Project description
A novel training network hopes to elucidate new strategies for prevention of common cancers
Two important factors affecting risk of cancer development are chronic inflammation and levels of circulating sex hormones. More than 150 years ago, scientists observed that inflammatory cells are present within tumours and that tumours arise at sites of chronic inflammation, resulting in a purported link between the two. Years of epidemiological studies now suggest that up to a fourth of cancers are due to chronic infection or other types of chronic inflammation. In addition, there is now a strong correlation between levels of circulating sex hormones and female reproductive cancers. The CANCERPREV project is training young researchers in cutting edge mathematical and experimental techniques to develop new guidelines for the prevention of cancers associated with reproductive and non-reproductive organs.
Objective
Incidence and prevalence of many cancer types are significantly increasing worldwide, with substantial differences between the sexes. Environmental influences in concert with genetic and epigenetic factors are still poorly understood.
Simultaneously, more sophisticated and expensive treatments cannot be afforded by society, increasing urgency of efforts in cancer prevention.
CANCERPREV is an innovative interdisciplinary research and training program gathering seven academic beneficiaries and nine partner organizations : (one leading pharmaceutical company, one leading technology company, a health insurance, an internationally known nursing school, three foundations and two universities) in nine European countries. CANCERPREV aims to establish new strategies in cancer prevention, with a focus on two key determinants of cancer risk: sex hormone signaling and chronic inflammation, in breast and skin as benchmarks of early steps of cancer development in organs with reproductive and non-reproductive functions, respectively.
Fifteen Early Stage Researchers (ESRs) will benefit from the complementary expertise of participating organizations and Principal Investigators in: basic cancer research, xenografts and genetic mouse models, bioinformatics and mathematical algorithms, epidemiology / human genetics, biomarkers, pharmacological approaches, behavioral / societal issues and outreach.
This network provides ESRs with unique future career opportunities in both academic and private sectors, through research training for PhD thesis projects with secondments and short and long visits to other participating research institutions, and yearly courses / formal lectures on various aspects of cancer prevention, including global health and occupational / behavioral issues. CANCERPREV will ensure that more knowledge and ideas are converted into products and services, and that a new generation of scientists is trained to contribute to the knowledge-based economy and society.
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Coordinator
1015 Lausanne
Switzerland