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Hk C7f(oV O HK;07162 10 Vol. 8 No. 22 May 28, 1982 P.O. Box 2370 Reston, Virginia 22090 Telephone 703-620-4646 WHITE HOUSE STAFF MEMBER REPORTEDLY SAYS POLITICAL SCREENING BEING CARRIED OUT ON NCAB NOMINATIONS A member of President Reagan's White House staff reportedly has said that nominees for the six vacancies on the National Cancer Advi- sory Board are being carefully scrutinized for party affiliation and polit- ical activity. One of those who heard the remarks said the official im- 'plied that some nominees were rejected because "they didn't meet the political requirements." The remarks were attributed to Denis Prager, associate director for . human resources in the White House Off3ce of Science & Technology, (Continued to page 2) tir Brief REGISTRATION DEADLINES COMING UP FOR 13TH CANCER CONGRESS; BREAST CANCER MEETING POSTPONED TO '83 ~ TIME IS running out for early registration and guaranteed housing _iccommodations for the 13th International Cancer Congress in Seattle Sept. 8-15. Registrations made before Aug. 31 will qualify for reduced Tees, and housing cannot be guaranteed after July 31. Requests for copies of the advance program announcement containing information and registration blanks should be sent to 13th International Cancer - Congress, Operations Office, Fourth & Blanchard Bldg., Suite 1800, Seattle, Wash. 98121. Scientific Program Information is available from Dr. Enrico Mihich, Chairman, National Program Committee, Roswell._ Tark Memorial Institute, 666 Elm St., Buffalo, N.Y. 14263. Informa=' 'tion on travel arrangements and discounts may be obtained from Princess Tours at the Seattle address above. ... NEXT MEETIIr'G of the International Assn. for Breast Cancer Research, originally planned for June in Denver, has been postponed for approximately eight months. When financial support from NCI and the American Cancer Society did not come through, the AMC Cancer Research Center in Lakewood, Colo., agreed to support the meeting, now tentatively scheduled for early spring, 1983. Marvin Rich, director of the center, is secretary general of the association. Bernard Fisher and Gloria Heppner chair the clinical and scientific program committees.... LITTON IN- DUSTRIES has contributed S 1.75 million to the Univ. of Southern California's Kenneth Norris Jr. Cancer Research Institute to establish a laboratory named after Charles Thornton, Litton founder who died last November.... CHARLES HEIDELBERGER, director for basic re- search at the USC center, received the C. Chester Stock Award from Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center for his work in chemotherapy. ... ADVANCED BIOTECHNOLOGIES INC., which supplies biological products and services for biomedical research, has moved from Denver to Silver Spring, Md. James Whitman Jr. is president and director of re- search. ©Cooyright 1982 The Cancer Letter Inc. Subscription 5125 year North America/S7 50 yr elsewhere NCAB Sets Bypass Budget Figure At $1.074 Billion . . Page 4 NCAB Approves New Nutrition Task Force With Earmarked Funds ... Page 3 IARC- Director Denies NCI Staff Interference With Monograph . . Page 3 Concept Approval Given To $7 Million In OD Recompetitions, Renewals ... Page 5 NCI Offers Coded . Serum Panels ... Page 6 NCI Advisory Group, Other Cancer Meetings ...Page7 RFPs Available ... Page 8

PK 0716oZs(4 H111' A0 7162 ~ 4 to the President and closer to the one which will be submitted by HHS. The bypass budget would be a 12.4 percent in- crease over the amount in the President's request for NCI for the 1983 fiscal year, $955.5 million. Among other things, the bypass budget would pay all noncompeting renewal grants at recommended levels; fund National Research Service Awards with 100 percent of the institutional allowances; and fund new and competing renewal research grants at full recommended levels to a payline of 180-185. All those categories are being funded at less than recom- mended levels in the current, 1982 fiscal year. However, the bypass budget in 1984 would fund only 25-26 percent of approved competing grants, a major departure from the goals established in pre- vious bypass budgets. If the bypass budget is sup- posed to request the amount of money NCI and the NCAB feel in their best scientific judgment to be that which can be optimally spent, then a large number of scientists would question that judgment. Optimal budgets in the past have established 40-45 percent of approved grants as the number that should be funded. Other matters discussed by the Board included: -Member Robert Hickey recommended that NCI reopen competition for NCI support of regional co- operative groups, to add more such groups to the two new ones recently funded. DeVita said, "There is nothing to stop us from opening up again, except we don't have enough money unless we open up the entire cooperative group budget." DeVita asked that the issue be referred to the Div. of Cancer Treatment Board of Scientific Counselors. Hickey's mbtion that this be done, with an NCAB endorsement, drew protests from Chairman Henry Pitot and member Morris Sclu•ier. Hickey agreed that it be referred to the DCT Board without any NCAB recommendation, and other members agreed. Hickey said an organization of medical oncologists representing most areas of Texas approached him about sponsorship of a regional group at