CCR Grand Rounds December 14: Dr. Christopher Logothetis; Chairman and Professor, Department of Genitourinary Medical Oncology; Director, Genitourinary Program Center; University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, "Biological Basis for the Development and Application of Therapy for Prostate Cancer" CCR Grand Rounds will not be held on December 7, 21, or 28. They will resume on January 4. CCR Grand Rounds are held 8:30 to 9:30 a.m. at the NIH campus in Bethesda, Md., in the Clinical Center's Lipsett Auditorium.

The latest report shows prostate cancer as the leading cancer diagnosed overall in men in the United States and breast cancer as the most common form of cancer diagnosed in U.S. women. The leading cause of cancer death for both men and women is lung cancer.

United States Cancer Statistics: 2001 Incidence and Mortality marks the third time NCI and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in collaboration with the North American Association of Central Cancer Registries, have combined data to produce federal cancer statistics. The annual report provides a basis for individual states and researchers to describe the variability in cancer incidence and death rates across different populations and to focus on certain populations for evidence-based cancer control programs. Future United States Cancer Statistics reports will include data for American Indians/Alaska Natives. The full report is available at http://www.seer.cancer.gov/statistics.

2004 Outstanding Mentor Award Winners Announced
Investigators from the NCI's Center of Cancer Research (CCR) Dr. Daniel McVicar, Dr. Joost Oppenheim and Dr. Stuart Rudikoff were the winners of the 2004 Outstanding Mentor Award. 2004 Mentors of Merit were Dr. Shine Chang, Dr. Wong-Ho Chow, Dr. Adam Glick, Dr. Nancy Jenkins, Dr. Neal Copeland, Dr. Ilona Linnoila, Dr. Alan Perantoni, Dr. Paul Randazzo, and Dr. Michael Smith of CCR. These investigators were nominated by their trainees and received the highest ranking in a competitive review by an advisory committee of postdoctoral fellows. The awardees were honored at the NCI Awards Ceremony on October 28.

Input Wanted to Improve the Cancer Clinical Trials System
The Clinical Trials Working Group (CTWG), a broadly constituted panel established earlier this year and comprising researchers from academia and industry, advocates, and patients, has developed an interactive Web site to solicit input about the cancer clinical trials system.

"We are looking for insights from anyone interested in the future of cancer clinical trials," said Dr. James Doroshow, chair of CTWG and director of NCI's Division of Cancer Treatment and Diagnosis.

The Web site - http://ncicbforums.nci.nih.gov/ictQuestions/login_form - asks users to log in by first choosing a description that best identifies the group they represent. All responses are confidential. Users are also required to enter the following password - CTWGstakeholder - prior to providing their thoughts. (The password is also given on the log-in page.)

The Web site is open for feedback through Jan. 15, 2005 and addresses the following areas:

• Standardization of clinical trial procedures and infrastructure
• Coordination of clinical trials across Cancer Centers, SPORES, PO1s, and Cooperative Groups
• Enhancing interactions between the clinical research community, NCI, the pharmaceutical industry, FDA, regulatory agencies, and patient advocates
• Developing core facilities to improve scientific support for trials
• Improving clinical trial accrual management
• Refining the protocol prioritization process

TV Appearance Rescheduled
The CBS Sunday Morning feature with Dr. Julia Rowland, director of NCI's Office of Cancer Survivorship, has been rescheduled and will air in the near future.