UNC Geriatric Oncology Training Grant (UNC-GO) - ABSTRACT
Cancer is a disease of aging, with incidence and mortality rates rising dramatically with increasing age. In the
U.S., the average age at a cancer diagnosis is 66 years; of the 1,688,780 new cancer cases in 2017, more than
53% are adults age 65 years and older. Sixty-two percent of current survivors are age >65, and will rise to 73%
by 2040. These numbers, coupled with aging trends of the U.S. population, portend large and growing cohorts
of older cancer patients and survivors in the years to come. Cancer treatment in the older population is
challenging and complicated by factors related to co-morbidity, functional status, polypharmacy, social support,
nutritional status, and other geriatric relevant domains. Our ability to provide personalized and appropriate cancer
care to our rapidly expanding older population is challenged by a shortage of geriatricians to team with
oncologists, inadequate geriatrics training of oncologists, and cancer clinical trials that have focused largely on
younger patients and have generated little data on elders who are more likely to have multiple comorbidities and
varying goals of care. The UNC Geriatric Oncology Training Grant (UNC-GO) is a T32 training application from
the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC) specifically focused on training physicians in
clinical/translational or health services research at the interface of geriatrics and oncology. Co-directed by
renowned leaders in oncology (Hyman B. Muss, MD) and geriatrics (Jan Busby-Whitehead, MD), UNC-GO will
provide two years of training (one new trainee per year) in geriatric oncology research for residents and fellows
training in Geriatrics or Medical, Surgical, Gynecologic, Radiation, or Urologic Oncology. UNC-GO trainees will
benefit from access to resources and expertise available through the UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer
Center (UNC-LCCC), which received an “exceptional” score of 11 during its most recent review, as well as the
UNC-LCCC Geriatric Oncology Program (co-directed by Drs. Muss and Busby-Whitehead) and the UNC Center
on Aging and Health (director by Dr. Busby-Whitehead). UNC-GO primary preceptors are UNC-LCCC members
and have on average $1.1 million in annual research funding. Upon the trainee’s admission to the program, the
UNC-GO Co-Directors and Steering Committee work with the trainee to form a mentorship team that includes a
clinician/scientist with Geriatrics expertise. The central component of UNC-GO training is the mentored research
experience. Trainees will choose between two research tracks that represent the best research areas that UNC
has to offer: clinical/translational and health services research. Under the guidance of the mentoring team,
trainees design and conduct one or more independent projects. Trainees address aspects of research ranging
from developing the research question and design, to the protocol, methods, instruments, data
collection/compilation, data management, analysis, and reporting. Involvement of collaborating experts is
expected. Trainees are expected to present their research findings at local, regional, and national scientific
meetings, and to have a minimum of one first-author manuscript submitted per year.
