U.S. Military Cancer Institute
There may be no place in the world other than the U.S. military system that can offer the combination of high quality tissue and excellent demographic and clinical data.
The United States Military Cancer Institute (USMCI), a component of USU, is a tri-service program that enhances cancer research in the military. Funded by Congress, the Institute also coordinates and supports multi-institutional cancer research within the DoD.
Expanding Military Cancer Research and Epidemiology
USMCI currently has several initiatives underway, one of the most notable of which is an epidemiology program. Carcinogenic factors and incidences of certain types of cancer have not been established with scientific precision in the military population.
The Institute was charged by the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs to take a leading role in the military health system for epidemiologic cancer research. The new program was facilitated by an interagency agreement between USU (for USMCI) and the Division of Epidemiology and Genetics of the National Cancer Institute.
Surveillance System for Cancer
USMCI is in the process of establishing a surveillance system for cancer occurrence in the DoD. The program also will compare patterns between cancer incidences in military and civilian populations and will work to detect and perform research studies on possible carcinogenic factors in the military environment.
Phase II Breast Cancer Vaccine Trial
Another USMCI initiative—a collaboration with Generex Biotechnology Corporation—is a Phase II clinical trial for a novel peptide vaccine for breast cancer. The immunotherapeutic vaccine, AE37, is being developed by Generex’s Antigen Express subsidiary in the U.S. The study will be conducted in conjunction with USMCI’s Clinical Trials Group.
USMCI is a joint effort that includes USU, Walter Reed Army Medical Center, the National Naval Medical Center, the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology and HJF.