NEWSLETTER OF THE NCI DIVISION OF CANCER PREVENTION 1

Diet may be a risk factor for a number of

diseases, including cancer, diabetes, and

cardiovascular diseases. However, the

specific effect of various bioactive food components depends on an individual’s genetic

blueprint. Each of us is a unique organism,

and one diet is not optimal for everyone.

Scientific evidence suggests that each individual utilizes bioactive food components in a

unique way, depending on his or her specific

DNA. Just as no two people have matching

fingerprints, neither do any two individuals

have identical DNA. The interface between a

person’s genetic makeup and subsequent

nutrient-induced changes in gene expression is

referred to as “nutritional genomics” or

“nutrigenomics.” The same tools and methods used in genomics research (single

nucleotide polymorphism analysis, gene

expression profiling, proteomics,

metabolomics, bioinformatics, and biocomputation) are being used to examine an individual’s response to his or her nutritional environment. A mechanistic “one size fits all”

approach is giving way to a new paradigm

focused on biologic, metabolomic, and genetic

effects of nutrients, phytochemicals, and other

bioactive components in food. The desired

outcome of nutrigenomics is the use of personalized diets to prevent or delay the onset

of disease and to optimize and maintain

human health.

Imagine a world in which you know exactly how much of a vitamin or mineral you

need for optimal health and energy. Imagine a

time when you can match your wellness needs

with a precise understanding of just how

much of a low-cost,

highly effective botanical

you need to combat a

cold. Some scientists

believe that, in less than 10 years, you’ll be

able to go to a lab and complete a set of genetic tests to identify your personal disease susceptibilities. When you leave the lab, you’ll be

armed with a list of foods to eat and to avoid

and a recommendation of dietary supplements

to help prevent “your diseases.” 

A May 4, 2003 New York Times article,

entitled “What your genes want you to eat,”

described the following scenario: “A trip to the

diet doc, circa 2013. You prick your finger,

draw a little blood and send it, along with

$100 fee, to a consumer genomics lab in

California. There, it’s passed through a mass

spectrometer, where its proteins are analyzed.

It is cross referenced with your DNA profile. 

A few days later, you get an e-mail message

with your recommended diet for the next four

weeks. It doesn’t look too bad: lots of

salmon, spinach, selenium supplements, bread

with olive oil. Unsure of just how lucky you

ought to feel, you call up a few friends to see

Personalized Nutrition: The Next Wave of the Genetic Revolution? CINDY DAVIS

April 2004

V O L UME 6/ISSUE 1

NEWSLETTER OF THE NCI DIVISION

OF CANCER PREVENTION

PreventionPOST

continued on page 7

IN THIS ISSUE

Personalized Nutrition: 

The Next Wave of the 

Genetic Revolution? 1

New Frontiers in Cancer 

Detection and Diagnosis:

Report on the Early Detection

Research Network–Gordon

Research Conference 2

PreventionPOST credits 2

History of Cancer Prevention:

Immunizing Against Cancer: 

The First Tentative Steps 3

From the Bench to the Bedside:

The Role of the Community 

Clinical Oncology Program 

(CCOP) 4

Challenges Create 

Opportunities 5

Transitions 6

2003 DCP Winter Party 6

Visiting Scholars 7

DCP Awardees 8

Cancer Prevention: 

A European Perspective 

and an EPIC Undertaking 8

The Contract as a Funding

Mechanism 9

At the Forefront of Training 10

The Second Annual Cancer

Prevention Fellows’ Scientific

Symposium 11

DCP Calendar of Events 12

One Size Does Not Fit All!
2 PreventionPOST APRIL 2004

The Early Detection Research Network (EDRN), a

National Cancer Institute (NCI)-sponsored consortium

for the development, testing, and validation of biomarkers for early detection and risk assessment of cancer, and the

Gordon Research Conference joined forces to develop a biannual meeting entitled “New Frontiers in Cancer Detection and

Diagnosis.” The most recent meeting was held at Procter

Academy in Andover, New Hampshire, August 17-22, 2003.

The Conference was sponsored by the NCI’s Division of

Cancer Prevention (DCP), Cancer Biomarkers Research Group

(CBRG), and was co-chaired by Dr. Sudhir Srivastava, NCI,

DCP, CBRG, and Dr. Bernard Levin, from the University of

Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center. It was a successful and

largely attended event, with over 125 participants representing

more than eight countries and four continents. Scientists from

academic, federal, and industrial fields made presentations and

participated in the daily poster sessions. DCP Director 

Dr. Peter Greenwald presided over the event and encouraged

EDRN scientists to further develop and validate biomarkers

for earlier detection and risk assessment of cancer. Other

speakers included Drs. David Sidransky from Johns Hopkins

University, Joe Gray from Lawrence Livermore National

Laboratory, and Richard Smith from Pacific Northwest

National Laboratory.

