from the archive
February 2, 2010
Masonic Cancer Center searching for risk factors for lung and liver cancer
News Summary
Scientist receives $8 million research grant to develop screening test.
Full Text
MINNEAPOLIS/ST. PAUL (Feb. 2, 2010) — University of Minnesota Masonic Cancer Center scientist Jian-Min Yuan, M.D., Ph.D., has been awarded an $8 million research grant from the National Cancer Institute (NCI) to study environmental and genetic risk factors for cancer.
This grant also will support the development of an effective set of non-invasive markers that can be used to screen and identify people who are at high risk for lung or liver cancer. People found to be at high risk could then take preventive measures to reduce their risk, or undergo regular screening for early detection of cancer when clinical treatment is more effective.
To do this, Yuan will continue epidemiological research involving 81,500 middle-aged and older Chinese men and women enrolled in the cities of Shanghai, China, and Singapore. The grant will be disbursed over five years.
Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths in men and women. This year more than 219,000 people in the United States will be diagnosed with lung cancer and nearly 160,000 people will die from it. It represents about 15 percent of all cancer diagnoses and about 28 percent of all cancer deaths. Annually in Minnesota, more than 3,000 people are diagnosed with lung cancer and another 2,400 people die from it.
By comparison, liver cancer affects fewer people in the United States-about 22,600 adults are diagnosed with primary liver cancer each year and the disease claims about 18,100 people annually. However, during the past 30 years, the incidence of liver cancer has doubled in the United States. Furthermore, liver cancer has the worst prognosis, even worse than lung cancer.
Yuan was recruited to the Masonic Cancer Center in 2005 from the University of Southern California Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center, Los Angeles. In addition to his research on cancer prevention and etiology, he is an associate professor in the University of Minnesota School of Public Health.
Yuan and cancer research colleague Mimi Yu, Ph.D., received initial funding from NCI in 1986 to establish the Shanghai study group and additional funding in 1993 to create the Singapore study group.
Through the years, the blood and urine samples plus other information gathered from the study participants has yielded important research findings about lifestyle risks, biochemical markers, genetic markers, and gene-environment interaction for greater understanding of lung cancer in smokers, lung cancer in non-smokers, liver cancer, as well as other cancers. This new research will allow those research endeavors to continue.
To do this, Yuan will continue epidemiological research involving 81,500 middle-aged and older Chinese men and women enrolled in the cities of Shanghai, China, and Singapore. The grant will be disbursed over five years.
Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths in men and women. This year more than 219,000 people in the United States will be diagnosed with lung cancer and nearly 160,000 people will die from it. It represents about 15 percent of all cancer diagnoses and about 28 percent of all cancer deaths. Annually in Minnesota, more than 3,000 people are diagnosed with lung cancer and another 2,400 people die from it.
By comparison, liver cancer affects fewer people in the United States-about 22,600 adults are diagnosed with primary liver cancer each year and the disease claims about 18,100 people annually. However, during the past 30 years, the incidence of liver cancer has doubled in the United States. Furthermore, liver cancer has the worst prognosis, even worse than lung cancer.
Yuan was recruited to the Masonic Cancer Center in 2005 from the University of Southern California Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center, Los Angeles. In addition to his research on cancer prevention and etiology, he is an associate professor in the University of Minnesota School of Public Health.
Yuan and cancer research colleague Mimi Yu, Ph.D., received initial funding from NCI in 1986 to establish the Shanghai study group and additional funding in 1993 to create the Singapore study group.
Through the years, the blood and urine samples plus other information gathered from the study participants has yielded important research findings about lifestyle risks, biochemical markers, genetic markers, and gene-environment interaction for greater understanding of lung cancer in smokers, lung cancer in non-smokers, liver cancer, as well as other cancers. This new research will allow those research endeavors to continue.