M.D. Ander- son. DeVita suggested that some of them might suc- ceed in forming Community Clinical Oncology Pro- grams.with Anderson as their research base. -Pitot asked Barbara Bynum, director of the Div. of Extramural Activities, if the decision by NIH not to use normalized priority scores was irreversible. "That decision was made just a little more than a year ago," Bynum said. "It was felt that the theory of normalized scores was a good one, but there was no rationale for the particular method we were using. The heart and lung institute does its own normalizing, and NCI could if we could develop a rationale for one method." -Pitot mentioned the "marked discrepancies be- tween the average ratings of different study sections." Stephen Schiaffino, deputy director of the NIH Div. of Research Grants, replied that that has become a problem because of the way paylines have been climbing. Hickey noted that immunology grants fare much better than those proposing clinical studies. Schiaffino said DRG is trying to correct that prob- lem by assigning clinical applications to "more clin• ically oriented study sections." NCI CONTRACT AWARDS Title: Suppression of endocrine function by sys- temic agents as treatment of human breast cancer; continuation Contractor: Pennsylvania State Univ.; Hershey Medical Center, $27,000. Title: Assessment of leukemia and thyroid disease in relation to fallout in Utah Contractor: Univ. of Utah, $6,590,423. NCAB UNIT OKAYS CONCEPT OF $7 M1 LLION IN CONTRACT RECOMPETITIONS, RENEWALS The National Cancer Advisory Board's Subcom• mittee for Review of Contracts and Budget of the NCI Office of the Director, which acts as the "board of scientific counselors" for the various offices and programs assigned directly to the OD, last week gave concept approval to nearly 57 million in contract re- competitions and sole source renewals but delayed action on a 515,000 expenditure. The subcommittee objected to a proposal by the Office of Cancer Communications for a national survey of public knowledge, attitudes and behavior related to cancer. The total cost of the survey was projected at 5277,000, but S262,000 would come from the evaluation set aside funds held by the Dept. of Health & Human Services. HHS had agreed to provide that amount, project officer Thomas I:ear, said.. NCAB Chairman Henry Pitot said, "I don't think this study should be done at all. I can't believe you can get information from 2,000 people (the number that would be surveyed) which would apply to 220 million people." Kean pointed out that 2.000 was considered the standard number by professional survey organiza- tions. This survey would be designed to provide sci- entifically valid and reliable data-against which to examine the objectives of the National Cancer Pro- gram's information and education proK, a?ns and with which to plan overall strategy and future directions for such programs. Subcommittee member Rose Kushner's motion to approve did not get a second. Gale Katterhazen's motion to table until the October meeting was ap- proved, with the request that behavioral scientists and communications experts provide more inform::- tion on the feasibility of the survey. The following contracts were approved for re- - competition: The Cancer Letter Vol. 8 No. 22 / Page 5

H KUIJ071 62 111 WH1TE HOUSE AlDE SAYS NCAB NOMINEES SCREENED FOR POLITICAL ACTIVITIES (Continued from page 1) Policy. They were allegedly made last week at an in- formal social gathering of NCAB members and NCI staff. Prager attends NCAB meetings as an alternate to ex officio member George Keyworth, director of the Office of Science & Technology Policy. Prager, contacted later by The Cancer Letter, said he did not remember details of "things that were said in private conversations." But he did not deny mak- ing the remarks attributed to him, and offered a de- fense of the Reagan Administration practice of screening nominees to policy making advisory groups for political activities. "These are Presidential appointments," Prager said. "Members of the National Cancer Advisory Board are seen as policy making appointees. It is reasonable to expect they would be looked at in regard to consistency with Administration policy. It is true that the Administration feels that when it has the opportunity to appoint policy advisors, it should have the opportunity to check out the skills of those appointees as well as party affiliation." That is the price advocates of the National Cancer Act have to pay when they insist that the NCAB should be a Presidentially appointed body, Prager indicated. "Very often, the tendency is to want to make appointments Presidential, to raise the visibil- ity," he said. "That gives the President the oppor- tunity to select persons on whatever criteria he feels are important." A furor over a similar situation was stirred up last week when Science magazine revealed that the Dept. of Agriculture had been running political loyalty checks on appointees to its peer review panels. Ag- riculture Secretary John Block immediately ordered the practice stopped. There is a difference with the NCAB appoint- ments, although some might consider it a fine line. No one has suggested (at least to date) that appoint- ments to NIH initial review groups, the study sec- tions, are screened for political affiliations and activ- ity. It is true, as Prager said, that the NCAB advises the