Cancer Epidemiology and Services

Cancer Epidemiology and Services Research Program

Group Leader:
Professor Bruce Armstrong

Members:  
Dr. Anne Kricker,
Ms Christine Madronio,
Mr Chris Goumas,
Ms Phoebe Kearey,
Ms Emily Christian
Ms Nadine White

Research Overview
This research program aims to improve control of cancer by increasing understanding of the causes and prevention of cancer and assessing the performance and improving the quality and delivery of cancer services to the community. Its present program and plans include: Describing personal characteristics that correlate with high levels of sun exposure; analysing interactions between genetic constitution and sun exposure in causing melanoma; analysing the relationship between mobile phone use and tumours of the brain, acoustic nerve and parotid gland; analysing the interactions between genetic constitution and environmental and lifestyle factors in causing non-Hodgkin lymphoma; studying the role of vitamin D synthesis in the skin in protecting against squamous cell and basal cell carcinomas of the skin; studying the role of folate supplementation in pregnancy and its interaction with genetic constitution and other environmental factors in protecting against cancer in childhood; evaluating by way of a randomised controlled trial the role of micronutrients, particularly folate and vitamin B12 in reducing damage to DNA that might lead to cancer; studying the contribution that sun exposure and vitamin D might make to improving outcome after a diagnosis of prostate cancer; analysing geographic variation in and other determinants of survival after a diagnosis of cancer in NSW; studying patterns of care for colorectal cancer, lung cancer and melanoma in NSW; studying patients experiences of melanoma care in NSW; studying the care and outcomes of care for men with prostate cancer in NSW; analysing the factors that cause some women to be diagnosed with breast cancer at an advanced stage; evaluating by way of a randomised controlled trial the contribution that vitamin D can make to improving outcome in people at high risk of melanoma recurrence. Professor Armstrong is located in Gloucester House, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, and the work he leads is carried out by researchers in the University of Sydney’s School of Public Health, at The Cancer Council NSW, at the TVW Telethon Institute for Child Health Research in Perth, at CSIRO Nutrition in Adelaide and with collaborators in other locations in Australia and overseas.

2006/2007 Highlights
Receipt of new grants from NHMRC to study sun exposure, vitamin D and prostate cancer survival and to do a trial of micronutrients in preventing DNA damage

Publication of a new report on trends in survival from cancer in New South Wales and showing steady improvement in survival over the 1980s and 1990s

Contributing the chapter on cutaneous and ocular melanoma to the third edition of Oxford University Press landmark publication Cancer Epidemiology and Prevention

Publishing the first comprehensive analysis of unmet need in men recently diagnosed with prostate cancer

Assisting with acquisition of a $10million Commonwealth grant towards the establishment of a new Centre for Basic and Translational Cancer Research

Publications 2006/2007
1.Berwick M, Orlow I, Hummer AJ, Armstrong BK, Kricker A, Marrett LD, Millikan RC, Gruber SB, Anton-Culver H, Zanetti R, Gallagher RP, Dwyer T, Rebbeck TR, Kanetsky PA, Busam K, From L, Mujumdar U, Wilcox H, Begg CB. The Prevalence of CDKN2A Germ-Line Mutations and Relative Risk for Cutaneous Malignant Melanoma: An International Population-Based Study. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 2006; 15: 1520-5.

2.Condon JR, Cunningham J, Barnes T, Armstrong BK, Selva-Nayagam S. Cancer diagnosis and treatment in the Northern Territory: assessing health service performance for indigenous Australians. Intern Med J. 2006; 36: 498-505

3.Gruber SB and Armstrong BK. Cutaneous and ocular melanoma. In Schottenfeld D and Fraumeni J, Cancer Epidemiology and Prevention, New York, Oxford University Press, 2006.

4.Kanetsky PA, Rebbeck TR, Hummer AJ, Panossian S, Armstrong BK, Kricker A, Marrett LD, Millikan RC, Gruber SB, Anton Culver H, Zanetti R, Gallagher RP, Dwyer T, Busam K, From L, Mujumdar U, Wilcox H, Begg CB, Marianne Berwick M, for the Genes Environment and Melanoma Study Group. Population-based study of natural variation in the melanocortin-1 receptor gene and melanoma. Cancer Research 2006; 66: 9930-37.

