center.
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute is among the nation's leading cancer research and care facilities, and is the only center in New England to be a federally designated Comprehensive Cancer Center and a Center for AIDS Research.
