DCCPS International Activities January 2014, Volume 4, Issue 1

January 2014

In This Issue

Global Health Research and Training Initiative

Contact
Mark Parascandola, PhD, MPH
DCCPS International Research Coordinator

Breast Health Global Initiative 2013 Consensus Statement
“Supportive care after curative treatment for breast cancer (survivorship care): resource allocations in low- and middle-income countries. A Breast Health Global Initiative 2013 consensus statement” was published in summer 2013 (Breast 2013;22[5]:606-615). This statement is a summary of survivorship care components for low- and middle-income nations based on the consensus reached at the Global Summit on International Breast Health Guidelines for International (BHGI) Breast Health and Cancer Control—Supportive Care and Quality of Life, October 3 – 5, 2012, in Vienna, Austria, in which Julia Rowland participated.

Situational Analysis of Cervical Cancer Prevention and Control in the Caribbean
Damali Martin completed a detail assignment to the Pan American Health Organization in September 2013. During that time, she performed an analysis of infrastructure to support cervical cancer prevention and control in the non-Latin Caribbean Islands. The overall goal of the analysis was to understand current programs, capacities, resources, and needs for cervical cancer prevention and control in the non-Latin Caribbean. The specific aims of the report were to create an overview of the current policies, programs, and services in place for cervical cancer prevention and control; to synthesize individual country information that would enable better planning and use of resources for organized national cervical cancer programs; and to provide stakeholders with information on the state of cervical cancer programs in the non-Latin Caribbean region and needs for technical support. You may also access the report here:
Situational Analysis of Cervical Cancer Prevention and Control in the Caribbean

WHO Recommendation Report
The World Health Organization (WHO) released “Recommendations for the prevention and management of tobacco use and second-hand smoke exposure in pregnancy.” The National Cancer Institute and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention provided funds and technical assistance for this guideline.

International Cancer Research Funders Meeting
Mark Parascandola participated in the International Cancer Research Funders Meeting held in Paris, France, January 13-14, 2014. Dr. Parascandola helped develop the tobacco control agenda for this meeting and was accompanied by NCI Director Dr. Harold Varmus and other NCI staff.

WHO Committee on Electronic Health
As the chair of the WHO Smoking Cessation Mobile Health Subcommittee, Erik Augustson attended and served as a technical advisor for the meeting of the eHealth Committee in Geneva, Switzerland, December 11-13, 2013.

7th WHO TobReg Meeting
Mirjana Djordjevic and Mark Parascandola participated in the 7th meeting of the WHO Study Group on Tobacco Product Regulation (TobReg) in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, December 4-6, 2013. All TobReg efforts are aimed at advising WHO about scientifically sound recommendations to Member States that ratified the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), addressing the most effective and evidence-based means to achieve a coordinated regulatory framework for tobacco products (FCTC Articles 9 and 10). The Rio meeting was focused on addressing specific requests of the FCTC COP5 (Conference of the Parties) regarding a) evaluation of new tobacco products and other modified risk products, b) nicotine reduction and addictiveness, c) regulation of reduced ignition propensity cigarettes, d) establishment of a comprehensive list of toxicants and carcinogens for reporting and regulation, e) regulation of electronic nicotine delivery systems (ends), f) regulation of smokeless tobacco, g) an updated tobacco flavors report; and h) an ammonia rebuttal paper. The goal was to develop research and policy recommendations and craft documents that will be presented at the 6th session of the COP in October 2014. The outcomes of the 7th TobReg meeting are of great importance to inform the NIH research on tobacco products funded in collaboration with the FDA Center for Tobacco Products.

Dietary Presentations at AICR Conference
The annual research conference

of the American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR), held November 7-8, 2013, in Bethesda, is a unique forum that brings together researchers and clinicians for a two-day program dedicated to increasing knowledge, stimulating research and promoting prevention and treatment of cancer through nutrition, physical activity, and weight management. Sharon Kirkpatrick, formerly with the NCI and now with the University of Waterloo, presented “The Food Environment, Diet, and Health: What Do We Know from the Existing Evidence?” in a session on “The Food Environment and Food Policy: Implications for Cancer Risk.” Additionally, Stephanie George presented the poster "Better Postdiagnosis Diet Quality Is Associated with Reduced Risk of Death among Postmenopausal Women with Invasive Breast Cancer in the Women's Health Initiative."

Dietary Patterns Presented at Royal Statistical Society
Susan Krebs-Smith traveled to London in November 2013 to attend a meeting of the Royal Statistical Society. She was invited to give a joint presentation with Ray Carroll, an NCI grantee and statistician colleague, on the analysis of dietary patterns and its application to dietary surveillance and epidemiology. The presentation was highlighted in a Wall Street Journal article on the workshop. The organizer of the conference claimed the article “… is a great outcome for the workshop and for statistics.” While there, Dr. Krebs-Smith attended several sessions related to the use of statistics in numerous other fields and participated in discussions on the core of the statistical discipline, large-scale statistical science, and statistics and society.