Scenic New Hampshire provided an ideal and peaceful

locale for this six-day conference, which focused on cancer

detection and risk assessment. Among the many interesting

topics covered were molecular profiling, development of proteomic approaches in cancer detection, epigenomic modifications as cancer biomarkers, development of computational

tools for the analysis of cancer signatures, and development 

of novel detection strategies. Each session was followed by an

interactive discussion. Dr. Lance Liotta of NCI’s Center for

Cancer Research, Laboratory of Pathology, presented his

views on how novel proteomic approaches might help identify

early-stage ovarian cancer and enable the transition from

bench science to bedside. Dr. David Botstein of the Genomics

Institute, Princeton University, emphasized the need for more

research on genome-wide patterns of gene expression in cancer

despite advances in proteomics. Many EDRN investigators

presented their scientific work, thus allowing an outsider’s

look into the quality of EDRN-promoted research. Dr. Bruce

Ponder from Cambridge University, United Kingdom, spoke

on the prospects for single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP)-

based risk profiles for breast cancer. Dr. Julio Celis from the

Danish Center for Human Genome Research presented an

integrated longitudinal approach to breast cancer research 

utilizing genomic, proteomic, and imaging techniques. There

was a special session devoted to novel approaches to biomarker

validation that was led by Dr. William Bigbee of the University

of Pittsburgh. Dr. Barry Kramer of the National Institutes of

Health, Office of the Director, spoke about various study

designs for validation of biomarkers.

The conference was attended by both distinguished and

young scientists, thus allowing a great opportunity for networking and scientific interactions. Overall, this was a memorable and informative meeting that fostered many innovative

ideas for biomarker research. ■

New Frontiers in Cancer Detection and Diagnosis:

Report on the Early Detection Research Network–Gordon Research Conference 

J A C OB KAGAN, PADMA MARUVADA, AND MUKESH VERMA

2003 EDRN–Gordon Conference, Andover, New Hampshire

EDITORIAL GROUP:

Susan Perkins

(Editor-in-Chief),

Cindy Davis,

Graça Dores, 

Ann O’Mara

DESIGN/WEB GROUP:

Doris Browne, 

Kathleen Foster

TEAM PHOTOGRAPHER:

Grant Izmirlian

PRINTING/DISTRIBUTION 

GROUP:

Jacob Kagan, 

Doug Midthune,

Gloria Rasband,

Paul Wagner

PreventionPOST

DCP Newsletter Project Team

PreventionPOST

Newsletter of the Division of Cancer Prevention

National Cancer Institute

Executive Plaza North, Suite 3109

6130 Executive Boulevard, MSC-7361

Bethesda, Maryland 20892-7105

Back issues of the PreventionPOST may be seen online at

http://www3.cancer.gov/prevention/about.html#pp

Questions or comments? 

Please send email to

pp_editor@ncifcrf.gov

The DCP Newsletter welcomes new member Paul Wagner!
NEWSLETTER OF THE NCI DIVISION OF CANCER PREVENTION 3

Immunizing Against Cancer: The First Tentative Steps

KATHLEEN FOSTER

William B. Coley (1862-1936), a physician practicing

medicine in turn-of-the century New York, has been

referred to as “the Sherlock Holmes of Cancer.”

Given the challenges for practitioners at that time– penicillin

had not yet been discovered and radium was not isolated until

1903– he needed to exercise all of the acuity of this fictional

sleuth. Coley was a product of his time, and Victorian

America was seething with the energies of a new age and with

the promise of revolutionary technologies. As a graduate of

the Harvard School of Medicine and one who possessed an

active scientific curiosity, Coley took advantage of these gifts

to evolve into one of the first pioneers in the field of cancer immunology. 

The young surgeon and researcher started

his medical practice at New York City’s

Memorial Hospital, now known as

Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center.

However, Coley soon found himself

thwarted in his efforts to arrest the

growth of cancer in a 19-year-old girl

with a sarcoma of the arm. She was

his first cancer patient, and she succumbed to the disease despite an early

diagnosis followed by amputation.

This loss fueled his desire to find a cure

for cancer and set Coley on a path of

discovery that shaped his entire career.

Initially, Coley commenced a retrospective study of all sarcoma patients treated at

Memorial Hospital. Although the majority of

these patients did not survive the disease, one exceptional patient beat the odds despite a poor

prognosis. The single factor that made this

case unique was that, while hospitalized,

the patient endured two bouts of

erysipelas, a severe skin infection caused

by Streptococcus. As Coley continued his

case review, he started to detect a pattern: patients who developed the acute post-surgical infections that were then commonplace, and who survived the infection, sometimes fared

better with the course of their malignancies as well. 

Now intrigued by the possible association between a bacterial infection and tumor regression, Coley turned to the laboratory and developed a purified extract from the cell walls of

live bacteria. In the 1890s he began injecting cancer patients

with his rudimentary bacterial formula. Despite initial failures,

Coley persevered with his treatments, later obtaining a particularly virulent culture of Streptococcus from the famous

German bacteriologist, Robert Koch. The patient injected with

bacteria from this culture had presented with tumors on his

tonsils and neck; these tumors completely regressed after he

endured a severe vaccine-induced case of erysipelas. Coley

published a paper on his method, “A Preliminary Note on the

Treatment of Inoperable Sarcoma by the Toxic Product of

Erysipelas,” Post–Graduate 8:278-86, 1893.

