University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute (UPCI)

Overview

The core mission of the newly-created Cancer and Aging Program (CAP) is to develop and test interventions to improve health outcomes in older persons with cancer. Over the next five years, the CAP will:

1. Implement a series of activities designed to reduce barriers and promote collaboration
2. Perform pilot translational research studies to better understand the immunobiology of cancer in elderly patients and apply insights to develop more effective treatment
3. Collect, develop, and disseminate aging-relevant measures of co-morbidity, functioning, and cancer outcomes
4. Develop and test promising medical, behavioral, and social interventions for older people with cancer

The CAP will build on the institutional strengths of UPCI to expand collaborative research in three main areas:

1. Translational research on immunobiology of cancer and aging
2. Clinical trials of treatment efficacy and tolerance in the context of age related co-morbidity
3. Behavioral and social issues in older cancer patients

Cancer care planning should depend not on chronological age, but on life expectancy, ability to tolerate treatment, and patient goals. As such, the CAP is developing a spectrum of care strategies tailored to the individual health and functional status of the cancer patient aged 65 and over. In order to further identify barriers to collaborative research on aging and cancer, and to design strategies to overcome them, a first year series of interactions is planned. Critical constituencies for this series include academics and clinical practitioners at Pitt, clinicians from the region, and older cancer survivors and caregivers in the community. Accommodating and incorporating each potential contributor's perspective, experience, and priorities is a necessary element of the Program's collaborative efforts; in order to sustain a feedback loop between constituencies and researchers, the Program is forming academic, clinical, and community advisory groups.