Rare2Care Initiative
Through sustained scholarship, education, and strategic partnerships, the Rare2Care team is dismantling barriers to health equity for patients with rare cancers, providers, and caregivers.
The team has secured consistent funding from federal, foundation, industry, and grassroots sources, fostering local, national, and international collaborations. These partnerships span disciplines, involving clinicians, cancer biologists, engineers, computational scientists, and more, all working together to advance diversity, equity, and inclusion. What started in 2015 as the Duke Inflammatory Breast Cancer (IBC) consortium has grown into a multifaceted rare cancer collective focusing efforts to discover new therapies and diagnostics, reach from and to communities to enhance awareness and understand contributing factors, and teach emerging researchers, providers and educators about these critical rare cancers and best practices toward more equitable health solutions.
Rare cancers, with an incidence of fewer than 6 cases per 100,000 people, are a significant but understudied health disparity. These cancers disproportionately affect marginalized groups and patients of color. These patients often endure a longer diagnostic journey and face poorer survival outcomes compared to their majority counterparts. Despite advances in genomics and digital health, rare cancer patients—particularly those in rural or underserved areas—are often overlooked. The Rare to Care team aims to bridge this gap by addressing the root causes of health disparities across all stages of rare cancer care, from clinical and laboratory research to community outreach.
The team’s research is anchored in a “Bench to Bedside to Curbside and Back” model, which integrates clinical and laboratory findings with community-driven research. This holistic strategy ensures that scientific discoveries have real-world applications that benefit both patients and the broader community.
Dr. Devi discussed cancer health disparities with host Steve O’Bryan on WPTF news. Listen to the conversation here:
Program Directors
Dr. Gayathri Devi
Professor in Surgery
Professor in Pathology
https://scholars.duke.edu/person/gayathri.devi
Dr. Anh Tran
Vice Chair of Education, Community Health
Associate Professor in Family Medicine and Community Health
Family Medicine and Community Health, Community Health
Team
Dr. Larry Greenblatt
Professor of Medicine, Medicine, General Internal Medicine 2021
Professor in the Department of Family Medicine and Community Health, Family Medicine and Community Health, Community Health 2020
Sally Taylor
Research Program Leader at Duke Office of Clinical Research
Press Coverage
- Devi Awarded $1.6 Million for Inflammatory Breast Cancer Research, May 14, 2021
- Rare and Dangerous, October 1, 2017
- DOD Awards $1.2 Million To Study Breast Cancer Metastasis, May 5, 2017
- Study Shows How BPA May Affect Inflammatory Breast Cancer, March 28, 2017
- Devi Interview for her laboratory’s work on repurposing an anti-alcoholism drug for IBC therapy. WRAL June 10, 2015
- Dr. Devi was featured in the Women in STEM. Research Highlight and Interview for Women in Stem, Academic Minute, WAMC NPR affiliate, August 2015
- Dr. Devi – Era of Hope Investigator Highlight presentation
- BPA May Make Breast Cancer Cells Resistant To Treatment. WUNC, June 24, 2014
Advanced Training
Research opportunities available for undergraduates, medical students, PhD candidates, etc.
Contact Us
Sally Taylor
sally.taylor@duke.edu