NCl.director and HHS secretary on policy mat- ters. It also is a fact, however,'that the NCAB serves a peer review function. The National Cancer Act re- quires that all grants over S35,000 in direct costs must be approved by the NCAB as well as the initial review groups. The Act also authorizes the NCAB to initiate research projects and programs in addition to reviewing those submitted by others; to collect infor- mation on studies being carried out in the U.S. and elsewhere and to make available such information through "appropriate publications:" and to make . other various recommendations to the HHS secretary. The Act does not require the NCAB to make any recommendations to the President, only that it sub- mit a report to him and Congress annually. That last point is important in the hair splitting over whether the NCAB is advisory to the President or to the secretary. Other NIH councils are appointed by the secretary, are advisors to the secretary and thus-according to the rationale offered by Prager- not quite as fair game for political screening. Since the secretary and the NCI director are Presidential appointees, however, the case could be made that the Board through them is a Presidential advisor. "There are several different types of people on the NCAB," Prager said. "Some are scientists, chosen for their scientific qualifications. But even those people make decisions on overall programs and make recom- mendations to the President on overall direction. The President therefore has the right to select people who are consistent with what he thinks." Lay appointees are even more-subject to political scrutiny, Prager indicated. "No scientific credentials are required of the lay members. They are on there because of their participation in cancer related activ- ities, their interest in the field or their knowledge of cancer. One, of the factors in their appointment is their political leaning." There is no basis in the National Cancer Act for political screening of nominees, scientific or lay. The Act says of the qualifications required: "Not more than 12 (of the 18) appointed mem- bers of the Board shall be scientists or physicians, and not more than eight of the appointed members shall be representatives from the general public, and not less than five of the appointed members shall be in- dividuals knowledgeable in environmental carcino- genesis (including carcinogenesis involving occupa- tional and dietary factors). The scientists and phys- icians appointed to the Board shall be appointed from persons who are among the leading scientific or medical authorities outstanding in the study, diao nosis, or treatment of cancer or in fields related thereto, and at least two of the physicians appointed to the Board shall be physicians primarily involved in treating individuals who have cancer. Each appointed member of the Board shall be appointed from among persons who by virtue of their training, experience. and background are especially qualified to appraise the programs of the National Cancer Institute." The Act seems clearly to establish the NCAB as a scientific body, making undue consideration of the politics of its member inappropriate. Prager, who has been in the Office of Science & Technology Policy since the last part of the Carter Administration, insists that the politics of NCAB nominees has always been a factor. "It is no different with this Administration than others," he said. "Pres- ident Carter selected Democrats who were philo- The Cancer Letter Page 2 / May 28, 1982

RK ®7I fo213 H K C J71 62i:3 issued a press release in which he contended that NCI staff members had discussed publication of the monograph with IARC representatives after pre- viously discussing it with representatives of the Chemical Manufacturers Assn. • Obey said he had obtained a copy of a CMA memo which referred to the NCI-IARC conversations. "I find this memo to be a deeply disturbing document," Obey wrote to NCI Director Vincent DeVita. "It suggests that representatives of the Chemical Manu- facturers Assn. obtained the agreement of National Cancer Institute representatives to attempt to block publication of important scientific data which could have led to lowering of the cancer risk faced'by mil- lions of Americans." Richard Adamson, director of the Div. of Cancer Cause & Prevention, denied that anyone from NCI tried to block publication of the monograph. He did, say there was some concern at NCI about IARC's plans to assess the'risks from small exposures to ben- zene. After Tomatis made his presentation to the NCAB, Board member Sheldon Samuels asked Tomatis if he would answer some questions on the issues raised by Obey. Tomatis said he would. Board Chairman Henry Pitot objected to Samuels' questions. "It's obvious that the questions Mr. Sam- uels raised were not for the ears of the Board but for the general public," Pitot said. "They may be out of order, but we felt the issues should be aired. I realize Dr. Tomatis was put on the spot." Board member Ann Landers apologized to Tomatis for being "put in the role of a defendant." However, Board member Harold Amos said he was "shocked by the suggestion that the Board should not be involved in the serious issue_ of risk assessment. I don't think Mr. Samuels accused anyone. We're not questioning the integrity of NCI staff or IARC, but when questions are raised in public, we ought to be