Cancer Disparities and Intervention Research Program (CDIRP)

Program Leader: Claudia R. Baquet, M.D., M.P.H.

The Cancer Disparities and Intervention Research Program (CDIRP) is a new UMGCC research program that focuses on multidisciplinary research to identify and reduce cancer disparities in specific target populations. Cancer disparities are a major problem in Maryland communities as well as nationally. Trends in incidence and mortality for several cancers, including aerodigestive, prostate, breast, cervix, and hepatocellular carcinoma, continue to increase at an alarming rate.

The mission of this program is to reduce morbidity and mortality from cancer in Maryland and in targeted underserved populations and geographic areas through prevention and control, basic, clinical, behavioral, translational, and health services research. The goals of this program are:

• Surveillance: Identification, characterization, and documentation of cancer disparities in targeted populations and communities.



• Explanatory Research, Etiology/Cause: Investigation into biological, sociocultural, economic/environmental, health services, and behavioral mechanisms related to cancer disparities.



• Intervention/Development: Evaluation and application of effective intervention strategies to reduce or eliminate disparities through improved prevention, early detection, quality treatment, and palliative care for minority and rural communities.



• Translation/Application: Application and diffusion of research results in defined population in order to improve cancer outcomes through primary and secondary prevention strategies in targeted communities.

The program is comprised of 14 members representing seven departments and multiple disciplines. Intra-programmatic collaboration is well-established and inter-programmatic collaboration is increasing with research programs in prostate, aerodigestive, breast (developing) and experimental therapeutics.

A major strength of the program is the extensive and unique community-based partnerships that have been developed by the Program Leader with the following groups, both urban and rural: African-Americans, other minorities, Baltimore City, rural areas of Western Maryland, Eastern Shore and Southern Maryland.

These strong community partnerships provide a formal research and outreach infrastructure for long term access to a large population base of racially and ethnically diverse communities for prevention and control, basic/translational research, behavioral and health services research and clinical trials for interprogrammatic research on prostate, aerodigestive, breast (developing) and experimental therapeutics programs within UMGCC.