In 1992, the NCI established the Specialized Programs of Research Excellence (SPOREs) to
promote interdisciplinary research and to speed the bi-directional exchange between basic and
clinical science to move basic research finding from the laboratory to applied settings involving
patients and populations.
The goal of the SPORE program is to bring to clinical care settings
novel ideas that have the potential to reduce cancer incidence and mortality, improve survival,
and to improve the quality of life. Laboratory and clinical scientists work collaboratively to
plan, design and implement research programs that impact on cancer prevention, detection,
diagnosis, treatment and control.
To facilitate this research, each SPORE develops and maintains
specialized resources that benefit all scientists working on the specific cancer site, as well as
SPORE scientists. An additional SPORE element is a career development program that recruits scientists
both within and outside the SPORE institution to enlarge the cadre of laboratory and clinical scientists
dedicated to translational research on human cancer.
SPOREs meet annually to share data, assess research
progress, identify new research opportunities and establish priorities for research most likely to reduce
incidence and mortality and to increase survival. In 2002, NCI funded SPOREs on breast, prostate, lung,
gastrointestinal, ovarian, genitourinary, brain, skin, head and neck cancers, and lymphoma.
In the upcoming
years, NCI will increase the use of the SPORE mechanism to include funding for other major cancer sites
(GYN, leukemia, myeloma, pancreas). SPOREs are funded through specialized center grants (P50s).
|