This 5th virtual meeting of the National Cancer Institute (NCI) Board of Scientific Advisors (BSA) was held this week. The next virtual meeting will be the 4th virtual joint meeting of the NCI's BSA and National Cancer Advisory Board (NCAB) June 13-15, 2021. While minutes from this week's meeting are forthcoming, recordings and individual presentations are linked below.

NCI Director's Report - Norman Sharpless, MD

Legislative Report - M.K. Holohan, JD

NCI Center for Global Health – Celebrating 10 years and Looking Ahead - Satish Gopal, MD, MPH

Canine Cancer Immunotherapy Network (K9CIN) (RFA) - Connie Sommers, PhD

Radiation Oncology-Biology Integration Network (ROBIN) (RFA) - Jeffrey Buchsbaum, MD, PHD &

Michael Graham Espey, PhD

Cascade: A Global Clinical Trials Network to Improve Screening and Preventive Therapy Outcomes for Cervical Cancer among Women Living with HIV (RFA/Coop. Agr.) - Vikrant Sahasrabuddhe, MBBS, MPH, DrPH

NCI Cancer Prevention-Interception Targeted Agent Discovery Program (CAP-IT) (RFA/Coop. Agr.) - Shizuko Sei, MD

Clinician Scientist Research Award (CSRA) (PAR) - James H. Doroshow, MD

Early Detection Research Network (EDRN) (Re-issue RFA/ Coop. Agr.) - Philip E. Castle, PhD, MPH

Acquired Resistance to Therapy Network (ARTNet) (Re-issue RFA/ Coop. Agr.) - S. Percy Ivy, MD

Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma (PDAC) Stromal Reprogramming Consortium (PSRC) (RFA) - Peter Ujhazy, MD, PhD

Research Projects for Molecular Imaging Inflammation in Cancer (MIIC) (PAR) - Janet Eary, MD

Brief Update from Cancer Training Branch, Center for Cancer Training - Oliver Bogler, PhD

Epstein Barr Virus (EBV) & non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma (NHL) (PAR) - Elizabeth Read-Connole, PhD

NCI Cancer Systems Biology Consortium (CSBC) (Re-issue RFA/ Coop. Agr., Limited Competition) - Shannon Hughes, PhD

SBIR Contract Topics (RFP) - Deepa Narayanan

Director, Lung Cancer Program, Cleveland Clinic

The United States Preventive Services Task Force has published updated recommendations addressing eligibility for lung cancer screening with a low-radiation dose chest CT scan. The current recommendations update those published at the end of 2013. The age limits have been expanded to age 50-80 years (previously age 55-80) and the smoking history criteria have expanded to included current and former smokers of at least 20 pack-years (previously 30 pack-years) who have been smokers in the past 15 years (unchanged). This change was informed by new evidence supporting the benefit of screening and more experience in managing the potential harms of screening. It is estimated to increase the pool of lung cancer screening eligible individuals by 80-90%. The translation of these recommendations into policy will take some time. Private insurers may change their coverage rules anytime between now and the end of 2022. CMS will take up a new net coverage determination with a decision expected in 9-12 months.

Though generally considered to be a positive move, those who believe there is a large difference between the benefit and harms of screening have suggested that the recommendations are still not broad enough.

Led by cancer center directors and chief medical officers, the American Association of Cancer Institutes (AACI) initiated a mixed-methods survey of the status of cancer care across cancer center networks, results of which have been recently published in the Journal of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network. The survey sought to document care coordination and identify opportunities to improve geographically dispersed care as cancer care coordination across major academic medical centers and their networks is evolving rapidly.

Case Comprehensive Cancer Center Director Stan Gerson, MD is lead author on the publication. Noting it is premature to draw firm conclusions, researchers found the data to reveal "academic cancer centers have extensive involvement in network cancer care, often extending into rural communities" and stated that patient outcomes are likely to be improved by coordinating care through improved clinical trial access and greater use of patient navigation, care paths, coordinated EMRs and quality measures.

From the AACI: A new podcast from the American Association of Cancer Institutes (AACI) aims to expand the dialogue about cancer health disparities and to identify strategies to mitigate them.

Accelerating Equity: Cancer Care for All is hosted by AACI President Karen E. Knudsen, PhD, enterprise director of the Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center at Jefferson Health in Philadelphia. Her first guest is Norman E. Sharpless, MD, director of the National Cancer Institute.

The Department of Defense and its Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs (CDMRP) have announced program details and application instructions for the following FY2021 programs:

Peer Reviewed Medical Research Program

Clinical Trial Award

Discovery Award

Focused Program Award

Investigator-Initiated Research Award

Technology/Therapeutic Development Award

The Michelson Prizes are annual awards of $150,000, which support young investigators under the age of 35 who are using disruptive concepts and inventive processes to significantly advance human immunology and vaccine and immunotherapy discovery research for major global diseases. The Prizes are funded by the Michelson Medical Research Foundation and overseen by the Human Vaccines Project -- the application window for the 2021 Prizes will run from April 1 – June 18, 2021

The 2021 Michelson Prizes will be looking for research proposals in two areas:

The selection committee will be looking to support research that is both highly innovative and has the potential for high impact. Specifically, projects should propose innovative ideas and approaches that can be applied across many disease areas and states. Projects should have the potential to significantly expand our understanding of the human immune system and accelerate the development of vaccines and immunotherapies.