informed." Pitot said he "appreciates Mr. Samuels' point, and he did raise an important issue." Samuels said that DeVita had suggested the issue be discussed then. "Rather than further embarrass Dr. Tomatis, I recommend that a committee to in= vestigate these charges be established by the Board." DeVita objected. "I must have something wrong with my hearing," he said. "Is the monograph com- ing out? Yes. Is it coming out exactly as planned? Yes. Did anyone interfere with the monograph or "Did NCI staff ask for changes in the protocol or - delay publication? No. No member of my staff will fonnat of the monograph which were unusual?" ever try to suppress publication of scientific material. Samuels asked. Tomatis replied, "No." "What was the nature of the contact?" Sarnuels asked. "There was a discussion of scientific methods," Tomatis said. "NCI has never interfered, except in one case where there was a requirement for the ad- "Congressman Obey on the one hand assumes we're negative," DeVita continued. "Industry on the other assumes we will be involved (in supporting findings of carcinogenicity). We should not be heldd responsible for their views." DeVita repeated, "No one here will ever suppress dition of a chemical into the program." anything..If anyone is so inclined, he should take "I'm talking about benzene," Samuels said. "Did note." you receive any special contact from NCI staff on Board member Philippe Shubik called IARC's benzene?" monograph publication "a magnificent program." "No," Tomatis said. "NCI was informed about the Suppression of data would be difficult if not impos- monograph a year in advance, and publication will sible because IARC uses only published data, Shubik be exactly as scheduled?" pointed out. "Will it appear unchanged?" Samuels asked. "The monograph program is not in any way Tomatis said that a discussion on the risk assess- tainted," Samuels said. "The issues are domestic." ment of benzene was held with NCI last October. DeVita said that he is responding to Obey's letter. There was a review of the methods of making risk and that no official investigation had yet been in- assessments. The monograph will be published in July itiated. as planned, without changes, Tomatis said. Maureen Henderson's motion that the NCAB Noting that IARC routinely does risk assessment should not investigate the matter was approved l I-~, on chemicals, Samuels said the issue "is the kind of with Samuels and William Powers voting against it. quantitative risk assessment on benzene. Did that NCAB SETS BYPASS 6UDGET FOR FY 1984 question come from NCI staff?" AT 51.074 BILLION, 12.4 PERCENT OVER 1983 Discussions were on methods, Tomatis said. "NCI agrees strongly that quantitative risk assessment is a NCI's bypass budget for the 1984 fiscal year was difficult field." established at S I.074 billion (one billion, 74 million) "Were any issues other than the purely scientific last week by the National Cancer Advisory Board on discussions of methodology (for NCI's discussion of recommenda::on of NCI staff. That figure is less than the monograph) ever raised, in the context of regula- the totals in the bypass budget for the two previous tion?" Samuels asked. years, in line with NCI's new policy of presenting a "No," Tomatis answered- more realistic fzRure in the budget that goes directly rhe Cancer Letter 'age 4 / May 28, 1982 !.: `..1..1:;:: 1','11•••1

Li(c ®'71 (02I -Z~ Nh!W-- L7 16.212 sophically in tune with his Administration." NCAB APPROVES ESTABLISHING NUTRITION The slow process in filling NCAB vacancies also is TASK FORCE, EARMARKED RESEARCH FUNDS ' not new, Prager said. He attributed it to the system rather than the political checks. The NCI and NCAB The National Cancer Advisory Board approved the recommendations go first to NIH, then to the assis- recommendations of its Subcommittee on Nutrition tant secretary for health, to the secretary through & Cancer advising NCI to establish a Nutrition K& his committee personnel office, and finally to the Cancer Task Force and earmark a specific amount of White House personnel office. money to fund an initial round of grants. Prager said his office does not see the nominations Subcommittee Chairman Maureen Henderson said and insisted he was not aware of any specific rejec- that no specific sum was included in the recommen- tions based on political or any other reasons. dation and that subcommittee members agreed that The fact is that the NCI and NCAB lists were sub- should be determined by the NCI director. This mitted and cleared NIH in plenty of time for the would be in addition to research projects presently process to have been completed by now but were being supported through other mechanisms. repeatedly rejected, either at HHS or the White "Implicit in the recommendation is that some in- House. When The Cancer Letter attempted to con- dividual at NCI be accountable for and responsible tact the HHS committee personnel office, a press for management of the program," Henderson said. aide said, incredibly, that no one in the office knew The administrative arrangement would provide that the status of the NCAB nominations. all NCI nutrition research be coordinated through . To be fair, it has to be acknowledged that the that individual. Reagan Administration has not been entirely one way Administration of the program would be entirely in its hiring of key health