The Arizona Cancer Registry (ACR) is involved with research studies in Arizona. The studies have been approved by the ADHS Human Subjects Review Committee. The registry is currently providing data, subject recruitment and technical assistance to these research groups. A summary of each study is provided below.

Seventh-day Adventist Cohort Study: Cancer Epidemiology in Adventists-A Low Risk Group

The investigators are developing a cohort study of 80,000 white and 45,000 black adult Seventh-day Adventists who are being enrolled from across the United States. This cohort will enable questions about diet to be addressed that are not easily answered with other study populations.

Taking advantage of the unusual dietary habits of Adventists, the special focus of this research is to investigate associations between soy intake, calcium intake, and cancers of the breast, prostate, and colon.

Cancer surveillance during follow-up will be by matching with state tumor registries where possible, matching with the National Death Index, and by obtaining and coding hospitalization records as necessary. Calibration studies in both black and white Adventists will allow bias correction.

Website: http://www.llu.edu/llu/health/index.html

Contact:

 Gary E. Fraser, MD, PhD, Principal Investigator

Black Women’s Health Study

A study that gathers information on many conditions that affect black women—breast cancer, lupus, premature birth, hypertension, colon cancer, diabetes—the list was long. To study many diseases at the same time, the best possible design is a “follow-up” study.  A follow-up study enrolls participants and then follows them over time. When the participants enter the study, they provide information on factors that might influence health and disease, such as contraceptive use, cigarette smoking, and diet.  At regular intervals, participants provide updated information on these factors (because the factors may change over time), and also on any illnesses they develop.

Website: http://www.bu.edu/bwhs/

• Lynn Rosenberg, Sc.D. is the Principal Investigator of the study.  She is the Associate Director of the Slone Epidemiology Center at Boston University.
• Lucile Adams-Campbell, Ph.D. is a Co-Principal Investigator of the study.  She is the Associate Director for Minority Health and Health Disparities Research at Georgetown University’s Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center.

Julie Palmer, Sc.D. is also a Co-Principal Investigator of the study.  She is a Professor of Epidemiology at Boston University School of Public Health

Research Group: Research Triangle Institute (RTI)

Osteosarcoma Surveillance Study
Purpose of Study: The primary purpose of this study is to monitor Forteo^TM exposure in Osteosarcoma patients to examine the possible prevalence of demographic characteristics and medical factors in adults with this rare cancer.  The ACR provides RTI with cases that meet eligibility requirements for the study on a quarterly basis.

Contact:

• Alicia Gilsenan, Ph.D., Principal Investigator, RTI Health Solutions 

Research Group:  National Institutes of Health (NIH) and Westat

NIH-AARP Diet and Health Study Request for Data Linkage with the Arizona Cancer Registry
Purpose of Study: This study is a prospective epidemiologic study investigating the relationship between diet and cancer among a cohort of 50-69 year old men and women.  The cancers of primary interest include breast, colon, and prostate.  The ACR matched a list of NIH-AARP study respondents to the registry data.  The registry data will only be used to assess cancer outcomes. 
For additional information please visit http://dietandhealth.cancer.gov/index.html.
 

Contact:

• Arthur Schatzkin, M.D., Dr.PH, Principal Investigator, National Cancer Institute