GI SPORE Alliance (RPA Pilot / Seed Project)

Gastrointestinal (GI) cancers represent a significant problem in Kentucky, especially in the eastern rural part of the state. In fact, Kentucky has the highest incidence of colorectal cancer in the nation. With the support of the University of Kentucky College of Medicine’s Alliance Research Initiative, the SPORE alliance is working to improve the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of GI cancers. The SPORE alliance will introduce new risk prediction strategies for colorectal cancers based on epidemiology and genetics, increase earlier detection and diagnosis of pancreatic cancer, and develop new therapeutics in colorectal and liver cancers and GI neuroendocrine tumors. The “team science” approach of the SPORE alliance extends beyond the boundaries of GI cancer research program to include critical collaborations with multiple UK colleges, affiliate hospitals, community providers, other institutions, networks, and industry.