Obesity has reached global pandemic proportions and is now considered a major crisis in public health. Cancer is among the many comorbid conditions associated with, and probably etiologically related to obesity, with a particularly strong epidemiological relation identified between obesity and colon cancer, post menopausal breast cancer, esophageal adenocarcinoma, uterine cancer, renal cell cancer and others. This proposal seeks funding to support an AACR-TREC-NCI Sponsored Think Tank Conference entitled Energy Balance and Cancer; Mechanisms and Mediators to be held February 24, 25 and 26, 2008 at the Lansdowne Resort Conference Center, Lansdowne, Virginia. ? ? While there is strong epidemiologic evidence connecting obesity to cancer, the mechanisms and mediators of this relation as well as their potential interactions are not clearly defined thus limiting attempts to modulate their effects in cancer prevention, progression and therapy. This meeting will examine obesity as a manifestation of disordered energy balance and the resultant mediators and mechanisms connecting these disorders to cancer. High priority themes for discussion include the relation of Obesity, Exercise and Caloric Restriction to Cancer and Mechanisms and Mediators connecting (1) Insulin, Growth Factors and Insulin Resistance to Cancer; (2) Prostaglandins and Eicosanoids to Cancer; (3) Inflammatory and Stress Factors to Cancer; (4) Adipokines and Fat Tissue Products to Cancer and (5) Hormonal Mediators of Adiposity to Cancer. The overall goals of the meeting are (1) to stimulate a provocative think tank deliberation among experts in these and related fields, (2) to better identify potential mediators connecting obesity and cancer, (3) to define their mechanisms of actions and interactions, (4) to outline a research agenda to guide critical investigations of these relations and (5) to identify the most promising candidates to serve as markers and potential targets for both laboratory, clinical and translational research. ? ? ? ?
