Etiology
The Cancer Epidemiology Program and Cancer Prevention and Control Program draw on the interdisciplinary expertise of their members to study the complex interactions of molecular, genetic and environmental factors that influence cancer occurrence. Researchers are studying how the risk associated with these factors can be mitigated by changes in lifestyle practices.
Cancer Epidemiology research is impacting the current understanding and treatment of a number of cancers. For example, work of Dr Pamela Horn-Ross at Stanford and the Cancer Prevention Institute of California has confirmed the hormonal aspects of thyroid cancer etiology and identified goiter and diet as major factors explaining ethnic variation in this disease. Current studies are looking at whether treatment of Helicobacter Pylori infection can prevent gastric adenocarcinoma and at how the underreporting of racial/ethnic and socioeconomic patient data by physicians has impacted current estimates of the melanoma epidemic.
Key areas of research include:
- Chemical and environmentally induced carcinogenesis
- Causal agents that lead to early events in carcinogenesis
- Responses to stress such as free radicals, oxidative stress, etc
- Metabolism of endogenous and exogenous compounds that lead to carcinogenesis - studies have confirmed the hormonal aspects of thyroid cancer etiology and identified goiter and diet as major factors explaining ethnic variation in this disease.
- Contribution of viruses, other than HIV/AIDS, to carcinogenesis - Current studies are looking at whether treatment of Helicobacter Pylori infection can prevent gastric adenocarcinoma
This document was last modified: Monday, 27-Jun-2011 13:29:25 PDT
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