International Cancer Control Congress
Cynthia Vinson represented NCI at the International Cancer Control Congress

in Lima, Peru, November 2-6, 2013, as a member of the scientific planning committee. She chaired the plenary session “Integrating Research, Practice and Policy Priorities to Improve Cancer Control” and co-chaired a workshop with Mike Sanchez that focused on NIH implementation science funding opportunities. Cynthia and Mike also participated in the cancer control planning meeting for Peru (Plan Esperanza) and the Red De Institutos Nacionales de Cancer (RINC) meeting that were scheduled during this time.

France and UK Conferences Advance Epidemiologic and Physical Activity Research
David Berrigan attended the conference “Ecological and Evolutionary Perspectives in Cancer,” November 2-6, 2013, in Roscoff (Brittany), France, which thoroughly explored recent developments in evolutionary and ecological approaches to cancer risk and progression. Dr. Berrigan presented his poster “Energy Balance Phenotyping over the Whole Life Course for Studies of Cancer Risk,” which included Applied Research Program activities in this area. Major foci of the conference included the evolution of resistance to chemotherapy, the role of infectious disease in cancer risk, and the emerging idea that cancer does not progress through a series of predictable mutational steps but rather has multiple pathways of origin and progression. Each of these topics has important implications for cancer prevention and survivorship research. NCI was represented by Dr. Berrigan, Dr. J. Pepper from the NCI Division of Cancer Prevention, and Dr. N. Kuhn from the NCI Physical Sciences-Oncology Centers Program.

Dr. Berrigan spent November 7 at the University of Oxford, discussing integration of time use survey data, accelerometry, and SenseCam data. These conversations included leadership and staff from the Multinational Time Use Study

(Dr. Jonathan Gershuny et al.) and the British Heart Foundation Health Promotion Research Group

(Dr. Charles Foster et al.). Video image data extraction and the challenges it poses were particular topics of emphasis.

Lastly, Dr. Berrigan spent November 8 with the Physical Activity Research Group

in the Department of Epidemiology and Public Health at University College London. He gave the presentation “Measurement and Analytical Challenges in Studies of Physical Activity, Sedentary Behavior, and their Environmental Correlates.” Post-seminar meetings focused on emerging data resources in the UK, including objective measurement of physical activity and longitudinal data on physical activity and health, as well as a project using isotemporal substitution analysis to examine the effects of sedentary time on mortality.

44th Union World Conference on Lung Health
Dr. Mark Parascandola participated in the 44th Union World Conference on Lung Health

in Paris, France, from October 30 – November 3. This is the major annual meeting for the International Union Against TB and Lung Disease and includes a major section track on tobacco control. During the meeting, Dr. Parascandola participated in the WHO StopTB Symposium and met with international researchers to discuss research needs and opportunities around TB, HIV, and tobacco use and intervention.

1st International Conference on Waterpipe Tobacco Smoking
Dr. Mirjana Djordjevic participated in the 1st International Conference on Waterpipe Tobacco Smoking,

which took place in Abu Dhabi, UAE, from October 21-23, 2013. The conference was sponsored by New York University Abu Dhabi Institute, International Development Research Center, Syrian Center for Tobacco Studies, NYU Abu Dhabi Public Health Research Center, and American University of Beirut. The conference was attended by more than 100 leading academics, scientists, policy makers, and public health advocates from 18 countries across five continents to review the state of the science on the topic and recommend actions to curb the waterpipe tobacco smoking pandemic. In addition to keynote presentations and breakout workshops, several discussion groups were held, and the conference concluded by producing a Declaration, which was endorsed by all participants, and specific research and policy recommendations.

International Association of Cancer Registries Annual Meeting
Brenda Edwards and Lynn Ries were active participants in the International Association of Cancer Registries annual meeting

in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on October 19-25, 2013. They attended the scientific program, served as experts reviewing and rating posters, and are members of the IACR Executive Board. Approximately 250 participants (about 100 from Latin America) were in attendance; there were four workshops, six keynote presentations and a roundtable discussion of models for national cancer registry development. Dr. Edwards also had several meetings with senior scientists and the Director of the National Cancer Institute in Argentina to discuss the proposal for a Latin American Hub under the IARC GICR (Global Initiative for Cancer Registry Development) and attended the regional meeting on development of this hub. The Center for Global Health works with NCI Argentina; Dr. Edwards was able to review their hospital web-based data system for cancer registration (RITA) that is expected to cover up to 70% of all cancer cases seen in Argentina. Dr. Edwards also had a brief meeting with the US Embassy representative (Mr. Jinanshu C. Jain), who covers science and technology and health.

