The long-term goal of the Cancer Prevention and Control (CPC) research program at IU Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center is to reduce the incidence, morbidity, and mortality of cancer and eliminate inequities contributing to the cancer burden in Indiana and beyond.
Identify genetic, biological, social, and behavioral risk factors for the development of major cancers affecting the people of Indiana.
Develop and evaluate innovative models and interventions to reduce cancer risk, improve screening, and increase early detection of cancers.
Identify genetic, biological, social, and pharmacogenomic risk factors associated with cancer symptoms and treatment-related toxicities.
Develop and test interventions to reduce treatment-related symptoms and enhance survivorship for cancer patients and their families.
Bryan P. Schneider, MD, is a medical oncologist with clinical expertise in breast cancer and precision oncology and has aligned research interests in therapeutic individualization and disparities.
He uncovered a higher likelihood of therapy-associated toxicity for patients of African descent (using ancestral classification) and found that germline genetic variants might further refine risk for one of the most clinically important toxicities, taxane-induced peripheral neuropathy.
Taxane-based chemotherapies are the primary curative therapy for breast cancer, but they can lead to taxane-induced peripheral neuropathy (TIPN). Neuropathy symptoms include numbness, tingling and pain in the hands and feet, which can become debilitating and impact the ability to deliver planned doses of curative chemotherapy.
This work led to the development the clinical study EAZ171 (PI Schneider), one of the first NCI-cooperative group trials to focus accrual on Black patients with breast cancer with the goal of overcoming disparities by personalizing therapy in the curative setting. EAZ171 demonstrated personalization of therapy minimizes toxicity and dose reductions (Schneider et al, JCO 2024).
Rethink Tobacco Indiana is a statewide grant initiative aimed at creating awareness and promoting health systems change related to treating tobacco use and dependence in behavioral health settings.
Led by principal investigator Karen Hudmon, DrPH, and program director Debi Buckles, this skilled team of trained tobacco treatment specialists support behavioral health organizations integrating evidence-based tobacco treatment strategies into their continuum of care.
Cancer survivors call it “chemobrain”—continued difficulty in learning new tasks, remembering words or doing things as efficiently or quickly as they once did.
In collaboration with a colleague at the University of Pittsburgh, CPC researcher Brenna McDonald, PsyD, recently received a $3 million grant from the National Cancer Institute to study this frustrating phenomenon.
During a recent Simon Says Expert Series webinar, Dr. McDonald discussed how her research seeks to help survivors identify their challenges and apply strategies to mitigate memory problems.
Namesake of IU School of Nursing’s Champion Center for Cancer Control Research
The Champion Center
