Guiding the Future of Cancer Control

The Division of Cancer Control and Population Sciences: Studying it all, from a single gene to the public’s health

The Division of Cancer Control and Population Sciences (DCCPS) has played a unique role in reducing the burden of cancer since the division’s creation in 1997. In that year, DCCPS was established to enhance the National Cancer Institute’s (NCI’s) ability to alleviate the burden of cancer through research in epidemiology, behavioral sciences, health services, surveillance, and cancer survivorship. The division has grown and evolved since that time, and it now also serves a central role within the federal government as a source of expertise and evidence on issues such as the quality of cancer care, the economic burden of cancer, geographic information systems, statistical methods, communication science, comparative effectiveness research, obesity and tobacco control, and the translation of research into practice. The diverse science funded and conducted by DCCPS reflects the division’s overarching philosophy: Scientific progress in the 21st century will depend on the transdisciplinary integration of research methods, models, and levels of analysis.

Past DCCPS Overview & Highlights have been largely snapshots of the division’s work over that past year, with recent editions focusing on behavioral research and on implementation science. This report takes a step back, allowing the reader to delve further into areas of DCCPS research, to better understand the history, some of the milestones, and the promise for the future. In addition to spotlights on each DCCPS office, program, and the branches within each program, the report highlights cross-cutting work across the division. The breadth and depth of the science contained in these pages — and the impact they have had on public health—are, simply put, remarkable. They clearly demonstrate why DCCPS has evolved into the nation’s model for cancer control research and beyond.