Cancer Registry Training Course and MECC Committee Meeting
Brenda Edwards participated as a guest faculty for the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) and Center for Global Health (CGH)-sponsored cancer registry training course hosted by the GICR (Global Initiative on Cancer Registries) hub in Izmir, Turkey, September 30-October 4, 2013. Participants were selected from counties in the Middle East, Eastern Europe, and North Africa. On October 4, the MECC Steering Committee meeting for the Middle East Cancer Consortium (MECC) engaged in discussions on their two-year transition plans for their cancer registry activities to the Izmir GICR hub. Due to the government shut down, full participation of NCI senior staff was disrupted.

Patient-reported Outcomes Featured at China Symposium
Sandy Mitchell presented at the International Symposium on Chinese Medicine and Cancer on September 21, 2013, in Beijing, China. Dr. Mitchell’s presentation title was “Using Patient-Reported Outcomes to Evaluate Therapeutic Response and Treatment Toxicity in Cancer Clinical Trials.” This event was sponsored by the Office of Cancer Complementary and Alternative Medicine in NCI’s Division of Cancer Treatment and Diagnosis.

1st International Conference on Public Health in the 21st Century: The End-Game for Tobacco
Mark Parascandola participated in the 1st International Conference on Public Health in the 21st Century: The End-Game for Tobacco (http://www.endgameconference2013.in/), which took place in New Delhi, India, September 10-12, 2013. NCI provided funding support and technical assistance for activities related to this conference, including scholarships for participants from low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). NCI and CDC co-organized a preconference workshop, “Data to Action,” aimed at building capacity for research and data collection among LMICs. The preconference was attended by 50 participants representing India, State Health Officers, EIS participants, and several other countries (including Indonesia, Bangladesh, Turkey, Thailand, Ukraine, and Nigeria). Dr. Parascandola led a special symposium to present results from the forthcoming NCI-CDC global smokeless tobacco report. The session “Smokeless Tobacco and Public Health: Key Findings from the Upcoming Report” drew an audience of over 70 attendees.

CDC Grand Rounds: International Screening Presentation and Video
Rachel Ballard-Barbashgave a talk, “Cancer Screening in International Settings: What Can We Learn?,” at the CDC Public Health Grand Rounds in Atlanta, Georgia, on July 15, 2013, which focused on the public health impact of screening. A one-hour video, The Future of Cancer Screening: Public Health Approaches featuring Dr. Ballard-Barbash, is available at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5hsdb6xVZVc.

Dr. Ballard-Barbash’s segment starts at 14:28.

4th Latin American and Caribbean Conference on Tobacco or Health
The Tobacco Control Research Branch will be sending a small delegation to the 4th Latin American and Caribbean Conference on Tobacco or Health in San Jose, Costa Rica, March 26-28, 2014.

2014 Science of Global Prostate Cancer Disparities Conference
SAVE THE DATE! The 2014 Science of Global Prostate Cancer Disparities Conference will take place November 5-8, 2014, in Montego Bay, Jamaica. Registration opens March 10, 2014.

UICC World Cancer Congress
Stephen Taplin is a member of the Programme Committee for the 2014 UICC World Cancer Congress in Melbourne, Australia. He has been working with Bettina Borisch as co-chair for a series of talks in the Cancer Diagnosis and Treatment track.The meeting will be held December 3-6, 2014.

2014 NAACCR and IACR Annual Meeting
The 2014 NAACCR (North American Association of Central Cancer Registries) Annual Conference will be held in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, June 24-26, 2014. The IACR (International Association of Cancer Registries) Annual Conference

will be integrated with the NAACCR conference for one day (Thursday), with the IACR meeting being held in the same location on June 26-28, 2014, which is immediately following the NAACCR conference. This year’s conference theme, “Capitalizing on Cancer Surveillance Data for Improved Cancer Control,” will be shared by both conferences. The conferences will provide educational opportunities to learn from local, national, and international experts in cancer surveillance, cancer registry operations, analytical methods, research, and novel ways to use data for cancer control.

International Smoking Cessation Projects Using Text Messages
China Smoking Cessation Program using Text Messages: In collaboration with Emory University, the Tobacco Control Research Branch (TCRB) completed a text-based cessation program in Suzhou, China. The project included approximately 600 smokers who received the text program and approximately 600 who did not during an annual cessation contest run by the city. Preliminary data analysis reveals a statistically significant higher cessation rate among those who received the text-based intervention. Further analyses are underway. In addition, Emory University and TCRB are collaborating on a text-based program designed to reduce second hand smoke exposure in pregnant women and infants in China. Emory’s research team is meeting with Chinese Public Health officials in early December 2013 to lay the groundwork for this project.
Caribbean Smoking Cessation Program using Text Messages: Tobacco Control Research Branch (TCRB) completed a successful small pilot project in collaboration with the Healthy Caribbean Coalition. The results indicated strong interest in such a program and that text-based cessation may be a useful treatment approach in the Caribbean islands. Plans to expand the program are being discussed among the partners.
Guam/American Samoa/Samoa Smoking Cessation Text: In collaboration with investigators from New Zealand and California, Tobacco Control Research Branch (TCRB) is supporting a series of pilot projects in the South Pacific which launched this fall.