personnel. New NIH Direc- - within NCI, but with the help of a task force which tor James Wyngaarden said at his initial press con- would be convened to "set out an agenda and take ference he had been asked by federal investigators on responsibility for reviewing the first round of pro- about his political affiliation and had"told them he posals," Henderson said. was a "North Carolina Democrat." NCI Director After the first round has been awarded, renewal's Vincent DeVita was retained although he was a would go through the regular NIH funding mechan- Carter appointee, and former NIH Director Donald isms, most probably as ROl or P01 grants. Fredrickson, who had been appointed by a Repub- "It is crucial that we have a big push to seek re- could have sults in research in all fields of nutrition and cancer," lican and continued under a Derriocr t a , staved had he so desired. There are other examples, Henderson said. "There is new technology, and there including Prager. is a lot of unproven information being given to the Prager is correct, that politicking in the appoint- public. It takes earmarked funds to get that started. ment of NCAB members is nothing new. A Repub- A lot of it will be applied research, but equally crit- lican senator once called in his chips from President ical will be supporting basic•research in nutrition." Ford and secured the reappointment of one member Director Vincent DeVita said, "We're in sync with who had been left off the NCI/NCAB list. Another the recommendations. I ask only for time to respond was reappointed over the NCI director's objections to the report. We do have a Diet & Nutrition Program when a surprisingly large number of Congress mem- housed in the Div. of Resources, Centers & Com- bers buried the HHS secretary with mail. Gale Kat- munity Activities, and I would ask that that organiza- terhagen was appointed after the Assn. of Commu- tional arrangement not be changed." nity Cancer Centers generated overwhelming support There were no votes against the recommendation. for him on Capitol Hill. Rose Kushner's appointment although Philippe Shubik abstained. was secured with the help"of pressure on Congress Recommendations on the areas of research which and the secretary from women's organizations and should be encouraged were reported to the Board in Jewish groups. ACCC has worked hard for its current February (The Cancer Letter, Feb. 19). candidates. Gilbert Friedell, Worcester, Mass., who is IARC DIRECTOR DENIES NCI STAFF TRIED chairman of the National Bladder Cancer Project, TO tNTERFERE WITH BENZENE IItONOGRAPH and David Johnson, current ACCC president and ad-" ministrator of Deaconess Hospital in Evansville. Ind. Lorenzo Tomatis, the new director of the Interna- Others on one or another list include Bernard tional Agency for Research on Cancer. denied that Weinstein, Columbia Univ. scientist; and Helene NCI staff members tried to delay or block an LaRC Brown, long time cancer control activist in Los monograph on the carcinogenic risk of benzene, as Angeles. The terms of six members expired following charged by Congressman David Obey (D.-Wisc.). .the February meeting. The National Cancer Act pro- Tomatis had been scheduled previously t.o appear vides that members will continue to serve until re- at last week's meeting of the National Cancer Advi- placed, even when that extends past the end of their sory Board to describe the activities, objectives and • terms. functions of IARC. During the previous week. Obe~, The Cancer Letter Vol. 8 No. 22 / Page 3

OR, 071624 ro : ~-r'J 1 ~21. 6 antigens, carbohydrates, phospholipids, nucleosides, etc.) have been reported to be uniquely present, or present in elevated or decreased quantities, in the sera of cancer patients, as compared to other patients or to normal individuals. NCI said that coded serum panels are available to evaluate assays which have given preliminary indica- tions of discrimination between cancer patients and controls. "Promising results on this coded panel may provide the basis for further support in development of the immunoassay," the announcement said. Preliminary data documenting a useful test and request for a coded serum panel to evaluate it should be sent to Immunodiagnosis Serum Panels, Bldg. 31 Rm 3AI0, NCI, NIH, Bethesda, Md. 20205. NCI ADVISORY GROUP, OTHER CANCER MEETINGS FOR JUNE, JULY, FUTURE ' 5th European Immunology Meeting June 1-4, Istanbul. Con- tact VIP Turizm Pirinccioglu, Ltd. Cumhuriyet Cad, Seyhan, Apt. No. 12, Elmadag, Istanbul. 8th International Convocation on Immunology-June 14-17, Buffalo. Contact J.M. Mohn, Ernest Wttebsky Center for Im- munology, 210 Sherman Hall, SUNY (Buffalo) 14214. World Congress of Gastroenterology, Digestive Endoscopy & Coio-Proctology-June 14-19, Stockholm. Contact D. Hall- berg, Dept, of Surgery, Huddinge Hospital, 141 86, Stock- holm. International Conference on Human Tumor Markers-June 17- 20, Munich. Contact G.D. Birkmayer, Dept. of Cell Biology, Munich Univ., Goethestr. 8000 Munich 2, Fed. Rep. of Ger- many. Bladder Cancer Review Committee-June 21-22, Marriott Ho- tel, Worcester, Mass., open June 21, 8:30 a.m.