The Florida Department of Health’s James and Esther King Biomedical Research Program has granted Moffitt Cancer Center, the University of Florida Health Cancer Center, the Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center at the University of Miami, and numerous collaborating centers with $1.36 million to address cancer disparities and improve outcomes and care for individuals affected by pancreatic cancer.
Over the next 3 years, pancreatic cancer researchers and clinicians specializing in oncology, radiology, surgery, epidemiology, nutrition, genetics, molecular biology, and pathology will recruit patients from different racial and ethnic backgrounds to build the first state-wide “biobank” dedicated to minimizing disparities and personalizing care for individuals affected by pancreatic cancer. This biobank is a valuable resource that collects, processes, and stores blood and tissue biopsies that can be combined with clinical data and medical images to aid researchers in investigating biologic processes that may underlie disparities and poor outcomes to ultimately determine more effective therapeutic strategies.
