UAB Comprehensive Cancer Center Magazine Fall 2016 | Page 5

The Cancer Center Support Grant is the most
prestigious federal grant that can be earned by an institution
with significant cancer research and patient-care programs.
The renewal also extends UAB’s elite “comprehensive”
designation, which is characterized by scientific excellence
and the ability to integrate diverse research approaches in
the fight against cancer. UAB was one of the first eight
institutions to be designated as a comprehensive cancer
center when President Richard Nixon declared “War on
Cancer” by signing the National Cancer Act in 1971.
That original investment from the NCI – a $254,334
planning grant – has paid off significantly. Today, the
UAB Comprehensive Cancer Center is home to more than
330 scientists and physicians, representing 30 departments
across nine UAB schools, while also generating more than
$100 million in research support from outside sources. Its
NCI designation sets the center apart, placing it squarely
among the top cancer research and treatment institutions in
the nation.
Funding To Help Eliminate Cancer Threat
“I believe that by 2050 we can eliminate cancer as a
public health problem,” says Cancer Center director Edward
Partridge, M.D. “That doesn’t mean cancer will go away,
but that we can treat cancer just like we do other diseases.
We want to get to the point where we can prevent, detect
early and manage the disease, so patients can lead long,
productive lives. This critical funding from the NCI helps
us get there. We are now poised to take our research to the
next level and deliver new and advanced treatments to our
patients as quickly and safely as possible.”
To receive NCI core grant renewal, the Cancer Center
must undergo a competitive and rigorous peer-review
process every five years. This includes an extensive
written evaluation and an in-person site visit from an NCI
review team. This year, the Cancer Center received an
“outstanding” rating, its highest ever, and was recognized
for its growth and expertise in its translational capabilities
of bringing basic scientific discoveries into the clinic, as
well as demonstrating the depth and breadth in laboratory,
clinical and population-based research.
“To get our comprehensive designation, we go through
the same process as every other NCI-designated center,
whether it’s MD Anderson or Memorial Sloan-Kettering,”
Dr. Partridge says. “There is absolutely no difference in how
we are evaluated based on quality of science and care.”
Although researchers receive grants that support their
research, NCI funding provides the infrastructure to extend

their capabilities for maximized productivity. For example,
a large portion of the grant sustains core facilities, which
are shared research resources that house state-of-the-art
technologies and expertise that investigators could not
otherwise afford (see sidebar). The funding also supports
leadership, so they can coordinate and promote the growth
of research programs and initiatives and recruit new faculty.
A portion also goes to develop young scientists and for
administrative functions.
“Bottom line, our core grant provides the infrastructure
to support all our scientists who strive every day to reduce
the cancer burden,” says Dr. Partridge.
Research Powerhouse
The Cancer Center is one of only 45 NCI-designated
comprehensive cancer centers in the United States, and
the only one in Alabama and the Deep South region that
includes South Carolina, Georgia, Mississippi, Louisiana
and Arkansas. Mortality rates for cancer are substantially
higher in this part of the country, which also has a higher
population of African-Americans. The Cancer Center’s
basic science and translational therapeutic programs conduct
research that is highly relevant to this population, including
leading efforts in triple negative breast cancer, multiple
myeloma, prostate cancer and skin cancer.
The Cancer Center’s prevention and control programs
have emphasis in reducing disparities and incorporating
age-appropriate screening, diet and physical activity, and
tobacco-use reduction, all more problematic in AfricanAmerican and other traditionally underserved populations.
Obesity has an especially dramatic impact in this part of
the country, and researchers are working hard to determine
what this means for cancer, as well as surviving the disease
once it is diagnosed.
The Cancer Center’s research activities are divided
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