-3 .p.m. International Conference on Chromatography & Mass Spec- trometry in Biomedical Sciences-June 21-23, Bordighera, Italy. Contact A. Frigerio, Ist. di Ricerche Farmacolugiche "Mario Negri," Via Eritrea 62, 20157 Milan. Wilsede Meeting on Moderri Trends in Human Leukemia-June 21-23, Hamburg. Contact R. Neth, Univ. Kinderklinik, Epn:n- dorf, Martinist 52, 2000 Hamburg 20, Fed. Rep. of Germany. President's Cancer Panel-June 22, UCLA Jonsson Compre• hensive Cancer Center, Health Sciences Bldg., A-floor audito- rium, 9 a.m., open. Invited, presentations by scientists further NCI Div. of Cancer Treatment Board of Scientific Counselors- Regency on Capitol Hill, Washington, D.C. Sponsored by the June 3-4, Sheraton Potomac Hotel, Shady Grove Rd., Poto- American Cancer Society "to strengthen the role of the pri- mac, Md., 8:30 a.m., open. mary care physician as a first line defense against cancer." In. Prevention of Hereditary Large Bowel Cancer-June 3-4, cludes presentations and discussion on prevention. psycho- Somerset Inn, Troy, Mich. Sponsored by the Comprehensive social problems, early detection. diagnosis. and treatment. Cancer Center of Metropolitan Detroit. Contact Bruce Contact ACS, 777 Third Ave., New York 10017. Deighton, Dept. of Oncology, 536 Hudson Blvd., 3990 John Assn. of American Cancer Institutes-June 27-29, Ohio State R St., Detroit 48201, phone 313-577-1848. Univ., Columbus, Fawcett Center for Tomorrow. Senuannuai Frontiers in Cancer Therapy-June 3-4, New England Deacon- ess Hospital, Boston. Contact Harvard Medical School, Dept. of Continuing Education, Boston 02115. Polish National Cancer Congress-June 4-5, Warsaw. Contact L Wozniak, Polish Oncology Society, Gagarina 4, 93-509, Lodz, Poland. U1CC Workshop on Cancer Campaign & Organization-June 5-6. Warsaw. Contact as above. discussing federal support of biomedical research. The Primary Care Physician and Cancer-June 24-26, Hyatt meeting. Cancer Clinical Investigation Review Committee-J une ' 8-24. NIH Bldg 31 Rm 10, open June 28, 8:30-9 a.m. Nordic Congress of Pathological Anatomy and Cytology-June 28-30, Copenhagen. Contact NOPAC '82 Secr., Institutterne Frederik den V's Vej 11, 2100 Copenhagen. I1th International Symposium for Comparative Research on Leukemia & Related Diseases-Juh, 4-8. Cambridee. U.K. Cor:- Cancers of the Colon-Rectttm-June 5, Roswell Park continu- tact D.S. John, 410 W. 17th Ave., Suite 302, Columbus, Oh;o ing education in oncology. 43210. International Symposium on the Synthesis & Applications of 3rd World Congress of Laryngectomees-July 5-7, Tokyo. Isotopically labeled Compounds-June 6-11, Kansas City, Mo. Contact the congress, Guinrei-kai Inc. Assn.. Takara-Shi_svo Contact Dr. Alexander Susan, Scientific Secretary, Midwest 2nd Bldg., 3-7-14 Lidabashi, Chiyodaku, Tokyo 102. Research Institute, 425 Volker Blvd., Kansas City; 64110, 2nd International Conference on Immunopharmacology-Julk phone 816-753-7600. 5-10, Sheraton Park Hotel, Washington D.C. Contact Scten- Cancer Control Grant Review Committee-June 7-8, NIH Bldg_ tific Secretariat, (name of Conference), 142-144 Oxford Rc., 31, Rm 8, open June 7, 8:30-9 a.m. Cowley, Oxford OX4 2DZ, U.K. Forum 82 of Cancerology: Quarterly Scientific Meeting-June Molecular Cloning of Eukaryotic Genes, and Advanced Bac- 7-8, Paris. Contact Mrs. Berthomeau, Institute Curie, 26,7ue terial Genetics-July 5-25, Cold Spring Harbor. N.Y. Two d'UIm, 75231 Paris Cedex 05, France. - conferences. Phone 516-367-8343. Pancreatic Cancer Review Committee-June 8, New Orleans Cancer Special Programs Advisory Committee-July 1=-1 E. Tidewater Place. Open 8:30-10 a.m. NIH Bldg 31 Rm 10- open Jul~• 15, 9-10 a.m. 7th International Conference on Divided Immunofluorescence, Radiation Therapy Oncology Group-July 19-21, Bellevue Immunoenzyme Studies and Related Labeling Techniques- Stratford Hotel. Philadelphia_ June 8-1 1, Niagara Falls. N.Y. Contact E. Beutner, School of Gynecologic Oncology Group-July '11-23, Bellevue Stratford Medicine, State Univ. of New York. 219 Sherman Hall, Buf- HoteI, Philadelphia. Contact John l:eller, GOG Headquarters. falo 14214. 1234 Market St., Philadelphia 19107, phone '_1 5-654-0- %0. A New Look at Older Drugs in Cancer Treatment-June 8-9, 5th Congress of World Federation for Ultrasound in Medicine NIH Bldg 1 Wilson Hall, 8:30 a.m. both days. Summaries of a & Biology-July 26-30, Brighton, U.K. Contact Secretar%.4 senes of workshops which reexamined scientific and clinical "L" Portman Mansions, Cltiltern St.. London A'1 M. I LF. U.K. data on selected anticancer agents, plus invited papers on Introduction of Macromolecules into Mammalian CeIls-Ju;\ screening procedures and discussion of a proposed system for 28-Aug. 17, Cold Spring Harbor. Phone 516-367-8343. systematic review of older drugs. Contact Dr. Vincent Oliverio, FUTURE MEETINGS Bldg 31 Rm 10A03, NCI, Bethesda, Md. 20205, phone 301- 496-9138. International Society for Experimental Hematology-?.uc. l22• The Cancer Letter Vol. 8 No. 22 / Page 7 . 1-7t •t

~ 0?l46 2.1'7 rf~r~,'~i1621~7 15, Baltimore, I 1 th annual meeting. Contact Dr. Lyle Heim, Dept. of Pediatrics, Texas Tech Univ., School of Medicine, 4800 Alberta Ave., El Paso 79905.. The Cancer Registry: An Educational, Epidemiological, and Evaluative Tool in Cancer Control-Aug. 18-20, Holiday Inn Parkway, Tallahassee, Fla. Annual Florida Registry workshop. Contact Florida Cancer Council, American Cancer Society, John Carbonneau, 1001 S. MacDilt Ave., Tampa 33609, phone 813-253-0541. Approaches to Management of Pain-Sept. 9, Goodman's Hall, 10 Jack London Square, Oakland, Calif. Contact Despina Johnson, 2844 Summit St., Suite 204, Oakland 94609, phone , 415-465-8570. Sponsored by the Bay Area Tumor Institute various environmental substances. Typically the . issues are of national visibility and importance, with exposures generally affecting very large numbers of individuals. A recent example involved the concern over saccharin, resulting in a request to NCI to con- duct a large nationwide case control study of bladder cancer to evaluate the role of artificial sweeteners in the origins of this cancer. . This RFP seeks technical proposals from organiza- tions capable of providing the necessary managerial, data collection, and data processing support (re- and East Bay Cancer Program. source) services to assist NCI and its collaborators in Chemical Emergencies in Laboratories-Planning & Response- the conduct of epidemiologic studies to address new Sept. 15-16, Frederick Cancer Research Facility, Md. The or emergent cancer issues that require rapid evalua- 1982 NIH Research Safety Symposium. Topics will include tion. Although the studies which will actually be facility design, ventilation, design, administrative control, in- formation systems, regulatory aspects, education, training, emergency plans. Contact Linda Kesselring, Environmental Control & Research Laboratory, NCI FCRF, PO Box B, Frederick, Md. 21701, phone 301-695-1451. International Society for Pediatric Oncology-Sept. 21-25, Iieme, Switzerland. Fourteenth annual meeting. Contact Dr. Hans Wagner, SPOG, Institute for Clinical & Experimental Cancer Research TiefenausDital 3004 Berne conducted cannot be specified in advance, it is antic- ipated that they will often be national in scope, con- ducted in multiple locations throughout the country in collaboration with scientists in the local areas, and will involve identifying and interviewing large numbers of cancer patients and controls, or the as- sembly and evaluation of information on environ- T. & L. de Beaumont Bonelli Foundation for Cancer Re- mental or occupational exposures of large groups of search-Sept. 23-26, Roya1 Palace, Naples, Italy. Contact Dr. individuals. Errico di Lorenzo, Organizing Secretary, V. le Elena, 80122, A master agreement as defined in the federal pro- Naples. - curement regulations shall be issued as a result of this Fourth International Conference on the Adjuvant Therapy RFP. It is anticipated that three-year MAs will be of Cancer-March 21-24, 1984, Tucson Convention Center. Cochairmen Stephen Jones and Sydney Salmon said that al- issued to several qualified firms, which will then be though the three previous conferences were held at.two year eligible to compete for the award of task order con- intervals, "we felt this additional year would be very helpful tracts to carry out specific studies. A series of task in putting studies in perspective." orders may be issued during the tenure of the agree- ment. Contractors receiving a TO award will be sel- RFPs AVAILABLE ected from among those with a MA who compete for Requests for proposal described here pertain to contracts the TO, based on'technical merit and budgetary con- planned foraward by the National Cancer Institute unless siderations for the specific tasks involved. otherwise noted. wrr're to the Conrracting Officer or Contract Although it is the usual practice to select awardees Specialist for copies of the RFP, citing the RFP number. for MAs first, and to issue TOs subsequently, due to. NCI listings will show the phone number of the Contracting time urgency this RFP includes a request for propo- Officer or Contract Specialist who will respond to questions sals for the first TO. The initial TO to be issued con- Address requests for NCI RFPs to the individual named, the 3lair Building room number shown, National Cancer Institute, cerns an industrial hygiene survey of formaldehyde 8300 Colesville Rd., Silver Spring, Md. 20910. RFPannounce- expostires. Respondents wishing to be considered ments from other agencies reported here will include the simultaneously for awar,d of a contract for this first complete mailing address at the end of each. RFP NCI-CP-FS-21008-77 TO'should submit a separate proposal in addition to the proposal for the MA. This RFP will solicit a pool of organizations with Title: Support services for epidemiologic studies to pertinent successful experience and capabilities to address emergent cancer issues carry out certain tasks. A master agreement will be Deadline: July 2 signed with each selected organization, which will The Field Studi°s & Statistics Program of the Div. then compete for task orders to follow. of Cancer Cause & Prevention, NCI, is frequently then compete for task orders to follow.. called upon, often by congressional or executive Contract Specialist: Patrick Williams mandate, to provide data to respond to questions RCB, Biair-Bldg. Rm. 1 14 concerning the possible carcinogenicity to humans of 301-427-8888 The Cancer Letter -Editor,lerry D. Boyd Published forty-eignt times a year by The Cancer Letter. Inc., P.O. Box 2370, Reston, Virginia 22090. Alsopubhsher of The Clinical Cancer Letter. All rights reserved. None of the content of this publication ntay be reproduced, stored in a retrieval svs:err, or transmitter ir a^,, form or by any m2ans (electronic• mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise) witnout the prior written permission of tne publishe• Violators risk criminal penalties and $50•000 aamages.

