Graham A. Colditz, MD, Dr.PH

2008-2009 BCRF Project:
Dr. Colditz proposes three related research projects focused on identifying risk factors and markers that will improve our ability to accurately assess breast cancer risk and recommend appropriate treatments. By studying women who have dense breasts, ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS), or benign breast disease, the researchers will better understand why they are at an increased risk for breast cancer and how to effectively prevent development of invasive cancer through a more aggressive regimen of screening, treatment, and/or follow-up.

Specifically, Dr. Colditz and colleagues plan to study the effect of genetic variation in mitochondrial DNA and mammographic density on breast cancer risk. With a clearer picture of how these genetic and anatomic factors relate to breast cancer risk, oncologists may be able to refine risk reduction strategies and target interventions (e.g., diet and exercise, chemoprevention) to more successfully prevent invasive disease in women determined to be at high risk.

In a second project, they will continue their work on identifying common phenotypes in DCIS and invasive breast cancer tissue using existing specimens and data from women with DCIS that then progressed to invasive breast cancer. Definitive data and conclusions related to the shared phenotypes and likelihood of disease progression from DCIS to invasive breast cancer will allow clinicians to further characterize women with DCIS and suggest more or less aggressive treatment options accordingly.

The third project proposes analysis of existing data to determine whether early life exposures (such as diet in adolescent years) increase risk of developing benign breast disease. Dense breasts, DCIS, and benign breast disease are becoming more common, which makes research projects such as these a priority in light of their potential to improve risk assessment and better inform individualized treatment options for women at high risk for developing invasive breast cancer.

Bio:
Graham A. Colditz, MD, Dr.PH, is Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School, a Professor of Epidemiology at the Harvard School of Public Health, and a Senior Epidemiologist in the Department of Medicine, Channing Laboratory, Brigham and Women's Hospital, and Head of the Chronic Disease Epidemiology Group at Channing Laboratory. He received his BSc. and MB, BS, and MD from the University of Queensland and his Doctorate in Public Health from Harvard University School of Public Health. He is the 2003 recipient of the American Cancer Society-Cissy Hornung Clinical Research Professorship, and the AACR-Dewitt Goodman Memorial Lectureship, and was recently awarded the 2005 American Society of Preventive Oncology Distinguished Achievement Award.

He is the Principal Investigator on the Nurses' Health Study, a cohort study of 121,701 Nurses and Principal Investigator on the Growing Up Today Study (GUTS) which focuses on the diet and lifestyle of 16,883 adolescents between the ages of 13 years to 17 years of age. As Director of the Harvard Center for Cancer Prevention, Dr. Colditz leads the effort to bring the growing body of knowledge on cancer prevention to the public. His work at the Center includes the Harvard Cancer Risk Index (a compilation of interactive tools designed to assess individual cancer risk and encourage healthy lifestyle choices) and a Breast Health compendium. Under his leadership, the Center has become actively involved with the Massachusetts Colorectal Cancer Working Group, Massachusetts Skin Cancer Prevention Collaborative, and Boston's Crusade Against Cancer, three local cancer prevention efforts with potential for replication on a nationwide scale. His research focuses on breast cancer incidence, breast cancer prevention, and screening evaluation for breast and colon cancer. He recently led a collaborative effort to promote colorectal cancer screening in primary care practices.