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We have recently completed a large, multi-disciplinary case-control study in two cities in Poland that involved over 2,500 breast cancer patients, 550 endometrial cancer patients, and 400 ovarian cancer patients, as well as 3,000 population-based controls. This study represents a unique resource that includes both extensive interview information as well as collection of multiple biologic samples (blood components, cryopreserved whole blood, buccal cells, fixed tissue, in addition to urine from breast cancer patients and controls and tumor and normal frozen tissue from breast cancer patients only), which provides opportunities for testing a variety of etiologic hypotheses. Of particular interest are the effects of common genetic polymorphisms (with many single nucleotide polymorphisms having already been measured by NCI’s Core Genotyping Facility) as well as issues related to gene-environment interactions. Most tumors have been characterized in a standardized review allowing for assessment of potential etiologic heterogeneity by tumor subtypes. Tissue microarrays have been created from breast tumor samples and immunostained for a large panel of mostly hormonal markers. The extensive interview information provides opportunities to evaluate more exploratory hypotheses related to novel exposures and to inter-relate the findings with genetic polymorphism data, tissue characteristics and results of new assays. The breast cancer component of the study involve anthropometric and 7-day accelerometer measurements to enable more precise evaluation of effects of body fat patterning and physical activity levels. Treatment and follow-up data are also being collected.
There are various opportunities for fellows to become involved with data analysis under the mentorship of individuals with different backgrounds (epidemiology, genetic epidemiology, pathology). In addition, fellows are encouraged to develop new ideas for exploration and to collaborate with various laboratory colleagues in validating or employing cutting-edge molecular techniques.
Fellows may also participate in numerous other research project being conducted by the Hormonal and Reproductive Epidemiology Branch (HREB), as described in more detail elsewhere http://www.dceg.cancer.gov/hreb.html. These studies include a natural history study of endometrial cancer precursors; assessment of molecular and hormonal markers of carcinogenesis in normal-appearing ovarian and endometrial tissues; studies of cancer risk among women with different infertility diagnoses, including endometriosis; investigations in which stored serologic samples can be linked with subsequent cancers in several large cohorts of women; and a study that will enable simultaneous assessment of bone density measurements, endogenous hormones, genetic markers and epidemiologic interview data on subsequent cancer risk.
