Cancer Epidemiology

Research Focus The research interests of the Program faculty are diverse, but several common areas can be defined. A majority of program faculty have a primary interest in breast cancer. Other cancers currently being investigated include colon cancer, esophageal cancer, melanoma, cancers of the head and neck, childhood cancers, prostate cancer, ovarian cancer, and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. A notable interest of Program faculty is the evaluation of gene-environment interaction using the techniques of molecular biology in case-control and cohort studies. Examples of "environmental" exposures include nutritional factors, occupation, pesticides, hormones, drinking water, viruses, and tobacco and alcohol. Program and department faculty have also occasionally been involved in various projects developing epidemiologic, statistical, and laboratory methods in cancer research. Major program research currently centers around several NIH-funded studies including the Carolina Breast Cancer Study, the North Carolina Colon Cancer Study, the North Carolina Head and Neck Cancer Study, the Long Island Breast Cancer Study, and the Genetic Epidemiology of Melanoma Study, all of which are large, population-based case-control studies. Multi-center studies including the Women's Health Initiative, the EURAMIC (European Community Multicenter Study on Antioxidants, Myocardial Infarction and Breast Cancer) Study, and the PCaP (North Carolina-Louisiana Prostate Cancer Project) are also major program projects. Service Activities Program faculty have been involved in a number of service activities such as membership in the Institute of Medicine and participation on National Institutes of Health (NIH) boards, Institute of Medicine (IOM) boards, American Cancer Society (ACS) boards, and World Health Organization (WHO) boards, expert and advisory committees, membership on North Carolina Department of Environment, Health and Natural Resources Advisory Committees, editorship and regular reviewing of manuscripts for epidemiology and specialty journals, and reviewing of grant proposals for NIH, Department of Defense, and other special and standing review groups. In addition, program faculty have been involved in advising breast cancer advocacy groups. Program faculty have regularly contributed to the university, the School of Public Health, and departmental committees.

Last updated December 06, 2007