5.Lucas R, McMichael T, Smith W, Armstrong B. Solar ultraviolet radiation. Global burden of disease from solar ultraviolet radiation. Environmental Burden of Disease Series, No. 13. Geneva, World Health Organization, 2006.

6.Milne E, de Klerk NH, van Bockxmeer F, Kees UR, Thompson JR, Baker D, Armstrong BK. Is there a folate-related gene-environment interaction in the etiology of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia? Int J Cancer. 2006; 119: 229-32.

7.Yu XQ, O’Connell DL, Armstrong BK, Gibberd RW. Trends in cancer survival in NSW 1980 to 1996. The Cancer Council NSW, 2006

8.Yu XQ, O’Connell DL, Gibberd RW, Coates AS, Armstrong BK. Trends in survival and excess risk of death after a diagnosis of cancer in 1980 to 1996 in New South Wales Australia. International Journal of Cancer 2006; 119:894-900.

9.Armstrong BK, Kricker A. Sun exposure and non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Cancer Epidemiology Biomarkers and Prevention 2007; 16: 306-400.

10.Boffetta P, Armstrong B, Linet M, Kasten C, Cozen W, Hartge P. Consortia in cancer epidemiology: lessons from InterLymph. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 2007 Feb;16(2):197-9. 412.

11.Cust AE, Armstrong BK, Friedenreich CM, Slimani N, Bauman A. Physical activity and endometrial cancer risk, a review of the current evidence and the quality of physical activity assessment methods. Cancer Causes and Control 2007; 18: 243-58.

12.Karipidis KK, Benke G, Sim M, Fritschi L, Yost M, Armstrong B, Hughes AM, Grulich A, Vajdic CM, Kaldor JM, Kricker A. Occupational exposure to power frequency magnetic fields and risk of non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Occupational and Environmental Medicine. 2007; 64:25-29.

13.Kricker A, Armstrong BK, Goumas C, Litchfield M, Begg CB, Hummer AJ, Marrett LD, Theis B, Millikan RC, Thomas N, Culver HA, Gallagher RP, Dwyer T, Rebbeck TR, Kanetsky PA, Busam K, From L, Mujumdar U, Zanetti R, Berwick M; for the GEM Study Group. Ambient UV, personal sun exposure and risk of multiple primary melanomas. Cancer Causes Control. 2007; 18: 295-304.

14.Orlow I, Begg CB, Cotignola J, Roy P, Hummer, AJ, Clas BA, Mujumdar U, Canchola R, Armstrong BK, Kricker A, Marrett LD, Millikan RC, Gruber SB, Anton-Culver H, Zanetti R, Gallagher RP, Dwyer T, Rebbeck TR, Kanetsky PA, Wilcox H, Busam K, From L, Berwick M for The GEM Study Group. CDKN2A Germline Mutations in Individuals with Cutaneous Malignant Melanoma. Journal of Investigative Dermatology 2007; 127:1234-43.

15.Purdue MP, Lan Q, Kricker A, Grulich AE, Vajdic CM, Turner J, Whitby D, Chanock S, Rothman N and Armstrong BK. Polymorphisms in immune function genes and risk of non-Hodgkin lymphoma: findings from the New South Wales non-Hodgkin Lymphoma Study. Carcinogenesis 2007; 28: 704-12.

16.Smith DP, Supramaniam R, King MT, Ward J, Berry M, Armstrong BK. Age, health and education determine supportive care needs of men aged less than 70 with prostate cancer. Journal of Clinical Oncology 2007; 25: 2560-6.

17.Vajdic CM, Fritschi L, Grulich AE, Kaldor JM, Benke G, Kricker A, Hughes AM, Turner JJ, Milliken S, Goumas C, Armstrong, BK. Atopy, exposure to pesticides and risk of non-Hodgkin lymphoma. International Journal of Cancer 2007; 120: 2271-4.

18.Young JM. Leong DC, Armstrong K, O’Connell D, Armstrong BK, Spigelman AD, Ackland S, Chapuis P, Kneebone A, Solomon MJ. Concordance with national guidelines for colorectal cancer care – a population-based patterns of care study of 3,096 patients. Medical Journal of Australia 2007; 186: 292-295.