Understandably, the use of live bacteria was risky for all

concerned. Coley returned to the laboratory and went on to

make his vaccine from dead Streptococcus byproducts mixed

with another bacillus, heat-killed Serratia marcescens. Over

900 terminally ill cancer patients were injected with what

came to be known as “Coley’s Toxins.” Apparently, if these

brave research subjects were able to endure repeated vaccineinduced fevers, they had a chance at spontaneous regression of

their tumors. Coley reportedly claimed a 40% success rate in inducing long-tem remissions in certain types of cancer. 

In 1943 NCI researcher M.J. Shears 

discovered that the biologically active 

substance in Coley’s toxins was

lipopolysaccharide, a major component

of the cell walls of gram-negative bacteria. A heated and less effective version of this compound was produced

by Parke-Davis until the 1950s. In the

1970s an offshoot of Coley’s original

hypothesis led to the discovery that the

active component in lipopolysaccharide,

lipid A, stimulates the immune system to

produce tumor necrosis factor-alpha

(TNF-α). It is now recognized that Coley’s

work was a turning point in understanding the

important role of the body’s immune system in

fighting cancer, and his legacy serves as a

foundation for modern immunotherapy. 

Regrettably, many who tried to replicate Coley’s results failed to do so, and

this innovative physician endured years of

skepticism and scorn for his experiments.

His groundbreaking work was subsequently eclipsed by the

emergence of radiation and chemotherapy, and the use of

immunotherapy for cancer languished. However, once again

technological advances have enhanced the field of medicine,

and the evolution of genetic engineering has led to a better

understanding of the cancer process and the complexities of

the human immune system. It has taken over one hundred

years for science to catch up with the inspired thinking and

genius of a man who was willing to try to harness the

resources of the human body to fight back the cancer cells

that were growing unchecked in his terminally ill patients. 

We can only speculate at the satisfaction that the “Sherlock

Holmes of Cancer” would experience on learning that the

mystery of malignancy is at long last verging on a solution. ■

HISTORY OF CANCER PREVENTION

Photograph provided by the Cancer Research

Institute. The Cancer Research Institute was

founded in 1953 by Helen Coley Nauts in order

to continue the work started by her father, 

William B. Coley, M.D. Its mission is to foster

the science of cancer immunology.
History of the CCOPs

I

n the early 1980s, two forces for the advancement of cancer care were in place: 1) physicians who had trained at

academic cancer centers were increasingly entering community practice to care for the majority of cancer patients in the

country, but 2) patients still had to travel to cancer centers to

participate in cutting-edge cancer clinical trials.

The identification of this problem was the impetus for the

creation of the Community Clinical Oncology Program

(CCOP) of the

National Cancer

Institute (NCI). 

The challenge was

to design and implement a program to

ensure that cancer

patients treated in

their communities

had access to quality

medical care and

clinical trials. By

introducing up-todate cancer management into the community in the form of

research clinical trials,

community physicians would also be more ready and able 

to apply the proven treatment regimens to all their patients.

Diffusion of state-of-the-art cancer treatment to the practices

where people were being treated would be enhanced. Could

this success be extended into the cancer prevention arena?

By 1986, the success of the CCOPs in accruing patients to

treatment trials was clear; as a consequence, the scope of the

program was expanded to explicitly incorporate cancer 

control, which included both cancer prevention clinical trials

and symptom management clinical trials. In 1990, NCI

decided that sufficient evidence existed to undertake a large

trial to determine if tamoxifen, a cancer treatment drug,

could reduce a woman’s chance of developing breast cancer.

The National Surgical Adjuvant Breast and Bowel Project

(NSABP) successfully competed for the peer-reviewed 

supplement to design and conduct the randomized, placebocontrolled trial for women who were cancer free but at

increased risk of developing breast cancer. Participation of

CCOPs located across the country was crucial to the success

of this trial, which led to tamoxifen becoming the first cancer prevention drug approved by the U.S. Food and Drug

Administration.

Today

Twenty years after its founding, the CCOP has accomplished

From the Bench to the Bedside: The Role of the Community Clinical Oncology Program (CCOP) ANN O’MARA

4 PreventionPOST APRIL 2004

the early goals of including community physicians in clinical

research and of expanding the research focus of the Cancer

Cooperative Groups and cancer centers—the institutional

entities, or “research bases,” that support clinical trials—to

include cancer prevention. For example, the CCOPs provide

about one-third of all of the subjects for NCI’s large-scale

prevention clinical trials, such as STAR (Study of Tamoxifen

and Raloxifene) and SELECT (Selenium and Vitamin E

Cancer Prevention Trial). In addition to the large-scale trials,

the CCOP program

is also supporting 22

smaller-scale phase II

and phase III trials.

These smaller trials

include studies of

dietary soy and biomarkers of prostate

cancer; 13-cisretinoic acid to prevent second primary

tumors in stage I

non-small cell lung

cancer; and topical

immunomodulatory

therapy with

imiquimod for

chemoprevention of recurrent high-grade cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN).

In addition to supporting cancer prevention clinical trials,

the CCOP program supports an array of trials focusing on

the prevention and management of symptoms associated with

cancer and its treatment. Currently, there are over 60 open

and accruing clinical trials testing interventions to prevent or

manage pain, weight loss, anorexia, bone loss, neurocognitive

dysfunction, fatigue, and hot flashes.

