Cancer Research Grant Reviewer Experience

Today is Veterans Day in the United States. It's a day set aside to honor those who served in the U.S. military. It was originally Armistace Day, which I think is still celebrated in some other countries, marking the end of fighting in World War 1 (the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month).

Enough history. It's a day that makes me think of my father, who died a few years ago from lung cancer. (My mom died from ovarian cancer. I was diagnosed a few years before either of them.) My father served in the U.S. Navy for a few years, then in the Naval Reserves. He joined when he was very young, at a time when his family was going through some difficult times. He said it helped him grow up quickly, and as he got older, he seemed to realize more and more how much of an influence the experience had on him. I like to think for the better.

I've been thinking about him, and his service, this week because a few days ago, I served again as a Consumer reviewer for the  Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs’ (CDMRP), Peer Reviewed Cancer Research Program (PRCRP). In this program, $115 million is set aside by the U.S. Congress to fund research into cancer that affects active military members, veterans, and their families, and of course can help the rest of the world if they result in treatments. 

As a Consumer Reviewer, my role was to represent cancer patients. I was part of a panel that included cancer researchers and oncologists, and had an equal vote when we looked at proposals and decided how to rate them. That's a pretty cool and unusual thing -- mostly it's cancer "experts" like researchers who decide these things. The CDMRP recognizes that cancer patients and survivors have a special kind of expertise, too. A scientist can comment on how important the science is. But only a patient can really speak to how a research project might affect the lives of cancer patients -- how it will affect quality of life, our emotions, etc.

It was a good experience to do this last year, and a very good experience this year. It feels like a way of honoring my father. I don't get to honor him in such a meaningful way very often.

And, of course, it's way of helping all of you. It could be years before the research that gets funded by this program actually has any impact of cancer patients. 

And that's OK. I can wait.

 I'm used to it.