Cancer Epidemiology, Prevention and Control Program

CANCER EPIDEMIOLOGY, PREVENTION AND CONTROL PROGRAM ¬– PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT The Cancer Epidemiology, Prevention and Control (CEPC) Program plays a central role in the scientific, clinical, and public health mission of MECCC. The Program’s overarching goal is to better understand and address drivers of cancer burden in our Bronx catchment area and beyond. Program investigators focus on studies in human populations to determine the behavioral, environmental, and molecular risk factors that underlie cancer etiology and outcomes, leading to studies that devise, implement and test the effectiveness of novel interventions to promote cancer prevention, screening, treatment and supportive care. Program members collaborate extensively with one another and with the other three MECCC research programs. Given the inter- and multi-disciplinary nature of this program, CEPC is the focal point for translating laboratory-based research into population level studies and for bridging findings from clinical and community settings back to the lab. CEPC has three specific aims: (1) to characterize the risk factors that drive cancer risk in our catchment area, most notably breast, lung, prostate, and cervical cancer; (2) to improve cancer prevention and screening among high-risk groups in our catchment area and beyond; and (3) to develop and implement innovative strategies to enhance cancer care outcomes. CEPC research has contributed to improved health of the largely poor Bronx population, as well as populations worldwide. Completed and ongoing research in CEPC has substantively influenced clinical guidelines and public health practice, with new studies poised to continue this trend. CEPC research: (i) has identified novel susceptibility markers for breast cancer, prostate cancer, CRC, and lung cancer in non-smokers -- the major causes of cancer mortality in the Bronx – demonstrating efforts to understand the mechanisms of cancer in an environmental and behavioral context; (ii) contributed to major policy decisions regarding cancer care of firefighters who worked at the 9/11 WTC; (iii) developed innovative in-reach and outreach strategies to increase early detection and timely access to care; (iv) developed effective tobacco smoking interventions that have been integrated in to standard clinical practice; (v) implemented comprehensive cervical cancer screening and treatment in Western Africa; and (vi) introduced a novel appraisal paradigm that emphasizes patients’ own personal criteria for quality of life.