More than 4,000 community physicians now participate in

NCI clinical trials through the CCOP network. In addition,

51 CCOPs and 11 Minority-Based CCOPs are funded across

34 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico, providing access to cancer clinical trials in 403 community-based

hospitals. Since 1989, over 74,500 people at risk for cancer

development have been enrolled in cancer prevention clinical

trials through this collaborative program.

So, given this little bit of history, exactly what is a CCOP?

A "CCOP" is a group of hospitals and/or private practices

that applies and receives a CCOP grant for their participation

in NCI-sponsored clinical trials. There is significant variation

in the size of CCOPs. Some consist of one or two local-level

hospitals, while others span organizations across several

states. The program is geared toward groups of organizations

or private practices that can accrue at least 50 patients to

The Community Oncology and Prevention Trials Research Group: (left to right) Lori Minasian,

(Chief), Denise Boyer, Joseph Kelaghan, Cynthia Whitman, Worta McCaskill-Stevens, 

Ann O’Mara, Lindy Wong

continued on page 5
From the Bench to the Bedside: continued from page 4

NEWSLETTER OF THE NCI DIVISION OF CANCER PREVENTION 5

When Kathleen Foster first approached me to write an

article that “will appeal” to the Administrative Staff

in the Division of Cancer Prevention (DCP), I

thought, “no problem.” Then, as I sat in front of my word

processor, I was at a loss for words (no small thing for me!).

This has been a challenging year for all Administrative

Staff at the National Cancer Institute. We’ve had a major

change in our travel system, changes in Delegations of

Authority, a consolidation of Human Resources (HR),

changes in policy and regulations, A-76, another round of

Continuing Resolutions, new systems to

learn... the list goes on and on.... 

And yet, we in the Administrative field

are charged “to create an environment

that supports the Nation’s investment in

cancer research through responsive and

innovative administrative practices.”

So how can we continue to stay motivated and “responsive” and “innovative”

under such challenges? I won’t make tired

analogies of fighting against rising tides

or staying afoot on a pitching deck, but I will be honest with

you: it won’t be easy. 

The challenges before us are daunting. We will get frustrated. It will seem like outside forces are stopping us from

accomplishing our goals. But we simply have no choice

because our mission is that important.

When I was in junior high school, I was on the worst soccer team ever. We were unorganized, and none of us really

had set positions except the goalie. I was an easily winded little Irish girl, so I mostly ran back and forth a lot without

making much contact with the ball. We ended up getting our

butts kicked every game. We’d drag ourselves off the field,

sweaty, exhausted, and bone tired. But by the end of the season, we’d bonded like no other group I’ve been in since. Only

through hardships can we learn our strengths and truly appreciate the strengths of others.

Now is the time to examine your inner self and to develop

those strengths within you. In an effort to help, the DCP

Administrative Resource Center (ARC) has created a mini

“Library of Change” with self-help books and material. One

such book, Who Moved My Cheese? by Spencer Johnson,

M.D., gives advice on how to deal with changes at work and

in life. This quick read is an enjoyable parable with a good lesson on how to be alert to changes and what to do when your

“cheese” moves, or runs out. Also included in this library are

Emotional Intelligence by Daniel

Goleman and The Seven Spiritual Laws

of Success by Deepak Chopra. We

encourage DCP Staff to stop by and sign

out one of these books.

NIH’s Work/Life Center has career

consultants who are professionally

trained to deliver Career Development

Workshops to NIH employee groups. Let

me know if you think it would be worthwhile setting up training sessions on skilldeveloping topics such as Effective Communication, Creating

a Great Federal Resume, or Jump-starting Your Career. 

Part of dealing with change is getting an opportunity to discuss your concerns and issues with a group. The DCP ARC

has monthly Operation Staff Meetings (OSM) with the

Division’s Administrative Program Assistants to facilitate these

types of discussions. Always feel free to email us an agenda

item, and we’ll be happy to add it to the meeting.

I’d love to hear any other ideas you may have.

I don’t know how much longer we’re going to face dramatic changes– it seems the only constant is constant change– but

I do look forward to learning and appreciating your strengths

during these times of flux, and I hope everyone is as proud of

the work you’re doing as I am of everyone in the DCP and

our ARC. ■

Challenges Create Opportunities

J A CKIE HAVENS, WITH CONTRIBUTIONS BY ERIC GRAVES; CONVEYED TO THE PREVENTIONPOST BY KATHLEEN FOSTER

treatment trials and 50-75 participants to cancer prevention

and control trials annually.

While the CCOPs are often referred to as “the accrual

engines” for NCI-sponsored clinical trials, the research bases

are the “the protocol engines,” in that they are required to

develop a menu of cancer prevention and control protocols

that are open to the CCOPs. Additionally, the research bases

manage and analyze all data collected and monitor data

quality and participant accrual. 

The range of clinical trials sponsored by the CCOP is a testament to the efforts of investigators in the basic sciences and

molecular biology. Every day, findings from these trials are

being given back to the community, both as advances in cancer

prevention and as improvements in quality of life for patients

with cancer. ■
Dr. Paul Wagner has joined the Cancer Biomarkers

Research Group as a Program Director. After

receiving a Ph.D. in biochemistry from Washington

State University, he was a postdoctoral fellow at

the Medical Research Council Laboratory of

Molecular Biology in Cambridge, England.

Following his fellowship, he was a Research

Assistant Professor at the University of California,

San Francisco. Paul spent 17 years as a Principal

Investigator in the NCI’s Laboratory of

Biochemistry, where he studied and worked on

determining the mechanism by which nm23 proteins suppress tumor metastasis. More recently,

Paul worked at NIH’s Center for Scientific Review

as a Scientific Review Administrator. 

Erin Iturriaga, R.N., CCRC, has joined the Protocol

Information Office as a Nurse Specialist. Erin

brings a strong background in multiple aspects of 

clinical research, including clinical trials 

management, education, and regulatory responsibilities. Prior to moving to the Washington, D.C.,

area, Erin managed neuromuscular clinical trials

at UT Southwest Medical Center in Dallas and the

UT Health Science Center at San Antonio. In addition, she managed the clinical trials program at

INOVA Fairfax Hospital and worked as a regulatory department manager for a local company.

More recently, Erin worked at Westat, where she

served as the Education Manager on the DCP

Monitoring Contract– a great jumpstart for understanding our organization. ■

Jennifer Flach, who has left the Protocol

Information Office after 13 years of service.

Jennifer has accepted a new position in the Office

of the Director, where she will be working 

on the NIH electronic Research Administration

(eRA) project. This is a wonderful opportunity for

her to use the informatics skills that she developed while working for DCP. ■

6 PreventionPOST APRIL 2004

2003 DCP Winter Party

CINDY DAVIS

Photos courtesy of Dr. John Milner

TRANSITIONS

BEST WISHES TO:
GRANT IZMIRLIAN AND DORIS BROWNE

NEWSLETTER OF THE NCI DIVISION OF CANCER PREVENTION 7

Victor G. Vogel, M.D., M.H.S.,

Professor of Medicine and

Epidemiology at the University 

of Pittsburgh, is a visiting scholar in 

the Breast and Gynecologic Cancer

Research Group. There, he served as

the co-organizer for the Ductal Lavage

Workshop held in September 2003. 

He is currently focusing his attention

on selecting clinically significant 

biomarkers in breast cancer prevention

from the category of non-steroidal antiinflammatory drugs and COX inhibitors. He is the recipient of

numerous honors and awards, including a Career

Development Award from the American Cancer Society, a

research fellowship from the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer

Foundation, and the Achievement Medal from the U.S. Public

Health Service. He is a member of numerous boards and committees, including the Data and Safety Monitoring Board for

the Women’s Health Initiative of the National Institutes of

Health. He also serves as the national protocol chairman of

the National Cancer Institute’s STAR (Study of Tamoxifen

and Raloxifene) Trial. Dr. Vogel is the author of more than

150 articles, book chapters, and abstracts. He has served as

Deputy Chairman of the Department of Clinical Cancer

Prevention at the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer

Center and is currently Director of the Magee-Womens

Hospital/University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute Breast

Cancer Prevention Program.

David Ransohoff, M.D., is a scholar

in the Biometry Research Group 

visiting under the Intergovernmental

Personnel Act. He comes to us from

the University of North Carolina at

Chapel Hill School of Medicine,

where he is the Director of the

Clinical Research Curriculum. His

goal while at DCP is to assist in

advancing the field of translational

research by identifying molecular

markers for early diagnosis of cancer.

As a cancer investigator, he has written extensively about 

conventional screening tests, including fecal occult blood testing, sigmoidoscopy and colonoscopy, and has numerous publications on the evaluation of diagnostic tests. Recently, in 

collaboration with investigators at the NCI and FDA, he has

broadened his focus into the field of molecular markers by initiating a new proteomics study in patients with adenomatous

polyposis. Part of this work will involve collaboration with

members of the Biometry Research Group in the development

of new analytic tools and the evaluation of existing ones for

the analysis of this kind of complex molecular marker data. ■

what their diets look like. There are plenty of quirks. A

Greek co-worker is getting clams, crab, liver and tofu– a

bounty of B vitamins to raise her coenzyme levels. A friend in

Chicago, a second-generation Zambian, has been prescribed

popcorn, kale, peaches in their own juice and club soda.

(This looks a lot like the hypertension-reducing ‘Dash’ diet,

which doesn’t work for everyone but apparently works for

him.) He is allowed some chicken, prepared in a saltless

marinade, hold the open flame–and he gets extra vitamin D

because there’s not enough sunshine for him at his latitude.

Your boss, who seems to have won some sort of genetic lottery, gets to eat plenty of peanut butter, red meat and boutique cheeses.”

Individualized nutrition may be one of the next technological and commercial frontiers emerging from the genetic 

revolution. Deciphering the human genome was in many 

ways a major milestone for nutritional science. As scientists

annotate the human genome and metabolome, the role of

nutrition research is to extend this knowledge and to understand the interactions among diet, genotype, and metabolism.

