National Cancer Institute, Research Contracts Branch, PSAS, 6120 Executive Blvd, EPS/Room 638, Bethesda, MD 20892-7227

A -- THE NEW ENGLAND BLADDER CANCER STUDY: A STUDY TO ASSESS THE FEASIBILITY OF CONSTRUCTING HISTORIC EXPOSURE TO INORGANIC ARSENIC IN DRINKING WATER SOL NCI-RFQ-90191 DUE 091399 POC Debbie Moore, Purchasing Agent, (301) 402-4509; Todd Cole, Contracting Officer (301) 402-4509 The National Cancer Institute (NCI), Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics (DCEG), plans to procure the services of Dartmouth Medical School, Section of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, Dartmouth -- Hitchcock Medical Center, 7927 Rubin Building, One Medical Center Drive, Lebanon, NH 03756 in performing a feasibility study for a potential case-control study of bladder cancer in New England. The main objective of the proposed feasibility study is to evaluate NCI's ability to construct New Hampshire residents' past exposure to inorganic arsenic from drinking water sources, including both private and public sources. This information will be useful to NCI in designing the future interdisciplinary, population-based case-control study of bladder cancer in three New England States: New Hampshire, Vermont, and Maine. In addition to being located in New England, Dartmouth Medical School offers several advantages for performing the feasibility study. Dr. Margaret Karagas of Dartmouth is conducting a case-control study of skin and bladder cancer in New Hampshire, and she has collected (and continues to collect) information on a subset of male and female controls regarding lifetime residential history and sources of drinking water. The New Hampshire study includes 900 primary squamous cell skin cancer cases, 1,200 basal cell skin cancer cases and 450 bladder cancer cases. A control group of approximately 1,200 subjects has also been randomly selected from the general population and frequency-matched to the cases on age and sex. The Dartmouth study closely parallels NCI's planned study in that similar information and data will be required. The Dartmouth investigators have begun to obtain lifetime residential and drinking water histories, food frequency data, and samples of toenails and urine from a subset of controls. The data on lifetime residential history and sources of drinking water from the subset of approximately 100 men and women who used a private well at least once during the last 50 years will enable NCI to readily complete the feasibility study within a five to six month time frame. The Dartmouth investigators also have the ability to perform the laboratory analysis of inorganic arsenic in the water samples. Dartmouth Medical School can readily perform the above feasibility study based on information and data that have primarily been obtained under ongoing research. In addition, Dr. Karagas and the epidemiology staff at Dartmouth are skilled at carrying out case-control studies. There is no other source known by the NCI researchers that can provide the residential and drinking water histories and other data on a sample of New England residents (both male and female) within the short time frame. Dartmouth is the only source known to the NCI researchers that has this combination of expertise in epidemiology and available information. This is not a request for competitive quotation. However, if any interested party believes it can perform the above requirement, it may submit a statement of capabilities. The statement of capabilities and any other information furnished must be in writing and must contain material in sufficient detail to allow NCI to determine if the party can perform this requirement. Capability statements must be received in the contracting office by 2:00 p.m. EST, on September 10, 1999. If you have any questions, please contact Debbie Moore, Purchasing Agent on (301) 402-4509. A determination by the Government not to compete this proposed requirement based upon responses to this notice is solely within the discretion of the Government. Information received will be considered solely for the purpose of determining whether to conduct a competitive procurement. Posted 08/25/99 (W-SN372373). (0237)

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