Recruitment of breast cancer patients and collection of clinical and epidemiologic data and biospecimens

Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health, National Cancer Institute, Office of Acquisitions, 9609 Medical Center Drive, Room 1E128, Bethesda, MD 20892, United States. Description The National Cancer Institute (NCI), Division of Cancer Epidemiology & Genetics (DCEG), plans to procure services on a sole source basis with Sarawak Hospice Society, Jalan Hospital, Kuching 93586, Sarawak, Malaysia. The services herein are being procured in accordance with the simplified acquisition procedures as authorized by FAR Part 13.106-1 (b)(1). The North American Industry Classification System Code is 541690 and the business size standard in $14.0M. Only one award will be made as a result of this solicitation. This will be awarded as a firm fixed price type contract. Period of Performance: Performance shall be from August 31, 2013 - August 30, 2014. It has been determined that there is no opportunity to acquire green products or services under this procurement. Epidemiologic evidence suggests that associations with breast cancer risk factors vary by tumor pathology. Asian women seem to have a distinctive profile of breast cancer that differs from that seen in Western populations, such as earlier age at onset, more advanced stage, and higher frequency of ER-negative tumors. Large, population-based epidemiologic studies of characterizing molecular subtypes of breast cancer in Asian women are limited. Given that Asian breast cancer is associated with early age-onset and aggressive tumors, it is speculated that the prevalence of TN/basal tumors in Asian women may be higher than Caucasians. Recently, Sarawak Hospice Society compared the distribution of breast cancer subtypes in the three ethnic groups (Chinese, Natives, and Malays) in Sarawak, Malaysia and found that Malays and Natives were more likely to develop TN tumors compared to Chinese despite of the overall lower incidence rates. These findings suggest that breast cancer subtypes may vary by ethnicity in Asian populations and it is likely that both genetic and environmental exposures may jointly contribute to the association between a specific subtype and a particular ethnic group. Tumor stratification in afore mentioned studies was all based on three markers only, ER, PR, and HER2, without separation of basal from TN tumors. A more refined molecular classification approach is needed to achieve finer and more accurate tumor stratification and to identify etiologic factors underlying a specific tumor subtype, which will be helpful in developing risk models for specific types of breast cancer and therefore improving targeted screening and prevention in the future. The objective of this study is to classify breast tumors into molecular subtypes and to identify distinct risk factors for each subtype in Malaysian women diagnosed at Sarawak General Hospital (SGH). The specific aim for this procurement is to recruit breast cancer patients to participate in the pilot study and retrieve clinical and medical data and biospecimens that are collected and stored by SGH. Sarawak Hospice Society is uniquely qualified to perform this work for the following reasons: 1) the goal of this study is to identify breast cancer subtypes in a unique Asian population with different ethnicity groups. Residents in the state of Sarawak, Malaysia, come from three main ethnic groups: Natives (50%), Malays (25%), and Chinese (25%). The three races have maintained their distinct cultures, reproductive practices and diets, with very few intermarriages. Previous work by Sarawak Hospice Society's group showed that the distribution of breast cancer subtypes varied across these ethnicity groups, providing a unique resource to address NCI's research questions; 2) Sarawak Hospice Society is affiliated with Sarawak General Hospital (SGH). SGH is the only cancer centre in Sarawak and treats 93% of the breast cancer patients in Sarawak (Devi CR, Int J Cancer, 2012). Breast cancer patients will be recruited from that hospital; no commercial company would have access to these patients; and 3) the current study is an extension and expansion of previous work that was done by Sarawak Hospice Society, by increasing the number of breast cancer cases and conducting a detailed molecular profiling analysis. NCI will take advantage of the established infrastructure instead of initiating a completely new study. This is not a solicitation for competitive quotations. However, if any interested party believes they can meet the above requirement, particularly small businesses; they should submit a statement of capabilities. All information furnished must be in writing and must contain sufficient detail to allow the NCI to determine if it can meet the above unique specifications described herein. An original and one copy of the capability statement must be received in the NCI Office of Acquisition on or before 11:00 AM EST on April 25, 2013. No electronic capability statements will be accepted (i.e. email or fax) an original and one copy must be sent to the NCI Office of Acquisition to the address stated above. All questions must be in writing and can be faxed (240) 276-5401 or emailed to Laura Glockner, Contract Specialist at laura.glockner@nih.gov. A determination by the Government not to compete this proposed contract 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. In order to receive an award, contractors must have valid registration and certification in the Central Contractor Registration (CCR) and the Online Representations and Certifications Applications (ORCA) through SAM.gov. No collect calls will be accepted. Please reference solicitation number NCI-130057-LG on all correspondence.