Knowledge of these interactions will provide the means to

intervene, by recommending an optimal diet designed to

direct metabolism toward health and away from disease. 

In the future not only may we be choosing food because of

its flavor and appeal, but also because what we choose to eat

may help us live healthier and longer lives. ■

Personalized Nutrition: The Next Wave of the Genetic Revolution? continued from page 1

VISITING SCHOLARS

Victor G. Vogel, 

M.D., M.H.S.

David Ransohoff, M.D

DCP home base: Executive Plaza 
8 PreventionPOST APRIL 2004

Cancer Prevention: A European Perspective and an EPIC Undertaking

DOUGLAS MIDTHUNE

On July 31, 2003, Dr. Elio Riboli,

chief of the Nutrition and Cancer

Unit at the International Agency

for Research on Cancer, part of the

World Health Organization, delivered 

the 4th annual Advances in Cancer

Prevention Lecture. The event was sponsored by the National Cancer Institute’s

Division of Cancer Prevention as part of

its Summer Curriculum in Cancer Prevention and took place

at Lister Hill Auditorium on the NIH campus in Bethesda,

MD. Dr. Riboli’s lecture, entitled “Cancer Prevention: 

A European Perspective,” focused on the important role 

of diet in the development or prevention of many cancers 

and on an unprecedented study being undertaken in Europe to

better understand that role.

The European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and

Nutrition (EPIC) is one of the largest prospective nutrition

studies ever conducted, accruing over 500,000 subjects from

ten European countries. Dr. Riboli, project coordinator for the

study, said that EPIC is designed to take advantage of the

wide variety of dietary habits seen in Europe, from the

Mediterranean diets of Spain and Greece to the Scandinavian

diets of Sweden and Norway. This, in combination with the

study’s large size, will enable researchers to study the etiology

of less common forms of cancer, such as cancers of the 

esophagus, ovary, and endometrium. EPIC researchers collect

blood samples from all subjects, in addition to detailed questionnaires on diet, physical activity, and lifestyle and anthropometric measurements such as height and weight. These

extensive data will allow them to study biomarkers of diet,

metabolic and hormonal patterns, and genetic susceptibility

and how these factors interact with diet and lifestyle to determine an individual’s cancer risk.

Although EPIC is designed to follow subjects until 2010

and beyond, Dr. Riboli noted that important results are

already being seen. For example, a recent publication in 

The Lancet (361: 1496-1501, 2003)reported that dietary fiber

plays a protective role against colorectal cancer. Preliminary

indications are that diets high in fiber, fish, and fruits and vegetables may provide protection against colorectal, stomach,

and upper aero-digestive tract cancers, while regular consumption of processed meat is associated with an increased risk of

colorectal and stomach cancers. In light of the obesity epidemic being seen in Europe, the United States, and throughout the

industrialized world, Dr. Riboli noted that it is especially

important that studies such as EPIC be conducted to enable us

to understand the relationship between diet, physical activity,

and obesity, and how these factors affect one’s risk of cancer

and other diseases. ■

EPN and EPS (or is it EPS and EPN?) on an early fall day. 

Photo by Grant Izmirlian. 
NEWSLETTER OF THE NCI DIVISION OF CANCER PREVENTION 9

GLORIA RASBAND

DCP AWARDEES

Mary Lou Carter Eric Graves

Joy Osborne Mary Palmer

Dr. Leslie Ford Dr. Howard Parnes

Congratulations to Mary Lou Carter, Eric Graves, Joy

Osborne, and Mary Palmer, each of whom was awarded the

2003 NCI Customer Service Award “in honor of superior 

customer service in advancing science at the NCI.”

Congratulations to Dr. Leslie Ford, who received an NIH

Merit Award in October 2003. The award was given in recognition of Dr. Ford’s contributions to the NCI Conference on

Early Reproductive Events and Breast Cancer.

In October 2003, Dr. Howard Parnes was honored with a

Commission Corps Award at the NCI Awards Ceremony.

He received a Commendation Medal for sustained high quality

scientific and administrative achievements as Chair of the

Division of Cancer Prevention Concept Review Committee. ■
Debut of the On-line Application

Just in time for the 2004 recruitment cycle, the Cancer Prevention

Fellowship Program (CPFP) rolled out its new, Internet-based

application process. Dr. Shine Chang, Associate Director for

Professional Development and Program Evaluation, OPO, led the

effort to create an on-line application tool that will streamline

procedures for both applicants and Program staff. The project

was developed and implemented in collaboration with

Information Management Systems, a government contractor with

expertise in electronic applications and data management, and

successfully met its scheduled July 1 launch date. Designed to be

user friendly, the electronic application is accessed through a

secure Internet web site (https://cpfp.cancer.gov/).

Recruitment of 2004 Fellows

The fact that 95 of the 103 applications received this year were

submitted electronically is a tribute to the success of the new application process. Moreover, the number of applications was very

similar to the average number received in recent years, implying

that applying on-line did not represent a barrier to potential applicants. This notion was supported by feedback obtained from a

few of the individuals who started but did not submit an application. All applications were judged by the same criteria, regardless

of how they were transmitted.

The new Clinical Cancer Prevention Research Track attracted 38 applications in its first year, while the 14 applicants registering for Ethics of Prevention and Public Health signified continued interest in this two-year-old specialty track. From the top

30 applicants brought to Executive Plaza for interviews on

October 29–31, the Program selected 15 new Cancer Prevention

Fellows. Of these, 10 will spend their first year obtaining a

Master of Public Health (M.P.H.) degree; meanwhile, 5 fellows

will start their postdoctoral training at the NCI in late June

2004 and participate in the NCI’s Summer Curriculum in

Cancer Prevention.

Congratulations to first-year fellow Marla Clayman, whose paper

received an Honorable Mention for the 2003 Laurence G.

Branch Doctoral Student Research Award from the American

Public Health Association at its Annual Meeting in San Francisco

in November 2003.

Second-year fellow Ken Hance received an Astra-Zeneca

Scholars Award to attend and present at the San Antonio Breast

Cancer Symposium in December 2003. This was one of five

such travel awards, sponsored by the Astra-Zeneca

Pharmaceutical Co., that are given to postdoctoral scientists

and physicians each year.

Second-year fellow Melinda Butsch Kovacic was elected by the

NIH Fellows Committee (FELCOM) to represent NIH at the

National Postdoctoral Association. She was recently appointed

to serve as Editor of the organization’s quarterly electronic

newsletter, The POSTDOCket

(http://www.nationalpostdoc.org/postdocket/).

Second-year fellow Christine Holmberg has been selected to 

participate in the New Investigators Workshop at the Annual

Meeting of American Society of Preventive Oncology, to be held

in Bethesda, MD, in March 2004.

Recent alumna Alexis Brown Bakos received an Honorable

Mention for the 2003 Aetna Susan B. Anthony Award for

Excellence in Research on Older Women and Public Health. 

Her paper was recognized at the Annual Meeting of the

American Public Health Association in San Francisco in

November 2003. ■

ON THE PERSONAL SIDE

A W ARDS 

Special congratulations to Laura E. Beane-Freeman and her 

husband, Bryce Freeman, on the birth of their son, Bennett

David Freeman; to Tamaro Hudson and his wife, Jaime Hudson,

on the birth of their daughter, Sara Cheré Hudson; and to

Larissa Korde and her husband, Scott Cole, on the birth of their

daughter, Maya Alison Korde Cole. Special congratulations also

to Lisa Poe, Program Administrative Assistant, and her husband

Shawn Poe, on the birth of their daughter, Sarah Marie Poe. ■

1 0 PreventionPOST APRIL 2004

At the Forefront of Training SUSAN N. PERKINS

Cancer Prevention Fellowship Program

continued on page 11

C ANCER PREVENTION FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM
NEWSLETTER OF THE NCI DIVISION OF CANCER PREVENTION 1 1

Review of the CPFP

On December 11 the CPFP underwent a thorough external

review similar to the periodic site visits that intramural research

programs are required to undergo. This review was initiated by

DCP Director Peter Greenwald and Program scientific staff to

provide direction to the Program as it moves forward. The

CPFP assembled a panel of leading experts in training and in

the field of cancer prevention. Chaired by Dr. Arnold Kaluzny

(University of North Carolina–Chapel Hill), the panel included

Dr. Robert Chamberlain (University of Texas M.D. Anderson

Cancer Center), Dr. Paul Engstrom (Fox Chase Cancer Center),

Dr. Electra Paskett (Wake Forest University), and former Cancer

Prevention Fellows Dr. Paul Limburg (Mayo Clinic) and Dr.

Ellen Velie (Michigan State University).

In its final report the panel outlined their assessment of 

the strengths and future challenges of the Program and made

several recommendations, both general and specific, that are

designed to help the Program and its staff to “think strategically

about how to meet the Program objectives within a changing

environment.” The staff is now working to implement these

ideas, which are intended to help both streamline and

strengthen the Program. The report ends by saying, “In sum,

the committee was impressed with the program, its leadership, 

and progress to date.... The NCI is commended for supporting 

such a unique and stellar program for young investigators.” ■

The National Cancer Institute’s Cancer Prevention

Fellowship Program (CPFP) held its Second Annual

Cancer Prevention Fellows’ Scientific Symposium on

September 10, 2003. Cancer

Prevention Fellows, CPFP

staff, and invited speakers met

in Gaithersburg, Maryland, at

the Marriott Washingtonian

Center for this special, all-day

event. The Symposium

Planning Committee, comprised of Cancer Prevention

Fellows, Drs. David

Buchanan, Amanda Greene,

La Creis Kidd, Somdat Mahabir, Nomelí Núñez, Arti Patel,

and Lila Finney Rutten, organized the day to include activities of interest for fellows

between their first and fourth

year in the Program.

After introductory remarks

from Dr. Douglas Weed, the

Director of the CPFP, the day

started with “Friends,

Fellows, and Skittles®,” an

“icebreaker” activity designed

to help incoming fellows

become acquainted with

senior fellows and CPFP staff.

This was followed by a scientific Poster Session, during

which time participants had

the opportunity to learn

about and discuss the various

research endeavors being

undertaken by Cancer

Prevention Fellows.

