The goal of the Cancer Epidemiology Program is to study environmental, genetic, and molecular risks for cancer and cancer outcomes with an emphasis on disparities. Because we are a public comprehensive cancer center and because North Carolina in many ways mimics the American population, the Program addresses these important questions through multidimensional North Carolina population-based and hospital-based studies. Notable translational cross-program research and high impact publications have been obtained in an inter-disciplinary manner with members of the cancer control and prevention, clinical, genetics, breast, cancer, cell biology and other programs. Program members conduct research with great impact, including population- based studies in breast, colon, prostate, and head and neck cancer, throughout our catchment area (the state of North Carolina) and at UNC Hospital; and the program is focused on cancer health disparities, especially black-white differences. This innovative research model successfully integrates classic risk factor epidemiology, molecular and genetic epidemiology, tumor biology, clinical factors, and prospective follow-up for outcomes. For example, the Program?s Carolina Breast Cancer Study has reshaped our understanding of disparities in breast cancer risk factors, tumor biology, and mortality among African-American women. New and novel North Carolina-based studies in bladder, head and neck, and kidney cancer are planned. Program members collaborate in national and international consortia and with other cancer centers. The Program brings value to the Center through population- and hospital based studies that include systematic collection of exposure, outcome data, and biospecimens, a unique shared resource (Rapid Case Ascertainment), and its expertise in epidemiologic methods development and application. The Program effectively obtains value from the center through UNC Lineberger?s strong support for faculty recruitments, extensive support for important shared resources and developmental funds, which members leverage. The UNC Lineberger strategic plan emphasis on optimizing cancer outcomes in North Carolina led to significant investment across the population sciences including significant faculty recruiting. CE recruited 11 new program members both nationally- recognized senior investigators and promising junior faculty. There are 23 members from 7 different departments in the Schools of Public Health and Medicine and the College of Arts and Sciences. During the last funding period, program members have published 629 cancer- related articles (38% collaborative). In 2014, our program members held 53 grants and $13M (total cost) in annual extramural funding, including 25 grants and $6.6M (total costs) from the NCI.
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