DUARTE, Calif., January 28, 2010 — The National Cancer Institute (NCI) has awarded City of Hope nearly $3.5 million to investigate the genetic factors that lead some cancer survivors to develop second malignancies. Smita Bhatia, M.D., M.P.H., chair of the Department of Populations Sciences, will lead the study.

The American Cancer Society estimates that nearly 1.5 million Americans were diagnosed with cancer in 2009.

“The central question is this: Why do some people escape these second cancers, and others do not?” said Bhatia. “We believe the clue is present at the DNA level.”

The five-year grant will allow researchers to study genes that influence how the body deals with cancer treatment, such as metabolism of chemotherapeutic drugs and DNA repair following radiation therapy.

About six percent of all childhood cancer survivors live through their first cancer only to be diagnosed with another solid tumor or hematologic cancer later, said Bhatia. Risk of a second cancer among these survivors is 10 times higher than cancer risk in the general population.

The new grant, provided through the NCI’s Office of Cancer Survivorship, also brings together the data and expertise of scientists at 147 medical centers around the world. Scientists already have reached about two-thirds of their goal for the study by recruiting 3,600 cases of pediatric and adult cancer survivors diagnosed with a second cancer and 3,600 survivors who have stayed cancer free.

Other investigators in this study include, Susan Neuhausen, Ph.D., of City of Hope, Mary Relling, Pharm.D., of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and Lue-ping Zhao, Ph.D., of the Fred Hutchison Cancer Research Center.