Thereafter, the Keynote

Speakers each presented their

views on the future directions

of cancer prevention research–

Dr. Stephen Taplin from a

clinical and behavioral scientist’s perspective and Dr. J. Carl

Barrett from a basic scientist’s viewpoint. This session was

structured after the television show “Crossfire” and served as

a friendly forum for subsequent interaction between the

audience participants and the

speakers.

In the afternoon, fellows

and staff reassembled for the

session led by Janet Bickel,

M.S., entitled “Thinking like

the CEO of your own

Career: Strategic Career

Management Skills.” Ms. Bickel spent 25 years at the

Association of American Medical Colleges, where she created and led a series of professional development seminars.

Following the afternoon Poster Session, Ms. Bickel led an

interactive session entitled “So Tell Me About Your Career

Accomplishments: Practicing an Effective Self Introduction.”

With opportunities for scientific exchange, networking, and

professional development activities, the 2003 Cancer

Prevention Fellows’ Scientific Symposium was a success! ■

The Second Annual Cancer Prevention Fellows’ Scientific Symposium

GRAÇA M. DORES

Cancer Prevention Fellowship Program continued from page 10

While viewing Dr. Amanda

Greene’s poster, (left to right) Drs.

Jenifer Fenton, Stephen Hursting

and Somdat Mahabir engage in a

scientific discussion.

(Left to right) Drs. Heather

Poetschke Klug, Leah Mechanic,

Stephen Hursting, and Nomelí

Núñez discuss research endeavors.

(Left to right) Cancer Prevention

Fellows, Drs. Yvonne Vargas,

Christine Holmberg, Marie

Cantwell, Jill Reedy, and Dilyara

Barzani, at the Symposium.

(Left to right) Drs. Nomelí Núñez

and Stephen Taplin discuss the

favorable effects of energy 

balance.

Drs. J. Carl Barrett and Arti Patel

discuss cancer prevention.
1 2 PreventionPost APRIL 2004

D A TE TOPIC DESCRIPTION WEBSITE

RECENT, ONGOING, AND UPCOMING DCP EVENTS

http://www3.cancer.gov/

prevention/pob/fellowship/

colloquia.html 

http://www3.cancer.gov/

prevention/haplotypes/ 

http://www3.cancer.gov/

prevention/edrnsteering9/ 

http://www3.cancer.gov/prevention/

nutrition/ 

http://www3.cancer.gov/

prevention/score/ 

http://www3.cancer.gov/prevention/

nutrition/ 

http://www3.cancer.gov/

prevention/cbrg/edrn 

http://www3.cancer.gov/

prevention/pob/courses/

principles.html 

http://cancer.gov/prevention/pob 

http://www3.cancer.gov/prevention/

pob/courses/molprev.html

The Office of Preventive Oncology

presents a Colloquia Series on

Wednesdays from 11:00 a.m. to noon. 

Reviewed the status of the human

haplotype map and haplotype analysis with relevance to cancer and

future directions. 

Met to share information on current

ongoing projects. 

The Nutritional Science Research

Group is offering a one-week 

educational opportunity for 

post-baccalaureate dietetic studies

to provide specialized instruction in

the role of nutrition and cancer 

prevention. 

The primary objective of this event is

to promote and support the responsible conduct of DCP chemoprevention clinical trials. 

The purpose of this seminar series is

to develop a series of lectures from

outstanding contributors in the field

of nutrition and cancer prevention

and to bring participants with an

interest in nutrition and cancer prevention, yet with diverse backgrounds, together to discuss specific

issues in nutrition research.

Speakers will be world renowned and

have spent most of their career

working in nutrition and cancer. 

TBA

This annual four-week summer

course focuses on the concepts,

methods, issues, and applications

related to the principles and practice

of cancer prevention and control.

Participants have the opportunity to

gain a broad-based perspective of

these subjects, including resources,

data, methods, and theories. 

TBA 

This annual course provides a strong

background in the molecular biology

and genetics of cancer as well as an

overview of the basic laboratory

approaches applied to cutting-edge

research in the fields of molecular

epidemiology, bionutrition, chemoprevention, biomarkers, and translational research. 

2003-2004 Colloquia Series

Workshop: Linking Haplotypes and

Genetic Variation with Cancer Risk

Assessment, Prevention, Detection,

and Treatment 

The Ninth Early Detection Research

Network (EDRN) Steering Committee

Meeting 

Nutrition and Cancer Prevention

Practicum 

Site Coordinators’ Opportunity for

Research Excellence (SCORE IV)

Stars in Nutrition and Cancer

Seminar Series 

EDRN Scientific Workshop

Principles and Practice of Cancer

Prevention and Control Course

Annual Advances in Cancer

Prevention Lecture

Molecular Prevention Course

SEPTEMBER – JUNE 2003-2004

DECEMBER 4-5, 2003 

FEBRUARY 2-4, 2004

MARCH 15-19, 2004 

MARCH 22-23, 2004 

MAY 2004 

JUNE 17-20, 2004

JULY 6-30, 2004 

JULY 29, 2004

3:00 p.m., Lister Hill Auditorium

AUGUST 2 - 6, 2004