Radiation Research Program (RRP)Last Updated: 07/24/08
About the Associate Director
C. Norman Coleman, M.D., holds an undergraduate degree in mathematics from the University of Vermont and received his medical training at Yale University School of Medicine. Dr. Coleman completed his internship and residency in internal medicine at the University of California, San Francisco, a fellowship in medical oncology at NCI, and a fellowship in radiation oncology at Stanford University. More…
OVERVIEW
Killing cancer cells while minimizing damage to healthy cells is the goal of radiation therapy. About half of all patients with cancer undergo radiation therapy, the majority of these with curative intent. Finding new ways of using radiation therapy more effectively and with fewer side effects is paramount for maintaining patients’ quality of life. This entails innovative uses of technology and biology and integration in multimodality cancer care and research.
As part of an ongoing effort to stimulate research in radiotherapy and radiation biology, the Radiation Research Program (RRP) supports clinical, translational, and basic research at the Division of Cancer Treatment and Diagnosis (DCTD) by:
Providing expertise to investigators who perform cutting-edge research using radiation and other forms of energy
Assisting the radiotherapy research community in establishing priorities for the future direction of radiation research
Providing medically underserved communities with access to radiation therapy and cancer care
Evaluating the effectiveness of radiation research being conducted by National Cancer Institute (NCI) grantees
RRP also coordinates its activities with other radiation research efforts at NCI, the National Institutes of Health (NIH), other federal agencies, and national and international research organizations. Additionally, RRP serves as a focal point for extramural investigators concerned with clinically related radiation oncology and biology research.
RRP supports research involving a variety of radiation therapeutic modalities:
Radiation therapy using high-energy photons and new technology for the physical delivery of radiation therapy, including intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) and image-guided radiotherapy, brachytherapy using temporary and permanent implantation of radioactive sources, and particle therapy, in particular the most widely used form, proton therapy. Carbon ion therapy is also under development worldwide.
Other sources of energy to treat cancer, including photodynamic therapy using lasers or other light sources combined with a light-sensitive drug (sometimes called a photosensitizing agent) and hyperthermia (heat), alone or in combination with radiation and/or chemotherapeutic drugs.
The RRP encompasses three branches:
- Radiotherapy Development Branch
- Clinical Radiation Oncology Branch
- Molecular Radiation Therapeutics Branch
Working with NCI and NIH Grant and Contract Awardees
The primary responsibility of RRP is to the grantees and contractors of NCI and NIH awards. In 2007, RRP administered 202 grants, primarily through the Radiotherapy Development Branch.
The research portfolio of RRP encompasses a broad range of topics, including basic radiation physics track structure; DNA damage and repair; radiation-inducible molecular changes, including signaling and apoptosis; tumor biology; radiation sensitizers and protectors; normal tissue injury and treatment; image-guided radiation therapy; systemic targeted radionuclide therapy (STaRT); and others. The field of radiation therapy is unique in the breadth of expertise and knowledge required for optimal clinical use.
RRP helps stimulate new areas of investigation by bringing together experts in workshops.
Among the unique initiatives of RRP are the Young Investigators Workshops, in which emerging leaders come together to discuss research and to build new collegial relationships as well as learn about the NCI grant process.
