kebaldwin
Wed, Oct-12-05, 06:41
Fred Hutchinson to study link between fat and cancer
By JULIE DAVIDOW
SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER REPORTER
A new research study, led by the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center and funded by the National Cancer Institute, aims to sort out the relationship between obesity and cancer.
Many types of cancer, including breast, colorectal, gallbladder, kidney and pancreatic, have been linked to overweight and obesity.
About 14 percent of cancer deaths in men and 20 percent in women can be traced back to excess weight, according to estimates from the American Cancer Society.
But it remains unclear how energy balance -- the combination between diet and exercise -- affects cancer risk. Nearly two in three American adults are either overweight or obese.
"Although we know that obesity and physical activity have something to do with cancer, we know very little about the specific mechanisms of how this happens," said Cornelia Ulrich, an epidemiologist at Fred Hutchinson and one of the investigators for the study.
As one of four cancer centers chosen for the Transdisciplinary Research on Energetics and Cancer, or TREC, initiative, Fred Hutchinson will receive $18 million to conduct five different projects over five years, including laboratory studies and obesity-prevention programs at local workplaces.
Fred Hutchinson will also serve as the coordinating center for the study.
The other cancer centers participating in TREC are Case Western University in Cleveland, the University of Southern California and the University of Minnesota.
In previous research, Dr. Anne McTiernan, the lead investigator for TREC at Fred Hutchinson, found that moderate exercise helps postmenopausal women lose weight and reduces the amount of estrogen circulating in their bodies.
High levels of estrogen have been associated with an increased risk for breast cancer.
McTiernan's work, along with other scientists' efforts in the area of cancer and obesity, encouraged the National Cancer Institute to fund a more detailed examination of the relationship, said Linda Nebeling, program director for TREC at the National Cancer Institute.
"That became the threshold to really show, yes, we need to move this forward in a much more productive way," Nebeling said.
At Fred Hutchinson, researchers will watch cells for the effect of excessive glucose mimicking the high blood-sugar levels of diabetics.
They'll track cancer risk in rats based on diet and exercise. In people, they'll measure indications in the blood of cancer and obesity risk for those who eat diets rich in sugars and refined carbohydrates compared to those who eat a less sugary, starchy diet.
Another study will follow people who exercise for a year, eat a low calorie diet or combine diet and exercise. The study will examine the capacity for DNA repair, a key process for preventing abnormal cell growth. The final project will implement a two-year obesity prevention program at 30 small businesses in Seattle.
CANCER STUDY
The Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center is looking for 500 postmenopausal women in the Seattle area to participate in a one-year study looking at the impact of diet and exercise on breast cancer risk. For information, call 206-667-6444 or e-mail new~fhcrc.org.
P-I reporter Julie Davidow can be reached at 206-448-8180 or juliedavidow~seattlepi.com.
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/244233_obesity12.html
By JULIE DAVIDOW
SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER REPORTER
A new research study, led by the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center and funded by the National Cancer Institute, aims to sort out the relationship between obesity and cancer.
Many types of cancer, including breast, colorectal, gallbladder, kidney and pancreatic, have been linked to overweight and obesity.
About 14 percent of cancer deaths in men and 20 percent in women can be traced back to excess weight, according to estimates from the American Cancer Society.
But it remains unclear how energy balance -- the combination between diet and exercise -- affects cancer risk. Nearly two in three American adults are either overweight or obese.
"Although we know that obesity and physical activity have something to do with cancer, we know very little about the specific mechanisms of how this happens," said Cornelia Ulrich, an epidemiologist at Fred Hutchinson and one of the investigators for the study.
As one of four cancer centers chosen for the Transdisciplinary Research on Energetics and Cancer, or TREC, initiative, Fred Hutchinson will receive $18 million to conduct five different projects over five years, including laboratory studies and obesity-prevention programs at local workplaces.
Fred Hutchinson will also serve as the coordinating center for the study.
The other cancer centers participating in TREC are Case Western University in Cleveland, the University of Southern California and the University of Minnesota.
In previous research, Dr. Anne McTiernan, the lead investigator for TREC at Fred Hutchinson, found that moderate exercise helps postmenopausal women lose weight and reduces the amount of estrogen circulating in their bodies.
High levels of estrogen have been associated with an increased risk for breast cancer.
McTiernan's work, along with other scientists' efforts in the area of cancer and obesity, encouraged the National Cancer Institute to fund a more detailed examination of the relationship, said Linda Nebeling, program director for TREC at the National Cancer Institute.
"That became the threshold to really show, yes, we need to move this forward in a much more productive way," Nebeling said.
At Fred Hutchinson, researchers will watch cells for the effect of excessive glucose mimicking the high blood-sugar levels of diabetics.
They'll track cancer risk in rats based on diet and exercise. In people, they'll measure indications in the blood of cancer and obesity risk for those who eat diets rich in sugars and refined carbohydrates compared to those who eat a less sugary, starchy diet.
Another study will follow people who exercise for a year, eat a low calorie diet or combine diet and exercise. The study will examine the capacity for DNA repair, a key process for preventing abnormal cell growth. The final project will implement a two-year obesity prevention program at 30 small businesses in Seattle.
CANCER STUDY
The Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center is looking for 500 postmenopausal women in the Seattle area to participate in a one-year study looking at the impact of diet and exercise on breast cancer risk. For information, call 206-667-6444 or e-mail new~fhcrc.org.
P-I reporter Julie Davidow can be reached at 206-448-8180 or juliedavidow~seattlepi.com.
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/244233_obesity12.html