Cancer & Population Studies Group

Projects
Staff
Funding
Collaborators
Key Publications
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Lab Head: Prof Adèle Green

The Cancer and Population Studies group chiefly investigates the role of environmental factors in the causation and prognosis of chronic conditions, particularly cancer and its precursors. Increasingly, our research involves investigating how the actual effect of environmental factors in individuals can be influenced by genes to cause or prevent cancer. To this end some of our work is in collaboration with laboratory colleagues who use molecular markers to investigate the underlying mechanisms of carcinogenesis. Our main interests are in cancers of the skin, female genital tract, oesophagus and pancreas.

Major national population-based case-control studies of oesophageal cancer & ovarian cancer, also highly collaborative, are now in the data analysis phase while a national population-based case-control study of endometrial cancer continues. Additional major studies are investigating Barrett's oesophagus (a pre-cancerous condition), pancreatic cancer and melanoma. Evaluation of the quality of life of, and use of complementary and alternative medicines by, women with ovarian cancer continues.

Another key project is the 20 year follow-up study of almost 1,000 residents of the township of Nambour, Queensland. This study focuses on the common skin cancers, basal cell carcinoma (BCC) and squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), and associated pre-malignant skin conditions including solar keratoses and photoageing to which Australians are especially prone. Besides solar radiation, the effects of diet and human papilloma virus (HPV) infection are also being studied and an NHMRC-funded study is investigating the economic burden of skin cancer to the community.

In addition, we are working in partnership with the Indigenous Health Research Group on a variety of projects including a Paediatric Respiratory Outreach Program in the Torres Strait, a study of bronchiectasis in the Northern Territory and a study of cancer in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in Queensland.

In addition, we are working in partnership with the Indigenous Health Research Group on a variety of projects including a Paediatric Respiratory Outreach Program in the Torres Strait, a study of bronchiectasis in the Northern Territory and a study of cancer in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in Queensland.

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Projects

Staff

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Funding

• National Cancer Institute (USA)
• National Health and Medical Research Council
• The Cancer Council Queensland
• The Cancer Council NSW
• Xstrata
• Royal Australian College of Physicians
• American Institute of Cancer Research
• Royal Children's Hospital Foundation
• Telstra Foundation
• Commonwealth Department of Health and Ageing - Rural Health Support, Education and Training (RHSET) Program Grant
• Perpetual - Derham Green Fund

Collaborators

Overseas:
Academic Medical Centre, Leiden, The Netherlands
Arctic Investigations Program - CDC, Alaska, USA
Dartmouth Medical School, Hanover, New Hampshire, USA
Leeds University, UK
Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, USA
Harvard University, Boston, USA
School of Public Health, University of Pittsburg, USA
Starship Children's Hospital, Auckland, New Zealand
University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, USA
Wellington School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Wellington, New Zealand
Yale University School of Medicine, USA
BEACON: The Barrett's Oesophagus and Adenocarcinoma Consortium, Worldwide participants
L'Oreal Recherche, France

Australian:
Asthma Foundation Queensland
Griffith University School of Medicine
Kambu Medical Centre, Ipswich
Menzies School of Health Research, Darwin
Nganampa Health Council
Northern Territory Health Service, Alice Springs
Princess Alexandra Hospital, Dept of Gastroenterology and Hepatology/Dept Surgery
Queensland Health
Queensland University of Technology, Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation
Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne
Royal Children's Hospital, Brisbane
Royal Darwin Hospital, Darwin
Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Sydney
Thursday Island Primary Health Care Centre, Torres Strait
University of Melbourne
University of Queensland, School of Medicine
University of Queensland, School of Population Health
Wuchopperen Health Services, Cairns

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Key Publications

Whiteman DC, Bray CA, Siskind V, Green AC, Hole D, MacKie RM. Changes in the incidence of cutaneous melanoma in the west of Scotland and Queensland, Australia: hope for health promotion? Eur J Cancer Prev. (accepted) [pubmed abstract]

Baxter AJ, Hughes M, Siskind V, Kvaskoff M, Shekar S, de Nooyer M, Aitken JF, Green AC, Duffy DL, Hayward NK, Martin NG, Whiteman DC. The Queensland study of Melanoma: Environmental and Genetic Associations (Q-MEGA). Study design, baseline characteristics, and repeatability of phenotype and sun exposure measures Twin Res Human Genet 2008;11:183-196. [pubmed abstract]

Whiteman DC, Bray CA, Siskind V, Hole D, MacKie RM, Green AC. A comparison of the anatomical distribution of cutaneous melanoma in two populations with different levels of sunlight: the west of Scotland and Queensland, Australia 1982-2001. Cancer Causes Control 2007;18:485-491 [pubmed abstract]

Youl PH, Baade PD, Janda M, Del Mar CB, Whiteman DC, Aitken JF. Diagnosing skin cancer in primary care: how do traditional GPs compare with skin cancer clinics? Med J Aust 2007;187:215-220. [pubmed abstract]

Whiteman DC, Stickley M, Watt P, Hughes MC, Green AC. Anatomic site, sun exposure and risk of cutaneous melanoma. J Clin Oncol, 2006; 24: 3172-77. [pubmed abstract]

Lee E, Watt P, Williamson RM, Hughes M-C, Green AC, Whiteman DC. Sun exposure and host phenotype as predictors of cutaneous melanoma associated with neval remnants or dermal elastosis Int J Cancer, 2006; 119: 636-642. [pubmed abstract]

Green AC, Kimlin M, Siskind V, Whiteman DC. Hypothesis: Hair cover can protect against invasive melanoma on the head and neck. Cancer Causes Control. 2006; 17:1263-1266. [pubmed abstract]

