Cancer Epidemiology Research in the Cancer Epidemiology Program focuses on the population-based study of cancer etiology, health services and outcomes, and cancer prevention and control. The overall goal of program members is to save lives by increasing our understanding of what causes cancer, promoting cancer prevention behaviors and early detection and treatment, and developing improved diagnostic tests and treatments. When cancer cannot be prevented, we are also interested in research that will extend the quantity and quality of life for the cancer survivor. There are three major overlapping themes the Program's research. The first theme involves cancer etiology. Research areas within this theme include the study of environmental exposures and cancer, other biologic causes of cancer, and evaluation of the burden of cancer. The second theme involves cancer health services &outcomes. Research areas within this theme include evaluation of the delivery of cancer services, and assessment of how biobehavior and neuropsychiatric factors impact on the burden of cancer. The third theme involves cancer prevention and control. Research areas within this theme focus on studies exploring risk reduction and cancer screening. In population science, scientific achievements can be measured by their translation into activities that improve the health of the public. In this regard, after 20 years of residential radon and lung cancer epidemiologic research here and elsewhere, the World Health Organization has been convinced and is implementing an international initiative to reduce indoor radon risks. Also the strengths of the study design and findings relating to pesticides and cancer in the Agricultural Health Study, where two-thirds of participants are lowans, has led the US EPA to announce that epidemiologic data will be used in its risk assessment of pesticides, marking a significant departure from traditional EPA practice, which has focused on short-term bioassays and animal testing in risk assessment. This highly interactive program consists of 33 members from 8 basic science and 9 clinical departments in 5 Colleges. Peer reviewed, research funding forthis program totals $6,841,168 with $2,339,558 coming from the NCI. Program members published 443 cancer-related papers over the prior funding period. Of these publications, 15% were intraprogrammatic, 18% were interprogrammatic and 7% were both intra and interprogrammatic, for a total of 39% collaborative publications.
Epidemiology provides research approaches for evaluating cancer in human populations. We utilize this to better understand what causes cancer to develop, to evaluate and compare the health services people with cancer receive and the outcomes resulting from these services in terms of quality and quantity of life, and ultimately how to take this knowledge and provide for improved approaches to controlling and preventing this disease, particularly in rural, agricultural populations as seen in lowa.
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