As more patients—adult and pediatric—become long-term cancer survivors, it becomes ever more imperative to identify ways to prevent, or at least manage, long-term complications from the cancer and its treatment.
Just how to do that forms the cornerstone of the research conducted at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) School of Medicine through its Institute for Cancer Outcomes and Survivorship (ICOS). “We are interested in developing a strong base of researchers who are focused on studying cancer outcomes long-term and identifying the issues cancer survivors face,” said ICOS Director Smita Bhatia, M.D., MPH. “We are continually striving to improve the quality of life of cancer survivors.”
Diverse Group
A diverse group of researchers from UAB participates in ICOS, including epidemiologists, physician scientists, behavioral scientists, molecular biologists and nurse scientists. They come from numerous departments, including radiation oncology, medical and pediatric oncology, and surgical oncology. Within ICOS, they have access to a state-of-the-art infrastructure that supports outcomes research, thus facilitating the transitional research that is integral to the Institute’s mission.
“The overarching goal of the ICOS is to conduct cutting-edge research in cancer outcomes across the age spectrum,” Bhatia said.
Since its founding in 2015, Institute researchers have received more than $10 million in grants from the National Institutes of Health and private foundations, and published more than 250 papers in peer-reviewed journals, a third of them high-impact journals.
Asking the Right Questions
All research studies start with asking the questions that no one has asked before, Bhatia said. “Questions are definitely going to move the field forward and make people’s lives better,” she noted.
For instance, a current study is examining long-term morbidity in pediatric cancer survivors, 60 percent of whom will eventually develop complications related to their cancer treatment. “We are systematically studying the molecular basis of these long-term complications,” Bhatia said.
Questions include: Why does radiation increase the risk of other cancers? How does a child’s DNA make them more prone to radiation-related cancers? Are there ways to predict children who are more likely to develop treatment-related conditions and find alternative treatments to attack their cancer?
The Institute is also studying adherence to oral chemotherapy. “We find that children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) often don’t take their medications as directed,” increasing their risk of relapse, Bhatia said. “We are now testing strategies to improve adherence to oral chemotherapy.”
To explore the impact of radiation and chemotherapy on the developing brain, researchers are using MRI to identify cellular signs of “chemo brain” and looking for ways to protect the brain during treatment.
“When a new patient comes in with cancer, the first thing we have to do is get rid of that cancer,” Bhatia said. That typically means using agents known to increase the risk of neurocognitive deficits. “So we have to develop methods to reverse or halt these complications.”
Several other research questions are under investigation, including ways to:
- Expand the HPV vaccination rates in childhood cancer survivors
- Determine the burden of morbidity older cancer survivors experience
- Understand the best way to treat older patients with cancer without causing undue toxicity
- Improve end-of-life experiences for cancer patients
Understanding ICOS Research
Learn more about ICOS research and watch an interview with Smita Bhatia, M.D., MPH.