The Targeted Call for Research (TCR): Anal Cancer 2025 grant opportunity aims to fund research aimed at improving awareness and to provide further guidance for the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of anal cancer for both consumers and healthcare professionals. Its focus may encompass, but is not limited to, the development and implementation of screening methods, innovative prevention strategies, testing technologies, and health promotion approaches to more broadly address anal cancer.
Over the past decade incidences of anal cancer in the general population have risen in Australia.1 Specific population groups such as people living with HIV, men who have sex with men, women with human papillomavirus (HPV) and people with autoimmune diseases are at higher risk of developing anal cancer.2 Additionally, HPV can be linked to many cancers, including anal cancer and while Australia has successfully used HPV tests to screen for cervical cancer, a similar screening program for anal cancer does not exist despite being an HPV-related cancer.3 Research on risk factors associated with anal cancer, the effectiveness of prevention and early treatment has improved outcomes for those at risk of or living with anal cancer.
The objectives of this grant opportunity are to:
- further develop the evidence base to inform prevention and health promotion activities such as screening and immunisation programs.
- improve health literacy, decrease cancer related stigma and increase consumers’ participation in activities designed to prevent anal cancers.
- better understand the efficacy, acceptability and potential of current cancer screening technologies and how they can be adapted for use in anal cancer and its precursors.
- improve the accessibility of screening and treatment programs.
- further identify and understand the specific risk factors that contribute to the development of anal cancer.
Further information about the TCR, its objectives, outcomes, available funds and timeframes is available on GrantConnect.
1 Gondal, T. A., Chaudhary, N., Bajwa, H., Rauf, A., Le, D., & Ahmed, S. (2023). Anal Cancer: The Past, Present and Future. Current Oncology, 30(3), 3232–3250. https://doi.org/10.3390/curroncol30030246
2 Clifford, G. M., Georges, D., Shiels, M. S., Engels, E. A., Albuquerque, A., Poynten, I. M., Pokomandy, A., Easson, A. M., & Stier, E. A. (2020). A meta‐analysis of anal cancer incidence by risk group: Toward a unified anal cancer risk scale. International Journal of Cancer, 148(1), 38–47. https://doi.org/10.1002/ijc.33185
3 Clarke, M. A., Deshmukh, A. A., Suk, R., Roberts, J. M., Gilson, R., Jay, N., Stier, E. A., & Wentzensen, N. (2022). A systematic review and meta‐analysis of cytology and HPV‐related biomarkers for anal cancer screening among different risk groups. International Journal of Cancer, 151(11), 1889–1901. https://doi.org/10.1002/ijc.34199
