Brain Tumor Epidemiology Consortium (BTEC)

Next Annual MeetingApril 5-7, 2008Heidelberg, Germany

Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum (German Cancer Research Center)

The Brain Tumor Epidemiology Consortium (BTEC) is an open scientific forum organized to foster the development of multi-center, international and inter-disciplinary collaborations that will lead to a better understanding of the etiology, outcomes, and prevention of brain tumors. Another BTEC mission is to mentor junior investigators or investigators who are new to brain tumor epidemiologic research.

The Consortium was formed in 2003 after an initial meeting sponsored by the National Cancer Institute’s (NCI) Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics (DCEG), which is the intramural (in house) research component of the Institute, and the National Institutes of Health’s (NIH) Office of Rare Diseases (ORD), and has evolved as a self-directed consortium.

BTEC held meetings twice annually in its early years. Beginning with the meeting hosted by Dr. Patricia Buffler and held in Berkeley, California, June 5-7, 2007, BTEC meetings are held yearly alternating between locations in and outside the United States. The tenth meeting is scheduled for Heidelberg, Germany, April 5-7, 2008, and will be hosted by Dr. Brigitte Schlehofer, BTEC Co-Vice President.

Documents for this meeting:

• Registration form (Word, PDF) deadline: January 12, 2008
• Abstract form (Word, PDF) deadline: December 14, 2007
• Preliminary agenda (Word, PDF)

BTEC has four working groups to develop ideas for coordinated research focusing on adult gliomas, meningiomas, pediatric brain cancers, and family studies. Each group has moved forward with specific proposals. Studies arising from BTEC initiatives that have been funded or approved for funding include (study title/funder/Principle Investigator(s)):

• DNA Repair Polymorphisms and Glioblastoma – National Brain Tumor Foundation - Roberta McKean-Cowdin, Ph.D., University of Southern California
• GLIOGENE (Genetic Epidemiology of Glioma International Consortium) – NCI – Melissa Bondy, Ph.D., The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center
• Meningioma Risk Factors and Quality of Life – NCI – Elizabeth Claus, M.D., Ph.D., Yale University, Director of Coordinating Center; Peter Black, M.D., Ph.D., Brigham and Women’s Hospital; Melissa Bondy, Ph.D., The University of Texas M.D. Anderson; Joellen Schildkraut, Ph.D., Duke University; and Joe Wiemels, Ph.D., University of California at San Francisco
• Risk Factors for Oligodendroglioma – National Brain Tumor Foundation – Bridget McCarthy, Ph.D., University of Illinois at Chicago.

Funding for the BTEC Meetings

Support for BTEC meetings has been through partnerships, with funds coming from non-profit brain tumor organizations and private and in-kind donations, as well as from the Office of Rare Diseases (ORD) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the National Cancer Institute (NCI), and the National Institute of Neurological Diseases and Stroke (NINDS). Among the non-profit partners are the National Brain Tumor Foundation (San Francisco, CA) and the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation (Asheville, NC). Support for individual meetings has been provided by the American Brain Tumor Association, The Preuss Foundation, the Healing Exchange Brain Trust, Cancerfonden (Swedish Cancer Society), Cancerforsknings Fonden Norrland, and the Swedish Pediatric Cancer Foundation. Additional corporate support has come from NeoPharm, Inc., and Schering Plough, Inc. The Central Brain Tumor Registry of the United States (CBTRUS) provides administrative support. Partial support for BTEC’s logistical needs is provided by the Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics (DCEG) and NCI’s Epidemiology and Genetics Research Program (EGRP), Division of Cancer Control and Population Sciences (DCCPS). EGRP manages the epidemiology grant program for NCI. Some Consortium investigators have grant support for research projects through EGRP.

The BTEC Heidelberg meeting has been cooperatively sponsored by the National Brain Tumor Foundation, BTEC’s Sustaining Partner, the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation, the European Association for Cancer Research (EARC), the European Association of Neuro-Oncology (EANO), and the Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum (DKFZ, German Cancer Research Center). EACR was established in 1968 with the aim of advancing cancer research from basic research to prevention, treatment and care. The Association also offers opportunities for Communication, Education, and Training for the Young Cancer Researcher. EANO is the pan-European organization that represents all the medical and scientific disciplines involved in the diagnosis and treatment of tumours of the nervous system. The DKFZ, German Cancer Research Center systematically investigates the mechanisms of cancer development to identify cancer risk factors which may result in new approaches in the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of cancer.

BTEC Executive Committee

• U.S. Co-Presidents:
  • Melissa Bondy, Ph.D., The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center
  • Faith Davis, Ph.D., University of Illinois at Chicago
• European and Mid-Eastern Co-Presidents:
  • Siegal Sadetzki, M.D., M.P.H., Cancer & Radiation Epidemiology Unit, Gertner Institute, Chaim Sheba Medical Center, Tel Aviv University, Israel
  • Brigitte Schlehofer, M.D., German Cancer Research Center, Heidelberg, Germany

NCI Contacts

• Peter Inskip, Sc.D., Radiation Epidemiology Branch (REB), Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics (DCEG), NCI
• Daniela Seminara, Ph.D., Epidemiology and Genetics Research Program (EGRP), Division of Cancer Control and Population Sciences (DCCPS), NCI

Meeting/Membership Information

• Carol Kruchko, President, Central Brain Tumor Registry of the United States (CBTRUS)