Our future
in large part depends on our willingness
to help one another,
and to follow through on the following:
-
Carry out
the plan
developed
by Blood Cancer esteemed experts and patient advocates.
-
Fund
it
Increase funding
to make the full execution of the plan possible.
-
Advocate for
it
vigorously for execution
and funding of the plan.
THE PRG REPORT
-
Report of the Leukemia, Lymphoma, and Myeloma Progress
Review Group - NCI
May 2001
Our goal is to eliminate lymphomas and
related blood cancers. As an advocate you can work in many ways to
achieve this goal. You might concentrate on making policy or procedure
changes by working with legislators, the F.D.A, insurance companies,
or physicians. You might work to make scientific information or the
burden of your disease understandable to the average person and to our
representatives. You might use your creative talents to design helpful
images, crafts, or to write effective letters. You might also help to
raise funds for research.
Most advocates have had direct experience with the
emotions that follow a diagnosis of cancer. We come from all walks
of life and, and we use our unique talents to work toward real
changes and improvements in the care and treatment of people with
cancer.
PRG Objections (Executive Summary)
In Etiology (causes)
- Understand the interaction among genotype, immune
function, infectious agents, environmental toxins, and lifestyle
factors that can lead to hematopoietic (blood cell) malignancy
In Pathobiology (identifying underlying
mechanisms)
- Identify the basic mechanisms responsible for
genome instability, chromosome translocations, and other mutations
in hematological malignancies
- Define the relationship between the development
of hematological malignancies and the host biological environment.
- Provide molecular characterization of
hematological malignancies, including the characterization of
global patterns of genetic and epigenetic alterations and RNA and
protein expression, as well as the validation of the molecular
targets necessary for the survival, proliferation, and evolution
of hematological malignancies.
- Further develop research on stem cells, both
multi-lineage and single lineage.
In Drug Development and Therapeutics:
- Develop the required resources to translate
"lead" structures and molecules into effective
therapeutic agents. Hasten the translation of candidate
validated targets to lead compounds and subsequent clinical trials
and support the development of orphan therapeutic agents and
diagnostics, including Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
approval.
- Foster partnerships between the NCI and academia,
advocates, cooperative groups, FDA, and industry to expedite
drug development and availability of therapies.
In Education, Communication, and
Survivorship Research:
- Determine how to provide accurate, timely, and
tailored information to patients to improve medical
decision-making, access to clinical trials, quality of care during
active treatment and follow-up, and quality of life.
- Develop education and training programs for
certification of physicians and centers for diagnosis, treatment,
and clinical trials in hematological malignancies.
- Identify and target individuals and populations
at high risk for adverse long-term outcomes to define the
biological basis of identified associations and facilitate the
design and testing of intervention and prevention strategies.
A New Initiative – The Cancer
Translational Research Allied Consortium (C-TRAC):
- We propose a new initiative that will bring
together experts across multiple disciplines and institutions to
participate, within a formalized infrastructure, in the rapid
discovery and development of cancer therapies. This initiative
will encompass the whole spectrum of drug discovery and
development: identifying, validating, and credentialing targets;
discovery and preclinical testing of agents directed against these
targets; and scale-up and testing of promising agents in clinical
trials. The ultimate goal of the C-TRAC will be to shorten drug
development time from 5-10 years to 2 years through a novel
alliance among academia, industry, government, and patients.
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