Asian-Pacific Shared Decision Making Research Group
Miho Tanaka is a member of the Asian-Pacific Shared Decision Making Research Group. She collaborates with shared decision making researchers in the US, Australia, Thailand, Hong Kong, and Malaysia to conduct a multi-country cross-sectional survey about cultural effects on patients’ preferred participation in medical decision making.

Breast Inter-Group and North American Breast Cancer Group
Julia Rowland, with input from Stephanie Land, worked with members of the Breast Inter-Group and North American Breast Cancer Group (BIG-NABCG) Survivorship Working Group to finalize a core patient questionnaire on host factors (including demographics, working status, alcohol history, tobacco history, height and weight, physical activity, menopausal status/menstrual history, medical conditions, and quality of life). This questionnaire will be added to new clinical trials fielded in the next year.

Embassy Science Fellowship
Mark Parascandola was awarded an Embassy Science Fellowship to spend three months at the US Embassy in Beijing, China, in spring of 2014. Dr. Parascandola will serve as an HHS lead for the China-US Partnership on Smokefree Workplaces and provide technical assistance to tobacco control and healthy cities initiatives.

International Mentoring
In December, Julia Rowland participated as a juror in the PhD defense of Portuguese colleague Ms Luzia Travado, for whom Julia served as a co-mentor on her thesis. The colleague was awarded her doctorate in Health Psychology with distinction by the University of Coimbra, in Coimbra, Portugal.

Sub-Saharan Africa Regional Grant Writing and Scientific Review Workshop
Michael Sanchez represented NCI at the Sub-Saharan Africa Regional Grant Writing and Scientific Review Workshop hosted by NCI’s Center for Global health, in collaboration with the South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC). The workshop was held November 18-20, 2013, in Johannesburg, South Africa. The goal of this workshop is to encourage Sub-Saharan African investigators to address public health issues through research. Workshop topics included tools and tips for use in writing grant applications, who’s who at funding agencies, the peer review process, research and training funding opportunities for Sub-Saharan African scientists at NIH and other organizations, and management of grants at the recipient institutions in Africa.

KNOW HEALTH
On November 12-14, 2013, Health Communication and Informatics Research Branch (HCIRB) Chief Brad Hesse and HCIRB Training Fellow Kasia Galica participated in an international public health conference in Wrocław, Poland, called KNOW HEALTH. The annual KNOW HEALTH forum was organized by the Forum Medicum Association and Data Techno Park in Wrocław and was sponsored by the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Poland, Wroclaw Medical University, and the Governor of Lower Silesia. The forum was created to be an experience-exchange and development platform for local governments in Poland, non-profit organizations, health education and promotion organizations, and private companies in the newly emerging medical marketplace. There were two themes to the 2013 conference: one was on cancer prevention and control, and the other was on the use of information and communication technologies. HCIRB was approached because of its unique relevance at the intersection of the two themes. Travel was sponsored by the organizers, and talks were given both at the conference venue and to students at the University of Wrocław Medical School.

Big Data and Theory Advancement Workshop
The Big Data and Theory Advancement Workshop was held at NIH on September 19-20, 2013, and was sponsored by the Science of Research and Technology Branch. The meeting brought together experts in big data analytics, systems science, and theory development and testing to address how to leverage big data and dynamical systems models to advance health behavior theory in the context of modifying cancer and other disease risk factors. The meeting included a summary of the 2012 European Union meeting in Brussels on “New Computationally-enabled Theoretical Models to Support Health Behavior Change and Maintenance.”

European Conference on Visual Perception
Todd Horowitz presented his talk “Does Chemotherapy Lead to a Visual Search Deficit?” at the European Conference on Visual Perception in Bremen, Germany, August 25-29, 2013. The European Conference on Visual Perception is an annual meeting devoted to scientific study of human visual perception. It has been held each year since 1978, and attracts a wide variety of participants from such fields as psychology, neuroscience, and cognitive science. To encourage the widest possible participation, particularly among students, the meeting is held in a different European location each year. Learn more at http://ecvp.org/.

International Science of Team Science Conference
The 4th International Science of Team Science Conference was held June 24-27, 2013, in Chicago, Illinois, at Northwestern University. Kara Hall served as program chair for the conference and members of the SciTS team presented at the conference:

A Bibliometric Analysis Assessing the Impact of Participation in a Transdisciplinary Tobacco Research Center on an Investigator’s Research Trajectory: poster which included Brooke Stipelman and Kara Hall