Selected Articles from This Issue

Gallicchio and colleagues assessed the feasibility of using the National Cancer Institute's Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Program registries to enroll cancer survivors in research studies and to assess their willingness to engage in research activities. Over an 18-month time period, 992 survivors were enrolled at six SEER registries using a variety of approaches, with response rates ranging from 24.9% to 46.9%. High percentages of those enrolled were willing to complete a survey (90%), donate a biospecimen (91%), and consent to medical records review (82%). This study demonstrated the feasibility of leveraging central cancer registries to conduct survivorship research.

Gravitt and colleagues describe the foundational underpinnings of a participatory systems approach to implementation of cervical cancer early detection and treatment programs and discuss preliminary evidence of the success of the approach. The Integrative Systems Praxis for Implementation Research (INSPIRE) methodology was developed and applied to ensure that implementation of evidence-based preventive interventions for cervical cancer could be adapted to the resources and values unique to the health care system in Loreto, Peru. Despite the availability of numerous strategies for its prevention/management, cervical cancer remains one of the most common causes of female cancer in the world. What is lacking are effective, regionally adapted implementation strategies: INSPIRE relies on context adaptation for rapid scale-up by minimizing infrastructural changes and sustainability through increased ownership of the implementation process.

A large study conducted by IARC scientists within the European EPIC study has shown that higher intakes of trans fatty acids formed during industrial processes (hydrogenation of vegetables oils, deep-frying fat) and found in a myriad of highly processed foods are associated with higher risk of ovarian cancer. This study by Yammine and colleagues is the first prospective study showing a relationship between industrial trans-fat and ovarian cancer. The same relationship has already been reported in association with breast cancer. If causal, eliminating industrial trans-fat from industrial processes could offer a straightforward public health action for reducing ovarian and breast cancer risks.

This study by Wilson and colleagues indicates that survivors of childhood-onset abdominal or pelvic solid tumors, particularly those treated with abdominal or pelvic radiation, have low lean body mass when compared to the general population (Z-scores = −0.67 ± 1.27 males, −0.72 ± 1.28 females). Regardless of the actual lean mass, survivors with relatively higher fat mass are at elevated risk for insulin resistance, low high-density lipoprotein, lower extremity weakness, and reduced fitness. Interventions to address body composition abnormalities are likely to impact metabolic health and fitness and may be one strategy to help mitigate early development of serious cardiovascular complications in this vulnerable population.