Breast Cancer Survivor Helps Evaluate Research Proposals

Breast cancer research advocate Marty LaMarche of Newtown recently participated in the evaluation of research proposals submitted to the Breast Cancer Research Program (BCRP) sponsored by the Department of Defense in Washington, D.C.

She was nominated for participation in the program by Ann’s Place, The Home of I Can, in Danbury.

As a consumer reviewer, she was a full voting member, along with prominent scientists, at meetings to determine how Congress’s appropriation of $150 million will be spent on future breast cancer research. This funding program is managed by the US Army Medical Research and Materiel Command (USAMRMC) Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs (CDMRP) at Fort Detrick, Frederick, MD.

Since 1997, congressional appropriations for the BCRP have totaled $1,523.8 million.

Mrs LaMarche and other consumer advocates represented the collective view of breast cancer survivors and patients, family members, and persons at risk for the disease. The consumer reviewers assessed the research proposals for relevance to issues such as disease prevention, screening, diagnosis, treatment, and quality of life after treatment.

One review session was held in Reston, Va., July 20–22 during which Mrs LaMarche, who is a breast cancer survivor, provided comments and voted on the research proposals.

“It was an incredible, and exhausting, experience,” she said. “The panel that I served on, Molecular Biology and Genetics, was fascinating. I have the greatest respect for the scientists that I worked with. They are talented, dedicated, and inspiring. Working with them gives one hope that one day there will be a cure.”

Mrs LaMarche said she believes the review session was very successful.

“I, and more importantly my views on breast cancer research, were well received in a spirit of teamwork,” she said. “I can emphatically say that this is one place where citizens’ tax dollars are efficiently managed and well spent. This was my second time serving in this way. Everyone who knows me will tell you that I’m opinionated. It was nice to be able to offer this gift on behalf of other breast cancer survivors who don’t feel comfortable speaking out.”

Consumer advocates and scientists have worked together in this unique partnership to evaluate the scientific merit of breast cancer research proposals since 1995. This year, 82 consumer reviewers joined approximately 390 scientists in the review process. Colonel Kenneth Bertram, MD, an oncologist and director of the CDMRP, expressed his appreciation for the consumer advocates’ perspective in the scientific review sessions.

“They have provided valuable insight into funding decisions and helped the scientists understand the consumers’ perspective of innovative research,” he said. “Likewise, the consumer advocates have been enriched by learning more about breast cancer through discussing proposed research with scientists and seeing the future hopes of successful research.”

More than 1,600 research proposals were submitted to the 2003 program cycle. Proposals were received in response to a program announcement that encouraged innovative multidisciplinary breast cancer research aimed at the elimination of breast cancer. Proposals were solicited across all disciplines, including the basic, clinical, social, and psychosocial sciences, as well as public health, economics, quality of life, alternative therapies, occupational health, nursing research, and environmental concerns.

Following scientific merit review by consumer advocates and scientists, the proposals then move to programmatic review. Proposals judged scientifically meritorious are evaluated by an advisory council of researchers and consumer advocates to determine their programmatic relevance. This process provides a priority list of breast cancer research proposals recommended for funding that is submitted to the Fort Detrick Command staff for final approval. The entire review process will be completed by November 2003. More information about the CDMRP is available at the website of the USAMRMC at www.cdmrp.army.mil.

Through this partnership between the consumer advocacy and scientific communities, the Department of Defense serves as a vehicle for progress in the application of science to national health concerns.

Marty LaMarche also brought with her 20 “bottles of hope” given to her by Tracy VanBuskirk of Newtown, whose Polymer Clay Association makes them for breast cancer survivors.

“I gave the bottles to the scientists and breast cancer survivors with whom I served and the bottles were very well received. I received a thank you note from one of the scientists after my return home, he said, ‘I’ve been wanting to write to thank you for the gift you gave us at the meeting.  I have shown it to my wife and to a grad student and post-doc in the lab.  The grad student is actually working on breast cancer, using a mouse model we devised here in our own lab.’  So, he was impressed and happy to know that his work really does mean something in the real world,” Mrs LaMarche said.