Department of Biostatistics

Cancer Screening, Diag, and Treatment

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Cancer Screening, Diag, and Treatment

Targeting the P38/snail/pd-l1 axis in hormone-therapy resistance and metastasis

The proposed work is to develop technology for both civil and military application. This subcontract involves providing expertise in developing statistical methodology. Key tasks to be performed by Lorin Crawford on this project include: (1) developing a scalable and quantitative experimental design to identify the mechanisms underlying hormone therapy resistance and the subsequent molecular responses to p38α and/or PD-L1 inhibition in metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC); and (2) using computational tools to generate testable hypotheses and identify potentially novel immunologic biomarkers that help overcome hormone therapy resistance.​

Outcomes Associated with Significant Findings in Lung Cancer Screning (SIF)

The goal of this project is to understand the morbidity and mortality associated with detection of a significant incidental finding (SIF) on low-dose CT lung screening. SIF detection may be associated with early diagnosis of extra-pulmonary cancers and other conditions that benefit the patient or with the discovery of benign findings that generates unneeded and potentially harmful medical procedures. The results from this research will provide evidence for the development of practice guidelines to address SIFs detected at LDCT lung screening.

Lung Screening:Efficacy vs Effectiveness (LSEVE)

The goal of this project is to compare the efficacy of lung screening in community practice with that reported in the National Lung Screening Trial (NLST) with respect to the rate and type of abnormalities suspicious for lung cancer, the rate and type of significant incidental findings that are seen on lung screening and may be clinically important, but that are not related to lung cancer, and the diagnostic testing that is done to evaluate lung and other abnormalities. We will use this information to compare the cost effectiveness of community lung screening with that estimated from the NLST and provide information that can be used to enhance the effectiveness of lung screening in the community.

Genomics of Early Lung Cancer Among Military Personnel (GELCAMP)

Currently several biomarkers are being validated on the DECAMP specimen, but none of these use the whole genome sequencing (WGS) technology. WGS offers a novel view of mutational changes in early lung cancer. We are testing for genomic biomarkers for the detection of early lung cancer using whole genome sequencing of DNA specimens from blood, endobronchial brushings and lung tumor specimens (for those with lung cancer). While genomic testing of lung cancer has been performed in other studies, testing other sites within the lung as well as peripheral blood for these biomarkers has not been attempted. The DEAMP cohort is unique for several reasons. The DECAMP cohort is the only cohort that specifically enrolls military personnel and offers the potential to identify mutations that might be linked to military specific exposures. It is also one of the most comprehensive and detailed cohorts associated with bronchoscopic brushings and tissue matched with CT imaging, clinical history in a longitudinal cohort.

Detection of Early Lung Cancer Among Military Personnel (DECAMP)

The Detection of Early Lung Cancer Among Military Personnel (DECAMP) consortium is conducting two multicenter prospective studies with the goals of developing an integrated panel of both airway and blood-based molecular biomarkers that discriminate benign and malignant indeterminate nodules detected on CT scan as well as predict the future development of lung cancer in high-risk individuals. To achieve these goals, DECAMP is compiling an extensive array of biospecimens including nasal brushings, serum, plasma and intrathoracic airway samples (bronchial brushings and bronchial biopsies) from normal-appearing airway epithelium.