Research Projects

The Utah Cancer Registry has a number of ongoing research projects.

For further information about any of the research projects that UCR is involved in, please call our research coordination staff at 801-585-3317 or email us at ucr_research@hsc.utah.edu.

CAncer Survivor ExperienceS (CASES) Project

The purpose of this project is to collect information about the health and quality of life of cancer survivors in order to better understand and address the needs of cancer survivors in Utah. The project, sponsored by the Centers for Disease Control, is being conducted by Utah Cancer Registry in partnership with the Utah Department of Health and Human Services.

It is estimated that over 120,000 cancer survivors reside within the state of Utah. To fully understand cancer’s impact, it is important that scientists and public health officials hear from cancer survivors directly. Participants will receive an invitation in the mail to complete a questionnaire about their health, health care, and quality of life experiences during and since their cancer diagnosis.

Lead Investigator

Morgan Millar, PhD, is the Director of Evaluation and Quality Assessment for Utah Cancer Registry. She is an assistant professor in the Division of Epidemiology, Department of Medicine at the University of Utah School of Medicine, and a member of the Cancer Control and Population Sciences Program at Huntsman Cancer Institute.

Genetic Analysis of Digestive Cancers

Results from this investigation will help better understand the genetic and non-genetic factors that may affect the risk of developing digestive cancers and other related diseases.

Individuals contacted by Utah Cancer Registry for this project are being asked to give permission for their contact information to be released to the researchers at the University of Utah. Giving permission to be contacted does not mean a person is agreeing to participate in the research study; it only means they have given permission for a member of the research team at the University of Utah to contact them to discuss the project and answer any questions.

Lead Investigator

The lead researcher for this project at the University of Utah is Lisa Cannon-Albright, PhD. Dr. Cannon-Albright is a professor and division chief of the Division of Genetic Epidemiology in the Department of Medicine at the University of Utah School of Medicine. She is also a Huntsman Cancer Institute investigator.

Osteosarcoma Surveillance Study

Researchers at RTI International (RTI) are conducting a study of osteosarcoma (a very rare bone cancer) and other similar bone cancers. Results from this investigation may help researchers better understand factors related to the development of bone cancer among persons 40 years of age and older.

This study is sponsored by Eli Lilly and Company.

Individuals contacted by Utah Cancer Registry for this project are being asked to give permission for their contact information to be released to the researchers at RTI. Giving permission to be contacted does not mean a person is agreeing to participate in the research study; it only means they have given permission for a member of the research team at RTI to contact them to discuss the project and answer any questions.

Medullary Thyroid Carcinoma Surveillance Study: A Case-Series Registry

Researchers at United BioSource Corporation (UBC) are conducting a study of medullary thyroid carcinoma. Results from this investigation may help researchers better understand the possible risk factors for developing medullary thyroid cancer.

This study is sponsored by Novo Nordisk.

Individuals contacted by Utah Cancer Registry for this project are being asked to give permission for their contact information to be released to the researchers at UBC. Giving permission to be contacted does not mean a person is agreeing to participate in the research study; it only means they have given permission for a member of the research team at UBC to contact them to discuss the project and answer any questions.

Multi-Cancer Approach to Genetic Predisposition

The goal of the study is to better understand how genes affect risk of cancer and how that information can be used to improve treatment strategies for patients and prevention strategies in family members. All individuals newly diagnosed with pancreatic or ovarian cancer are eligible to participate.

Participants are asked to complete a short questionnaire and provide a small amount of blood.

Lead Investigator

The lead investigators for this project are Mia Hashibe, PhD, and Nicola Camp, PhD. Dr. Hashibe is an associate professor in the Department of Family and Preventive Medicine at the University of Utah and a Huntsman Cancer Institute investigator. Dr. Camp is a professor in the Departments of Medicine and Human Genetics at the University of Utah and a Huntsman Cancer Institute investigator.

Genetic and Environmental Etiology of Familial Carcinoid Cancer

We have seen an increase in the frequency of carcinoid cancer of the small intestine or appendix over the past 30 years, increasing to about twice the number seen in the 1970’s. The purpose of this study is to examine changes in the genetic material (DNA) of cancer tumors to determine if certain environmental exposures cause certain types of changes. These changes include chemical modification of the DNA or breaking and rearranging of the DNA in the tumor.

Participants are asked to allow the researchers to review their medical records for information about their cancer diagnoses, possibly complete a short questionnaire, and allow the researchers to obtain stored samples of tumor tissue that was removed during a biopsy or surgery related to their cancer diagnosis or treatment.

Lead Investigator

Deborah Neklason, PhD, is a member of Huntsman Cancer Institute's colon cancer research team and research associate professor in the Department of Oncological Sciences at the University of Utah School of Medicine.