CDU/UCLA Cancer Center Partnership to Eliminate Cancer Health Disparities

Our Mission

Our mission is to design and conduct basic, clinical, applied, translational and prevention research programs directed toward reducing cancer incidence, morbidity and mortality in the underserved and minority communities which face cancer health disparities in Service Planning Area (SPA) 6 region of Los Angeles.

CDU and Cancer Research

In 1995, CDU initiated a structured cellular and molecular oncology research program. Led by Dr. Jay Vadgama, the research program has remained continuously funded from competitive research grants from the National Institute of Health (NIH) and other national grant sources. In 2002, the Department of Internal Medicine established a formal Division of Cancer Research and Training under the leadership of Dr. Jay Vadgama. This development complemented an evolving partnership with UCLA, and it attested to a long-term focus in cancer research, training, education, and treatment. Soon after, CDU and UCLA established a formal, partnered breast cancer research training program to enable promising CDU faculty and postdoctoral fellows to obtain the critical experience and training necessary for independent funding. Since then, CDU and UCLA have collaborated on several projects which have been funded by more than $30 million in grants from federal institutions.

Center to Eliminate Cancer Health Disparities was established through the Division of Cancer Research and Training in 2009 through a grant from the National Institute of Health. Numerous research projects are currently being conducted by the Center’s faculty and staff, including basic laboratory research, community outreach and engagement and clinical trials activities.

Research

Research projects and pilots in partnership with UCLA which are aimed at addressing health disparities in the areas of breast, colon, prostate, and gynecological cancers to name a few. Two additional resources, linical Research Resource and Recruitment Resource, aim to diversity patient and researcher recruitment into cancer health disparities research activities.

Cancer	SPA 6	L.A. County	National
Lung Cancer Death Rate (Per 100,000)	30.7	27.5	43.4
Breast Cancer Death Rate (Per 100,000)	22.8	20.5	11.5
Colorectal Cancer Death Rate (Per 100,000)	16.0	13.8	14.7
Cervical Cancer Death Rate among females (Per 100,000)	5.8	3.0	1.2
Percentage of adults 18-64 who are insured	82.2	88.3	87.2
Percentage of population living below federal poverty line	33.6	18.4	15.5
*Data provided by: Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, Office of Health Assessment and epidemiology. Key Indicators of Health by Service Planning Area; January 2017