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Overview
Over the last few years, numerous questions have been raised around how best to conduct and interpret etiologic research on nutrition/physical activity and cancer. Long time lags between exposures and outcomes, numerous study design issues, and the difficulties of characterizing exposures are among issues restraining further progress in this arena. In addition, nutrition and physical activity are mediators of biological pathways and processes relevant to cancer etiology. Both nutrition and physical activity have the potential to blunt the obesity epidemic and reduce the risk of major cancers and other chronic diseases. However, lack of consistency of research findings makes interpretation of the links between nutrition and physical activity and cancer etiology a very challenging task. The "Research Strategies for Nutritional and Physical Activity Epidemiology and Cancer Prevention Workshop" that took place at the NCI Shady Grove Campus in Rockville, Maryland on June 28-29, 2016 has been organized to address some of the issues identified above and to move the field forward.
Purpose
The objectives of the workshop were to gather a set of experts to help clarify our understanding of the roles of nutrition and physical activity in cancer etiology and to identify opportunities to accelerate new, potentially impactful research in the near term. The goals of the workshop were as follows:
- Assess past accomplishments in the field.
- Identify existing issues, gaps in knowledge and opportunities.
Workshop Summary
Mahabir S, Willett WC, Friedenreich CM, Lai GY, Boushey CJ, Matthews CE, Sinha R, Colditz GA, Rothwell JA, Reedy J, Patel AV, Leitzmann MF, Fraser GE, Ross S, Hursting SD, Abnet CC, Kushi LH, Taylor PR, Prentice R. Research Strategies for Nutritional and Physical Activity Epidemiology and Cancer Prevention. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 2017 Dec 18. [Epub ahead of print]
Agenda
View the agenda| Time | Topic |
|---|---|
| Day 1: Tuesday, June 28, 2016 Room: Seminar 110 |
|
| 8:00 a.m. - 9:00 a.m. | Registration |
| 9:00 a.m. - 9:15 a.m. |
Introductory Remarks Kathy J. Helzlsouer, MD, MHS Epidemiology and Genomics Research Program (EGRP), Division of Cancer Control and Population Sciences (DCCPS), NCI |
| 9:15 a.m. - 9:30 a.m. |
Workshop Background and Objectives Somdat Mahabir, PhD, MPH Environmental Epidemiology Branch, EGRP DCCPS, NCI |
| 9:30 a.m. - 10:00 a.m. |
State of the Science of Nutrition and Cancer Walter Willett, MD, DrPH Harvard School of Public Health, Harvard University |
| 10:00 a.m. - 10:30 a.m. |
Discussion Moderator: |
| 10:30 a.m. - 10:45 a.m. | Break |
| 10:45 a.m. - 11:15 a.m. |
State of the Science of Physical Activity and Cancer Christine Friedenreich, PhD Department of Cancer Epidemiology and Prevention Research, Cancer Control Alberta, Alberta Health Services |
| 11:15 a.m. - 11:45 a.m. |
Discussion Moderator: |
| 11:45 a.m. - 12:45 p.m. | Lunch |
| 12:45 p.m. - 1:15 p.m. |
State of the Science of Obesity and Cancer Graham Colditz, MD, DrPH Division of Public Health Sciences, Department of Surgery, Washington University and Alvin J. Siteman Cancer Center |
| 1:15 p.m. - 1:45 p.m. |
Discussion Moderator: |
| 1:45 p.m. - 2:15 p.m. |
Current and Future Directions of Human Microbiome and Cancer - Roles of Nutrition and Obesity Rashmi Sinha, PhD Metabolic Epidemiology Branch, DCEG, NCI |
| 2:15 p.m. - 2:40 p.m. |
Discussion Moderator: |
| 2:40 p.m. - 2:55 p.m. | Break |
| 2:55 p.m. - 3:25 p.m. |
Metabolomics and Dietary Exposures in Epidemiology Joseph Rothwell, PhD Nutrition and Metabolism Section, Biomarkers Group, International Agency for Cancer Research (IARC), France |
| 3:25 p.m. - 3:50 p.m. |
Discussion Moderator: |
| 3:50 p.m. - 4:20 p.m. |
Emerging Technologies for Measuring Diet Carol Boushey, PhD Cancer Epidemiology Program, University of Hawaii Cancer Center |
| 4:20 p.m. - 4:45 p.m. |
Discussion Moderator: |
| 4:45 p.m. | Adjourn |
|
Day 2: Wednesday, June 29, 2016 Room: Seminar 110 |
|
| 9:00 a.m. - 9:30 a.m. |
Emerging Technologies for Measuring Physical Activity Charles Matthews, PhD Metabolic Epidemiology Branch, DCEG, NCI |
| 9:30 a.m. - 9:55 a.m. |
Discussion Moderator: |
| 9:55 a.m. - 10:25 a.m. |
Research Questions in Nutritional Epidemiology of Cancer Ross Prentice, PhD, MSc Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center |
| 10:25 a.m. - 10:50 a.m. |
Discussion Moderator: |
| 10:50 a.m. - 11:05 a.m. | Break |
| 11:05 a.m. - 11:35 a.m. |
Research Questions in Physical Epidemiology of Cancer Alpa Patel, PhD Cancer Prevention Study-3, American Cancer Society |
| 11:35 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. |
Discussion Moderator: |
| 12:00 p.m. - 12:45 p.m. | Lunch |
| 12:45 p.m. - 1:15 p.m. |
Implementing What We Already Know and Opportunities in Global Health and Health Disparities Larry Kushi, ScD Division of Research, Kaiser Permanente Northern California |
| 1:15 p.m. - 1:40 p.m. |
Discussion Moderator: |
| 1:40 p.m. - 2:30 p.m. |
Integrated Discussion Moderator: Somdat Mahabir, PhD, MPH |
| 2:30 p.m. | Adjourn |
Steering Committee
- Gary Fraser, MBChB, PhD, Loma Linda University
- Christine Friedenreich, PhD, Alberta Health Services
- Gabriel Lai, PhD, NCI
- Larry Kushi, ScD, Kaiser Permanente
- Somdat Mahabir, PhD, MPH, NCI
- Charles Matthews, PhD, NCI
- Alpa Patel, PhD, American Cancer Society
- Ross Prentice, PhD, MSc, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center
- Jill Reedy, PhD, MPH, RD, NCI
- Sharon Ross, PhD, MPH, NCI
- Rashmi Sinha, PhD, NCI
- Walter Willett, MD, DrPH, Harvard School of Public Health
Contact Us
Have questions about this topic or need additional assistance?
Somdat Mahabir, PhD, MPH
Program Director
Environmental Epidemiology Branch, EGRP
Division of Cancer Control and Population Sciences, NCI
mahabir@mail.nih.gov