Cancer center announces cancer prevention and control program

The Fred & Pamela Buffett Cancer Center has launched a new research initiative, the Cancer Prevention and Control Program. The program will focus on developing expertise and innovative methods for precision prevention and address key risk factors specific to Nebraska, including obesity, nutrition, smoking and environmental factors.

Edward Peters, DMD, ScD, professor and chair of the UNMC Department of Epidemiology, and Vijaya Bhatt, MBBS, professor in the UNMC Division of Hematology and Oncology, will lead the program.

The program aims to:

• Identify and understand cancer risk drivers with a focus on rural populations and disparities in the area that the Fred & Pamela Buffett Cancer Center serves. The research will aim to uncover biological, environmental, behavioral and social factors that increase cancer risk.
• Develop novel screening methods with a focus on discovering advanced and new screening techniques for early cancer detection and implementing effective interventions to reduce and prevent cancer incidence.
• Enhance quality of life for cancer survivors by conducting research on survivorship care and managing the symptoms related to cancer and its treatments.

The program opens opportunities for the research community and encourages interdisciplinary collaboration, enabling researchers from departments and colleges across the University of Nebraska to contribute their expertise. Researchers and investigators will have access to dedicated funding to support innovative cancer prevention and control projects.

“This initiative brings new hope to people in our area,” said Joann Sweasy, PhD, director of the Fred & Pamela Buffett Cancer Center. “By prioritizing innovative prevention and detection methods, we aim to address health disparities directly and urgently and improve health outcomes across Nebraska – a leap towards early detection, reduced cancer risk and improved survivorship outcomes.”