Whiteman DC, Brown RM, Purdie DM, Hughes MC. Melanocytic nevi in very young children: the role of phenotype, sun exposure, and sun protection. J Am Acad Dermatol, 2005; 52: 40-47. [pubmed abstract]

Whiteman DC, Green AC. A risk prediction tool for melanoma? Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev, 2005; 14: 761-763. [pubmed abstract]

Whiteman DC, Watt P, Purdie DM, Hughes MC, Hayward NK, Green AC. Melanocytic nevi, solar keratoses and divergent causal pathways to cutaneous melanoma. J Natl Cancer Inst, 2003; 95: 806-812. [pubmed abstract]

Whiteman DC, Brown R, Xu C, Paterson C, Miller D, Parsons P. A rapid method for determining recent sunscreen use in field studies. J Photochem Photobiol B, 2003; 69: 59-63. [pubmed abstract]

Siskind V, Darlington S, Green L, Green A. Evolution of melanocytic naevi on the faces and necks of adolescents: a four-year longitudinal study. J Invest Dermatol, 2002; 118: 500-504. [pubmed abstract]

Whiteman DC, Whiteman CA, Green AC. Childhood sun exposure as a risk factor for melanoma: a systematic review of epidemiologic studies. Cancer Causes Control, 2001; 12: 69-82. [pubmed abstract]

Whiteman DC, Parsons PG, Green AC. p53 expression and risk factors for cutaneous melanoma: a case-control study. Int J Cancer 1998; 77: 843-8. [pubmed abstract]

Skin Cancer

Heinen MM, MC Hughes, TI Ibiebele, GC Marks, AC Green, JC van der Pols. Intake of antioxidant nutrients and the risk of skin cancer. Eur J Cancer 2007;43(18):2707-16 [pubmed abstract]

Ibiebele TI, JC van der Pols, MC Hughes., GC Marks, GM Williams, AC Green, Dietary pattern in association with squamous cell carcinoma of the skin: a prospective study. Am J Clin Nutr 2007 May;85(5):1401-8 [pubmed abstract]

Struijk L, Hall L, van der Meijden E, Wanningen P, Bouwes Bavinck J-Nico, Neale R, Green AC, ter Schegget J, Feltkamp MCW. Markers of cutaneous human papillomavirus infections in people with tumor-free skin, actinic keratoses and squamous cell carcinoma. Cancer Epidem Biomark Prev, 2006; 15: 529-35. [pubmed abstract]

Hughes MC, Marks GC. van der Pols JC, Williams G, Green AC. Food intake and risk of squamous cell carcinoma of the skin in a community sample: the Nambour skin cancer study. Int J Cancer, 2006; 119: 1953-60. [pubmed abstract]

Battistutta D, Pandeya N, Strutton GM, Fourtanier A, Tison S, Green AC. Skin surface topography is a valid measure of skin photoageing. Photodermatol Photoimmunol Photomed, 2006; 22: 39-45. [pubmed abstract]

van der Pols JC, Williams GM, Neale RE, Clavarino A, Green AC. Long-term increase in sunscreen use in an Australian community after a skin cancer prevention trial. Prev Med, 2006; 42: 171-6. [pubmed abstract]

van der Pols JC, Williams GM, Pandeya N, Logan V, Green AC. Prolonged prevention of squamous cell carcinoma of the skin with regular sunscreen use. Cancer Epi Biomarkers Prev, 2006; 15: 2546-8. [pubmed abstract]

van der Pols JC, Xu C, Boyle GM, Parsons PG, Whiteman DC, Green AC. Factors associated with expression of p53 tumour suppressor protein in sun-exposed skin: a population-based study. Am J Epidemiol, 2006; 163: 982-8. [pubmed abstract]

Neale RE, Davis M, Pandeya N, Whiteman DC, Green AC. Basal cell carcinoma on the trunk is associated with excessive sun exposure. J Am Acad Dermatol, e-print Oct 2006. [pubmed abstract]

Pandeya N, Purdie D, Green AC, Williams G. Repeated occurrences of basal cell carcinoma of the skin and multi-failure survival analysis: follow-up data from the Nambour Skin Cancer Prevention Trial. Am J Epidemiol, 2005; 161: 748-54. [pubmed abstract]

Butler G, Neale R, Green AC, Pandeya N, Whiteman DC. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and risk of squamous cell carcinomas and actinic keratoses. J Am Acad Dermatol, 2005; 53: 966-972. [pubmed abstract]

Frost C, Williams G, Green A. High incidence and regression rates of solar keratoses in a Queensland community. J Invest Dermatol, 2000; 115: 273-77. [pubmed abstract]

Green A, Williams G, Neale R, Hart V, Leslie D, Parsons P, Marks GC, Gaffney P, Battistutta D, Frost C, Lang C; Russell A. Daily sunscreen application and betacarotene supplementation in prevention of basal-cell and squamous-cell carcinomas of the skin: a randomised controlled trial. The Lancet 1999; 354: 723-29. [erratum The Lancet, 1999 Sep 18; 354(9183): 1038] [pubmed abstract]

Cancer of the Ovary and Related Tumours

Merritt MA, Green AC, Nagle CM, Webb PM, Australian Cancer Study, Australian Ovarian Cancer Study Group. Talcum powder, chronic pelvic inflammation and NSAIDs in relation to risk of epithelial ovarian cancer. Int J Cancer, 2008; 122: 170-6. [pubmed abstract]

Jordan SJ, Green AC, Whiteman DC, Moore SP, