In addition, Dr. Stampfer leads an NIH- funded project to assess nutritional and biochemical markers of cancer risk and myocardial infarction among the 15,000 blood samples collected as part of the Physicians' Health Study. He also leads the Massachusetts component of the largest case-control study of breast cancer, with centers in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Wisconsin. In his work in the cohort studies, he directs grants addressing the causes of prostate cancer and kidney stones. Dr. Stampfer and colleagues have demonstrated a marked protective effect, both in women and men, of alcohol in reducing the risk of coronary heart disease. In women, however, alcohol appears to be associated with an increase in risk of breast cancer, while in contrast, dietary fat appears not to be associated with breast cancer risk.
Further work is needed to sort out the risks and benefits in greater detail.
All of these large-scale studies are continuing. A prospective evaluation of plasma prostate-specific antigen for detection of prostatic cancer. Stampfer MJ, Hennekens CH , Manson JE, Colditz GA , Rosner B, and Willett WC . A prospective study of vitamin E consumption and risk of coronary disease in women. A prospective study of dietary calcium intake and the risk of symptomatic kidney stones.