Latest on research on cancer prevention

Nov 29 2007

Perhaps the best way to fight cancer is to prevent it from developing in the first place.

The latest biological, medical and social research behind cancer prevention will be the focus of the American Association for Cancer Research's Sixth Annual International Conference on Frontiers in Cancer Prevention Research, to be held December 5 to 8 at the Philadelphia Marriott Downtown in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

“This meeting has become a major venue for presenting cutting-edge research in basic, clinical, epidemiologic, and behavioral science,” said meeting chair Andrew J. Dannenberg, M.D., professor of medicine at the Weill Medical College of Cornell University. “As the only comprehensive conference on cancer prevention in the world, it continues to foster important transdisciplinary interactions that are vital to making critical discoveries.”

The conference will cover a wide variety of cancer prevention topics, including some of the latest developments in clinical genetics, infectious diseases, imaging, and metabolism. Two special “Controversy Sessions” will focus on the scientific debates regarding current practices in breast cancer prevention and the potential role of smokeless tobacco in the fight against smoking-related cancers.

The Philadelphia conference brings together scientists and other professionals, working in a variety of disciplines, to discuss the latest findings in the field and to stimulate the development of new research in cancer prevention. The conference was also designed to promote public, academic, government, and industry awareness of the vital importance of cancer prevention science in reducing cancer incidence and mortality.

Highlights of this conference will include breaking news:

• Raw, but not cooked, cruciferous vegetables, such as broccoli or cauliflower, can lower one's risk of developing bladder cancer, scientists at the Roswell Park Cancer Institute report.
• Gaining weight following breast cancer diagnosis greatly reduces a woman's chances of surviving the disease, according to epidemiologists at Johns Hopkins University.
• Eating black raspberries could slow the growth of precancerous lesions that lead to esophageal adenocarcinoma, says researchers at Ohio State University.
• The HPV vaccine has been shown to prevent cervical cancer, but are all Americans aware that the vaccines are safe, effective and, above all, available? Researchers at Columbia University report that many urban physicians working in under-resourced communities are struggling to get patients vaccinated.
• A commercially available fruit drink might lower one's risk of developing prostate cancer, say researchers at the University of Sydney. Their findings in animal models of prostate cancer show the beverage, a cocktail of numerous known anti-cancer plant products, shows promise for human trials.
• Diet and exercise have a demonstrable effect on lung cancer risk, say researchers at the University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center. Theirs is the first lung cancer risk prediction model that examines both diet and physical activity – among smokers, non-smokers and former smokers – using the USDA pyramid serving guidelines.

Capping off AACR's scientific meeting is a free, public education program entitled “Cancer Answers: A Public Forum on Cancer Prevention.” Scientists and cancer advocates will help educate the Philadelphia community on cancer prevention through an interactive dialogue, sharing their research and answering questions about diet, lifestyle, exercise, chemoprevention, clinical trials, genetics, personalized medicine, survivorship and cancer education. Information on resources for cancer patients and their families, as well as general information on cancer will also be available from local advocacy and community education groups.

Susan G. Komen for the Cure is recognized as the lead supporter of “Frontiers in Cancer Prevention Research” with additional support from the American Cancer Society, National Cancer Institute, and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The mission of the American Association for Cancer Research is to prevent and cure cancer. Founded in 1907, AACR is the world's oldest and largest professional organization dedicated to advancing cancer research. The membership includes nearly 26,000 basic, translational, and clinical researchers; health care professionals; and cancer survivors and advocates in the United States and more than 70 other countries. AACR marshals the full spectrum of expertise from the cancer community to accelerate progress in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of cancer through high-quality scientific and educational programs. It funds innovative, meritorious research grants. The AACR Annual Meeting attracts more than 17,000 participants who share the latest discoveries and developments in the field. Special Conferences throughout the year present novel data across a wide variety of topics in cancer research, treatment, and patient care. AACR publishes five major peer-reviewed journals: Cancer Research; Clinical Cancer Research; Molecular Cancer Therapeutics; Molecular Cancer Research; and Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention. Its most recent publication, CR, is a magazine for cancer survivors, patient advocates, their families, physicians, and scientists. It provides a forum for sharing essential, evidence-based information and perspectives on progress in cancer research, survivorship, and advocacy.