Vanderbilt Epidemiology Center

Vanderbilt epidemiologists conducted in-depth whole genome sequencing of breast cancer risk genes in Black women, who die at higher rates and have more aggressive disease, to discover mutations that may improve testing and treatment selection. Read More

Women with three or more uterine fibroids — non-cancerous growths — during pregnancy are more likely to have infants with reduced birthweight and may need additional surveillance. Read More

A computational technique that combines the effect of multiple genomic variants has the potential to identify high-risk individuals for cancer prevention. Read More

Red and processed meat intakes are strongly associated with increased risk of sessile serrated polyps, which are not as well studied as conventional adenomas. Read More

Genetic analyses suggest that high circulating HDL-cholesterol levels may increase breast cancer risk — a surprising finding since increased HDL-cholesterol is thought to be healthy. Read More

An analysis of more than 140,000 people of European ancestry has identified blood protein biomarkers associated with prostate cancer risk. Read More

The Vietnamese Ministry of Health has awarded two Vanderbilt epidemiologists the Memorabilia Medal “For the People’s Health” in appreciation of their contributions in helping the nation establish a population-based research program for cancer, diabetes and other non-communicable diseases. Read More

Asian countries are in the early stages of a tobacco smoking epidemic with habits mirroring those of the United States from past decades, setting the stage for a spike in future deaths from smoking-related diseases. Read More

An international coalition led by scientists at Vanderbilt University Medical Center and the QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute in Herston, Australia, has identified 48 candidate susceptibility genes for breast cancer risk, including 14 genes at loci (chromosome regions) not yet reported for breast cancer. Read More

Living in an economically disadvantaged neighborhood is likely to lead to death at an earlier age, especially among African-Americans, new research shows. The death rate is even more pronounced among disadvantaged individuals with unhealthy lifestyle habits. Read More

Vanderbilt researchers have identified a biomarker that could be used to predict pancreatic cancer risk. Read More

Tennessee has one of the lowest human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination rates in the nation, and investigators at Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC) are hoping to change this by improving the way medical providers present these vaccines to patients and by improving patient and patient family education. Read More

Women who exercised during their teen years were less likely to die from cancer and all other causes during middle-age and later in life, according to a new study by investigators at Vanderbilt University Medical Center and the Shanghai Cancer Institute in China. Read More

A low-fat diet rich in plants, whole grains and seafood, and low in red and processed meats, sweets and sugary drinks was linked with a lower risk of dying from heart disease, stroke, cancer or other diseases among a population of low-income, mostly African American individuals living in the Southeast. Read More

Improvements in cancer diagnosis and treatment have led to longer survival for most cancer patients in the United States. However, the improvement in survival was substantially greater among younger patients and those who are white in most of the cancers studied, according to new research by Vanderbilt University investigators. Read More

Vanderbilt researchers have found that selenium deficiency may contribute to the racial disparity in lung cancer incidence. Read More

The future of cancer is becoming clearer. And it’s not looking so good for cancer. Read More

Use of complementary and alternative medicine differs by race and socioeconomic factors, study reports. Read More

Socioeconomic factors, African ancestry linked to risk for cancer-causing infection. Read More

Study finds no evidence of increased mitochondrial mutations in the children of women treated with radiation for cancer. Read More