At first glance, the phrase "cancer communication" seems deceptively simple. But when you consider the huge amount of information generated about the long list of malignancies that make up the singular term "cancer," and couple that with the size and diversity of the audience affected by cancer, it becomes quite complex.

Despite this complexity, we know that there are effective ways to communicate about cancer - methods that differ depending on the audience involved. A cancer researcher who wants to collaborate with colleagues, for example, has different communication needs than a health educator who is trying to implement a cancer prevention program in a disadvantaged community.  Read more  

At the National Cancer Advisory Board meeting in early June, NCI Director Dr. Andrew C. von Eschenbach announced the formation of the Translational Research Work Group (TRWG). The TRWG will follow the model set by the Clinical Trials Working Group, undertaking an open and inclusive approach to reviewing NCI's translational research portfolio and identifying ways to synergize, integrate, and coordinate efforts. The review will draw heavily upon the expertise and experience of members of the Institute's successful SPORE (Specialized Programs of Research Excellence) program, Dr. von Eschenbach told attendees at the SPORE annual investigators workshop on July 10.

"The TRWG, led by Dr. Ernie Hawk, will bring together members of the broader research community, including those participants in the SPORE program, to focus on the opportunities and changes that must occur in translational research at NCI," Dr. von Eschenbach explained. "By its very nature, the SPORE program will be a critically important part of that assessment process." However, Dr. von Eschenbach emphasized, the TRWG is not simply a review of SPORE: "The definition of translational research and the mandate of the working group are broad - to consider programs across the entire NCI portfolio, both extramural and intramural.  Read more  

The NCI Cancer Bulletin is produced by the National Cancer Institute (NCI). NCI, which was established in 1937, leads the national effort to eliminate the suffering and death due to cancer. Through basic, clinical, and population-based biomedical research and training, NCI conducts and supports research that will lead to a future in which we can identify the environmental and genetic causes of cancer, prevent cancer before it starts, identify cancers that do develop at the earliest stage, eliminate cancers through innovative treatment interventions, and biologically control those cancers that we cannot eliminate so they become manageable, chronic diseases. For more information on cancer, call 1-800-4-CANCER or visit http://www.cancer.gov. NCI Cancer Bulletin staff can be reached at ncicancerbulletin@mail.nih.gov.