Research
Pilot Projects
Redes En Acción functions as a venue for funding of NCI Community Networks Program (CNP) pilot projects focusing on Latino cancer issues. The goals of the CNP pilot project studies are to involve: 1) partnerships of community-based and research organizations in community-based participatory research to reduce disparities; 2) provide preliminary data and results for future research projects; and 3) promote the research experience for researchers involved in minority and underserved populations.
The RFA (Request for Application) was issued twice a year, with deadlines of December 18 and June 27, with the final RFA for the CNP pilot program issued in June 2007. Each Regional Network Center is responsible for completing a pilot project annually funded by NCI "set-asides." One of the objectives of the pilot program is to provide opportunities for new or junior investigators to conduct scientific research, with the focus on cancer among Hispanic/Latino populations.
In addition to relevance to priority topics and to the Latino population, criteria for pilot projects included originality, feasibility, scientific merit and likelihood that the project can be developed into a larger investigation. A major goal of Redes is to develop pilot projects into full, competing grant applications for NIH or other external funding.
In the first pilot cycle for the Community Networks Program (CNP) initiative on April 24, 2006, 4 pilot proposals were reviewed internally through the Redes review process, 4 pilot applications were submitted to the NCI, and 2 pilot projects were awarded funding. Two pilot applications from the June 27, 2007 pilot cycle are currently under review by the NCI.
In Year 1 of the Redes Special Populations Network (SPN) initiative from 2000-2005, five pilot project proposals were submitted, and one of those was accepted for funding by the NCI. In Year 2, 17 pilot project proposals went through the Redes review process, five were submitted to the NCI, and four were approved for funding. For Year 3, a total of 15 pilot proposals were reviewed by Redes research panels, 9 were submitted to the NCI, and 6 were approved for funding. During the last pilot project cycle in Year 4 of the Redes initiative, 17 pilot proposals were reviewed internally in the Redes review process, 10 proposals were submitted to the NCI, and 5 were approved for funding.
Through the Redes SPN initiative, a total of 16 Redes En Acción pilot projects were awarded funding, opening the door for new Latino-oriented cancer research (see following table). Of the 29 proposals that emerged from the Redes En Acción review process and were forwarded to the NCI, the 16 approved for funding gave the program a strong 55 percent success rate. The majority of these new studies were community-based research projects, conducted in Redes En Acción regions across the United States. As part of the research experience, the Redes En Acción pilot research program provided unique networking and cancer research career opportunities for junior researchers. The program allowed these researchers to work closely with experienced Latino investigators, offering mentorship to enhance their research skills and knowledge of cancer prevention and control among Hispanic/Latino populations. The table below provides a summary of Redes pilot projects during the 2000-2005 funding cycle:
| Year (date of submission) | Proposals Reviewed by Redes En Acción | Proposals Forwarded to NCI for Review | Proposals Funded by NCI |
|---|---|---|---|
| Y1 (4/1/01) | 5 | 5 | 1 |
| Y2 (12/1/01) | 11 | 2 | 2 |
| Y2 (4/1/02) | 6 | 3 | 2 |
| Y3 (10/02) | 6 | 5 | 4 |
| Y3 (04/03) | 9 | 4 | 2 |
| Y4 (10/03) | 17 | 10 | 5 |
| Totals | 4 | 29 | 16 |
To date, Redes pilot investigators have successfully leveraged the results from their pilot studies into larger investigations totaling more than $12 million in competing grant proposals awarded from the NIH and other funding sources.
Other Research Activities
Key observer survey. As part of the process of determining priority areas involving Latinos and cancer, the Redes En Acción Key Opinion Leader Survey was administered to more than 600 stakeholders in Latino cancer control issues across the United States. Survey participants spanned a variety of disciplines, including cancer specialists, hospital administrators, insurance providers, patients, research scientists, and representatives of governmental and service organizations. The results are forming the basis for a national agenda of cancer control issues affecting Latinos, which then will be the focus of efforts to initiate new research through NCI-funded pilot projects and, subsequently, full competing grants. These data have the potential to provide significant background information for future public health policy planners and research decision makers at state and federal levels.
Physicians survey. To further identify and prioritize Latino cancer issues, Redes En Acción also developed and administered a national Physicians Survey (n=2000) during Year 2 of the initiative. Its purpose was to compare knowledge, attitudes and practices regarding cancer education, screening and care between Hispanic and non-Hispanic physicians.
The survey found that a lack of consensus exists among physicians, particularly Latinos, that clinical trials are good for their patients. Among the physicians surveyed, only 53 percent of Latinos and 63 percent of non-Hispanic whites agreed that sufficient scientific value and benefits exist for them to refer patients to clinical trials. Forty-three percent of Latino respondents and 32 percent of non-Hispanic whites reported that they had never participated in clinical trials.
This survey identified specific cancer issues that can contribute to future directions with regard to physician education materials and programs, as well as measure changes in physician approaches to these issues over time. This is believed to be the first large-scale survey to address these issues with Latino physicians.
Breast cancer study. The Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation funded the first phase of a project entitled, the Breast Cancer Genetics Survey, aimed at researching, designing and disseminating tailored breast cancer genetic educational materials for Latinos and other special populations. Collaborating on the Breast Cancer Genetics Education Materials and Programs Development Project are the NCI Special Populations Networks (SPNs) and the NCI Cancer Genetics Network (CGN). In the first phase, the project developed a culturally sensitive survey to assess knowledge, attitudes and behaviors regarding breast cancer genetics among Latinos, African Americans, Appalachians, Native Americans, and Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders.
Other research. During Year 2, several other research projects were submitted for review and potential funding. For one of these, the Hispanic/Latino Genetics Community Consultation (HLGCCN) project, Redes En Acción, in partnership with NIH agencies and other stakeholders in Hispanic health, conducted a series of "community consultations" to identify, discuss and report critical issues in genetics that confront Latino populations. This first-of-its-kind participatory project convened in a historic summit meeting in Washington, D.C. June 22-24, 2003, to bring together key opinion leaders, genetics experts and federal government health officials to provide a forum for Latinos to identify, prioritize and disseminate information on genetics issues, particularly those that confront the Hispanic/Latino community. The HLGCCN Event Report is available for downloading on our Publications web page or by clicking on this link.
In another research initiative, the Buena Vida Magazine Evaluation and Cancer Genetics Network Hispanic Recruitment Study (BV/CGN), Redes En Acción partnered with the Texas Cancer Genetics Network (TCGN) in the development of an English/Spanish language educational publication entitled "Buena Vida: A Guide to Cancer Family Research." The purpose of the BV/CGN study was to evaluate the effectiveness of the Buena Vida magazine as a recruitment device for the CGN registry and to increase Hispanic enrollment in the CGN registry.
And with funding support from the San Antonio Affiliate of the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation, the San Antonio Cancer Institute and the Lance Armstrong Foundation, Redes led an initiative to produce a book entitled, Nuestras Historias: Mujeres Hispanas Sobreviviendo el Cáncer del Seno (Our Stories: Hispanic Women Surviving Breast Cancer). The 114-page, full-color publication in both English and Spanish was released for publication at a press conference in San Antonio on October 12, 2004. Through the stories of the women, the book relates the influence of the Hispanic/Latino culture on the breast cancer experience and on the coping skills used by many of the Latina women in battling the disease. Nuestras Historias serves a dual purpose -- inspirational and educational -- and will be provided free to Latina women diagnosed with breast cancer through organizations such as the Komen Foundation, Alamo Breast Cancer Foundation, American Cancer Society, and Women Involved in Nurturing, Giving and Sharing (WINGS).
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