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TMA member C. Mark Chassay, MD,


MBA, is a member of the CPRIT Scien- tific and Prevention Advisory Council. He says CPRIT’s research and preven- tion initiatives have the potential to ben- efit Texas’ physicians and residents. The council meets twice a year and provides advice and support to the CPRIT Over- sight Committee. “Moving forward, our physicians will


be better educated on prevention and ultimately be better served with grant- funded educational specialists who can aid in the maze of workups and treat- ment options for those fighting cancer,” he said.


CPRIT’s operations Requests for application (RFAs) for the next prevention program funding cycle are due Sept. 20, and CPRIT will an- nounce awards in January 2012. To access the RFA release and peer review schedule for research and prevention programs, visit www.cprit.state.tx.us/ funding-opportunities.


When determining which cancer pre-


vention programs to fund, Dr. Garcia says CPRIT is looking for projects that:


• Focus on underserved populations, • Demonstrate organizational capacity and sustainability,


• Have a clear strategy, • Show potential to make a public health impact, and


• Can report on tangible outcomes.


On top of that, Dr. Garcia says CPRIT wants to fund innovative projects. “I tell people CPRIT doesn’t want just to fund a few more screening and educa- tion programs. We really want to stimu- late innovation and new ways of think- ing about approaching cancer prevention and treatment. That could include new partnerships, focusing on different popu- lations or geographic areas. We want to see creativity,” she said. The prevention program grant awards for fiscal year 2011 will be announced July 27. To receive all funding announcements


and press releases, visit the CPRIT web- site, www.cprit.state.tx.us, and sign up for the newsletter. You can also follow


CPRIT news on Twitter and Facebook. CPRIT also awards grants for com-


mercialization. CPRIT gives priority to proposals that expedite innovation and commercialization, attract private sector entities that drive job creation, and en- hance higher education, applied science, or technological research capabilities in the state. At press time, CPRIT had in- vested $38 million in eight Texas com- panies that are developing promising cancer drugs, diagnostics, and devices with a potential return of more than $40 million, according to Dr. Bailes. And the institute has recruited 10 CPRIT scholars in cancer research to Texas to conduct research. “The inaugural class of CPRIT schol-


ars represents the top talent recruited from outside the state. Attracting these scientists to Texas enhances the caliber of cancer research statewide,” Dr. Bailes said.


CPRIT’s impact


According to the American Cancer Society, last year, 101,120 Texans were diagnosed with cancer, and 36,540 died from the disease. The National Institutes of Health estimates 2010 cancer costs in the United States were $263.8 billion — $102.8 billion in direct medical costs, $20.9 billion in lost productivity due to illness, and $140.1 billion in lost productivity due to premature death. In a report prepared for CPRIT, the Perryman Group estimates


that in 2010, the annual direct medical costs and morbidity and mortality losses associated with cancer in Texas were about $25.3 billion, an increase of 15.8 percent since 2007. The report found CPRIT-funded programs in cancer research and prevention have had a total economic impact of $852.3 million in output (real gross product) and 11,537 jobs. Additionally, the report says CPRIT operations and programs


generated an estimated $265.6 million in annual state revenue, along with $169.7 million in annual revenue to various local govern- ments. The full report, A War Worth Waging: An Economic Assess- ment of the Cost of Cancer and the Benefits of the Cancer Pre- vention and Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT) and Its Programs, is available at www.cprit.state.tx.us/images/uploads/cprit_im pact_12-07-10.pdf.


July 2011 TEXAS MEDICINE 35


CPRIT’s future To date, CPRIT has awarded nearly $32 million in cancer prevention monies, funding 53 projects across Texas. Preven- tion grants cover a spectrum of activities from primary prevention to early cancer screening and detection to survivorship programs. Vincent Fonseca, MD, MPH, is a mem- ber of the POEP Steering Committee and of CPRIT’s advisory council. He praises CPRIT for the progress it has made in its first year-and-a-half of operation. “What CPRIT has done is amazing. I’ve never seen a better evaluation pro- cess in terms of fairness and quality,” he said.


The institute has room to improve,


however, upon the groundbreaking work it has already done, says Dr. Fonseca, a TMA member. While the awards process is fair and balanced, he says the type of research CPRIT has funded is over-


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