Ponce School of Medicine-Moffitt Cancer Center (PSM-MCC) Partnership to reduce cancer health disparities in Hispanics

Introduction: The geographic proximity and large Hispanic populations in Florida and Puerto Rico (PR) have driven the formation of an academic partnership between the Ponce School of Medicine and Health Sciences in Ponce, PR and Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa, FL. The complementary expertise at both institutions provides a synergistic means of studying the cancer problem in Puerto Ricans, and in the Hispanic population in general. This partnership was initiated in 2003, supported by the NCI from 2006-2012 through a U56 planning grant and more recently through a U54 cooperative grant. The main goal is to build a long-term infrastructure between the two institutions with an emphasis on eliminating cancer-related health disparities in Hispanics. Methods: The U56-funded Partnership involved an extended (6 year) planning phase for developing coherence and a focused purpose to the cancer research program at PSM and a health disparities research focus at MCC. This was accomplished through the establishment of an administrative infrastructure for planning, development and support of joint cancer research projects, cancer-focused training, community outreach activities, and cancer clinical trials at PSM. A biobank has also been developed for collecting well-annotated tissues and DNA from Puerto Rican cancer patients and controls to support molecular and genetic studies. Results: Jointly-developed workshops, research projects, tissue banking activities, community-oriented research and educational activities, and student exchange opportunities resulted in scientific publications, new clinical trials, development of educational community materials, and joint grants (totaling over $734,000 in direct costs). The Puerto Rico BioBank currently collects tissues, blood and epidemiological data at 3 different locations in PR. At PSM, increases in the recruitment of basic cancer researchers and clinical oncology faculty members, the documented increase in the number of faculty with an interest in cancer research, and the development of cancer biology courses and seminars, strengthened the cancer program, as evidenced by at least $5,500,000 in cancer-related funding since the start of the Partnership. At MCC, increases in the number of scientists with a health disparities research focus and outreach activities targeted to Hispanics resulted in a rise in enrollment in clinical trials and in the number of health disparities-related grant applications and publications. Conclusions: The lessons and experience learned from this Partnership over the past decade moved the cancer program at PSM more solidly toward a relationship with MCC that is based on reciprocity and mutual benefits. This Partnership has served as the most important catalyst to create a critical mass of faculty performing cancer research, contributing to the transformation of PSM into a research-intensive institute. Through the Partnership, PSM continues to grow its capacity and expand its small but dynamic faculty with expertise in cancer research, tissue biobanking, cancer clinical trials, and community outreach. The continued development of the cancer program through the U54-funded Partnership with MCC will allow increased commitment to the underserved communities in southwestern Puerto Rico and in Florida, and will provide the opportunity to achieve a higher level of excellence in all areas of the Partnership. Supported by the NCI Center to Reduce Health Disparities, PSMHS, Grants #: 5U56CA126379 and 5U54CA163071 and MCC, Tampa FL., Grants #: 5 U56 CA118809-05 and 1 U54 CA163068-01A1. Citation Format: Jaime Matta, Jose A. Torres-Ruiz, Idhaliz Flores, Munoz-Antonia Teresita, Sullivan Dan, Antonia Scott. Ponce School of Medicine-Moffitt Cancer Center (PSM-MCC) Partnership to reduce cancer health disparities in Hispanics. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Sixth AACR Conference: The Science of Cancer Health Disparities; Dec 6–9, 2013; Atlanta, GA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2014;23(11 Suppl):Abstract nr C02. doi:10.1158/1538-7755.DISP13-C02