*4 lk'.. a7cto z.ts- HK."0116215 Programming and data entry services in support search of Clearinghouse files; referral to other information of NCI's contracts management system. The existing sources, information packages, annotated bibliographies on contract with Sigma Data Services Corp. has aver- specifc topices (16 titles published), and information on existing information and education programs. aged $125,000 a year; project costs for a three year The collection of relevant information totals 6,000 items renewal total $465,000. It will be a small business (4/I/82). During 1981, the CIC handled about 1,500 requests set aside, and Sigma Data Services will not be eligible for information including 600 searches of the CIC on-line to compete for it. database. 8,000 users were included in the update of the mailing list. The OCC will distribute 220,000 bibliographies Screening, indexing, abstracting, and keying of upon requests during 1982-a 10 percent increase over 1981. information from published cancer literature for the Project officer Joseph Bangiolo said that part of International Cancer Research Data Bank. Present the Clearinghouse's mission is to "head off publica- contractors are the Franklin Institute and Herner & tion of unwarranted or duplicative material. The Co. Franklin's contract has totaled $4.9 million over average cost of one publication is $30,000; if we head three years and Herner s$477,000. Total amount for off 10 a year, we save more than the Clearinghouse the two contracts would be reduced somewhat under costs." staff projections, to $4.4 million over four years. It Management information system support services. will be a small business set aside and Franklin will Present contractor is System Sciences Inc., which re- not be eligible; Herner might. The staff narrative des- ceived $500,000 over three years. Staff estimated an cribing the program: additional three years would cost $542,000. The The ICRDB Program is responsible for the collection, anal narrative: ysis, storage, and dissemination of information to cancer re- NCI's Management Information System is composed of a search scientists and clinicians. This proposed contract pro- network of user oriented and managed systems.which are de- vides essential input for these operations by supporting activ- signed and developed at the request of and with requirements ities related to the screening, selection, preparation of ab- supplied by the operating areas. In general these systems sup- stracts, and keying of citations and abstracts of published in- port individual operating areas but are so designed that the in- formation about cancer research, including biomedical jour- formation from several of these systems may be combined to nals, select abstracts of papers presented at meetings, and ` provide a more unified picture of NCI activities than provided other published literature. by a single system. Development and maintenance of compu- Other ICRDB contractors use this data as input to the ter programs, operating procedures, and documentation for Cancerlit database which currently contains abstracts to some these systems; user training and problem resolution; coordina- 300,000 documents published since 1963. The data are also tion of all program and data f`ile changes; and consultation on used as input for preparing Cancergrams which are monthly a variety of ADP-related activities are provided by the MIS current awareness documents containing abstracts of recently project office. Components developed to date support areas published literature in 66 different areas of cancer research, within the Office of the Director and several of the divisions and as a source of data for retrospective bibliographies con- with primary emphasis on the Financial Management dranch taining abstracts of documents published over the past few and administrative offices. years on topics of high current interest to cancer researchers. The staff of the Management Information System project As in the past, it is proposed to support-two contractors office is responsible for the system analysis and design activ- who will carry out this activity within the future annual ities as well as system integration, configuration managemerit, budget levels indicated above. One contractor will process in- user liaison, and system evaluation. The purpose of this tech- put documents which have a usable abstract. The other will nical support services contract is to expand, maintain, and sup- process documents which require an abstract to be written, port the operation of the current systems as well as to provide High priority will be given to rapid processing of a small core implementation support for the development of new systems. ,of high quality journals (perhaps 200 journals). This very The contractor will also be expected to provide data proces- timely core data will be used to create a subfile of current, sing "support for other computer related activities, such as co- high quality data which can be searched separately from the ordination of the NCI ADP Systems Security Program. main file containing more archival data and data from journals The subcommittee also approved the concept of which are not on the core list, renewing a contract with Union Internationale Cancer Information Clearinghouse and allied ser- Contre Cancer to continue its w•ork, at S225.000 a vices. Present contractor is CSR Inc.; it cost $835,000 year for three years, in support of the ICRDB; and over the last three years. Staff estimated three ad- renewing the contract with the National Academy of ditional years would cost 5777,000. The narrative: Sciences, for four years totaling S 140,000, to sup- The Cancer Information Citaringhouse is a service of the port the USA National Committee for the UICC. Office of Cancer Communications. The Clearinehouse collects NCI OFFERS TO SUPPLY CODED SERUM and disseminates information concerning 1) existing cancer PANELS FOR IMMUNODIAGNOSIS ASSAYS communications programs and 2) materials for use in patient,. pubhc, and professional education. Organizations involved in NCI has announced the availability of coded serum, cancer communications and education may both contribute panels for use in evaluating assays that have potential to and draw upon the information'in the Clearinghouse col- for the immunodiagnosis of Cancer: lections. Users request information about the educational ma- terials/services on screening, prevention, diagnosis, treatment, A variety of serum components (e.g., peptide hor- rehabilitation, and behavioral aspects. mones, viral antigens, isoenzymes, glycoproteins. Clearinghouse services to organizations include tailored antibodies, immune complexes, tumor-associated The Cancer Letter Page 6 / May 28, 1982 , 1:::: .T.t.::: f'-ll•-4