Message from the Director

This past year has been a momentous one for the Division of Cancer Control and Population Sciences (DCCPS). Not only did we celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Program—our nation’s premier source for cancer statistics—we also made progress toward advancing the six key future directions for research we had identified and unveiled in 2022: health equity, data strategies, evidence-based cancer control policy research, digital health interventions, modifiable risk factors, and climate change.

As we explained in the DCCPS 2022 Overview and Highlights, these areas are already facets of the research that we currently support, and we continue to fund the full spectrum of research within our domain. However, we and the cancer control community identified these six future directions as areas where immediate and intensified focus would significantly accelerate scientific progress and increase the impact of DCCPS-sponsored research. In this year’s report, we provide brief summaries of progress that has been made in each of these six research areas, as well as some next steps and opportunities for further momentum.

Of course, 2023 has been notable also for the rollout of the National Cancer Plan, which provides a framework of action that is broad, far-reaching, and impactful in delivering improved health outcomes for Americans. In this year’s Overview and Highlights, we illustrate just some of the ways in which DCCPS-supported research is contributing toward achieving the eight goals of that ambitious plan.

The National Cancer Plan is grounded in the premise that continued progress in the fight against cancer requires the multitude of talents and resources represented across the National Cancer Program. In that same spirit, we recognize and celebrate the multifaceted contributions of our funded research community and partners, who bring their diversity of perspectives, disciplines, and scientific approaches toward accomplishing our shared goal of reducing the consequences of cancer for all. As always, we hope this report will serve as a valuable resource for you in identifying areas of interest and collaboration.