[EPIC Roster] 

The Epidemiology of Cancer [EPIC] Study Section reviews applications on epidemiologic studies in the areas of cancer.

Specific areas covered by EPIC: 

• General characteristics of the distribution of cancer (including cancer of the breast, prostate, digestive system, reproductive system, and lung) in human populations in relation to time, place, and personal characteristics.
  
  
• Elucidation of the determinants of cancer by assembling groups of individuals to determine systematically whether the risk of disease/condition is different for individuals who are exposed or not exposed to specific factors (or combinations of factors) of interest. These may be either risk or protective factors.
  
  
• Development and improvement of research designs and methodologies addressing epidemiologic questions in cancer. 

EPIC has the following shared interests within the HOP IRG: 

• With Biostatistical Methods and Research Design [BMRD]: BMRD also reviews applications dealing with epidemiologic methods and research design. If the primary emphasis of the application is to develop new statistical methodologies, the application may be reviewed by BMRD. If the focus is on improving existing methodologies for epidemiologic research related to cancer, the application may be assigned to EPIC.
  
  
• With Community Influences on Health Behavior [CIHB] and Community-Level Health Promotion [CLHP]: CIHB and CLHP also review applications dealing with cancer and its risk factors. If the primary focus of the proposed study is on cancer or its risk factors and if the application emphasizes community or societal institutions such as school, church, work site, or mass media, the application may be reviewed by CIHB or CLHP, depending upon whether a community-based intervention is involved.
  
  
• With Nursing Science: Adults and Aging [NSAA] and Nursing Science: Children and Families [NSCF]: The NSAA and NSCF Study Sections also review applications in cancer. When the primary focus is on nursing science, the application may be assigned to NSAA or NSCF, depending upon the age range involved. An application may be assigned to EPIC when it is an overall epidemiological study of cancer.
  
  
• With Social Sciences and Population Studies [SSPS]: SSPS also reviews applications dealing with the incidence and prevalence of morbidity and mortality due to cancer. Applications that rely primarily upon epidemiologic methods may be reviewed by EPIC. Applications relating levels of morbidity and mortality to demographic or socioenvironmental factors or the effects of public policy on morbidity or mortality levels may be reviewed by SSPS. 

EPIC has the following shared interests outside the HOP IRG: 

• With the Genes, Genomes and Genetics [GGG] IRG:  EPIC has extensive shared interests with GGG for applications involving genetic epidemiologyl. The evel of molecular and genetic technology relative to epidemiology needs to be considered before assigning applications in genetic epidemiology to EPIC. More technical applications could be reviewed by GGG. Studies with substantial laboratory components are appropriate for EPIC when the primary thrust is epidemiologic and laboratory data are to be collected by methods that are largely already developed. Genetic linkage studies could go to either the GGG IRG or to EPIC. Molecular epidemiology studies alone or in combination with linkage studies could be reviewed in EPIC. Genetic studies using animals could be assigned to GGG or another IRG, depending upon the primary thrust of the application.
  
  
• With the Risk, Prevention and Health Behavior [RPHB] IRG: The RPHB IRG also reviews applications dealing with variations in risk behavior. Epidemiologic studies examining behavior as a risk factor could be referred to EPIC. Non-epidemiologic studies with a behavioral intervention component to change health behavior could be referred to RPHB or EPIC, depending upon whether the emphasis is on the individual or the community level context.
  
  
• With the Infectious Diseases and Microbiology [IDM] IRG: Clinical trials to study infectious disease factors related to cancer may be reviewed in the IDM IRG. Epidemiologic studies of infectious disease factors related to cancer could be reviewed in EPIC. Cancer studies related to infectious agents with substantial laboratory components are appropriate for EPIC when the primary thrust is epidemiologic and laboratory data are to be collected by methods that are largely already developed. Studies of cancer that employ epidemiological methods and that use persons or groups of persons as the unit of observation may be reviewed in EPIC. Studies employing epidemiologic methods that use cellular or subcellular units of observation to study cancer or when the epidemiology focuses on the non-human disease vector or the genetic identity of the disease subspecies could be assigned to the IDM IRG. 
  
  
• With the Oncological Sciences [ONC] IRG: The ONC IRG also reviews applications to study cancer. Clinical trials to study cancer could be reviewed in ONC. Epidemiologic and genetic epidemiologic studies of cancer may be reviewed in EPIC. Studies with substantial laboratory components are appropriate for EPIC when the primary thrust is epidemiologic and laboratory data are to be collected by methods that are largely already developed. All other applications whose emphasis is on cancer could be reviewed in the ONC IRG. Animal studies of cancer (including nutritional or hormonal studies) could be reviewed in ONC or another IRG depending upon the primary thrust of the application.
  
  
• With the Endocrinology, Metabolism, Nutrition and Reproductive Sciences [EMNR] IRG: EMNR also reviews applications dealing with cancer. Studies of the metabolic consequences and nutritional evaluation of non-behavioral dietary interventions are more appropriate for EMNR. Studies that utilize methodologies focusing on regulation at cellular and molecular level could be assigned to EMNR. Clinical trials in the metabolic consequences and nutritional evaluation of dietary practices could be reviewed in EMNR. Applications may be assigned to EPIC when nutritional evaluation or practices are part of an overall epidemiological study of cancer. Nutritional or hormonal studies of cancer with substantial laboratory components are appropriate for EPIC when the primary thrust is epidemiologic and laboratory data are to be collected by methods that are largely already developed. Animal studies of the metabolic consequences and nutritional evaluation of non-behavioral dietary interventions could be reviewed in EMNR.
  
  
• With the Respiratory Sciences [RES] IRG: EPIC reviews epidemiologic studies of human beings related to lung cancer, while RES reviews lung pre-cancerous studies in animals or in human cell lines or tissues.