NCI's state and community research initiative: a model for future tobacco control research

Communicable disease outbreaks ranging from measles to the Zika virus capture media headlines every day; however, as a nation, Americans largely die from heart disease and cancer. Cancer is the second most common cause of death in the USA.1 In 2016, more than 1.6 million new cancer cases will be diagnosed in the USA and 595 690 cancer deaths will occur.1 Moreover, 30% of cancer deaths are attributable to smoking—which means these deaths are preventable.2 Reductions in cigarette smoking over the last 40 years have reduced cancer-related disease and deaths, and there is strong evidence that sustained comprehensive tobacco control programmes have accelerated declines in smoking-related cancers.3–6 By investing US$46 million in the State and Community Tobacco Control (SCTC) Research Initiative, the National Cancer Institute (NCI) recognised the power of population-based interventions to change the trajectory of cancer in the USA. Consistent with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Health Impact Pyramid, these interventions reach broad segments of society, employ fewer resources than clinical and educational interventions and are highly effective at preventing cancer and other chronic diseases.7 The SCTC Research Initiative is remarkable for its vision and high-quality cross-collaboration among researchers and practitioners, which resulted in an extraordinary level of productivity and useful research. NCI rightfully deserves considerable praise for funding a research initiative that: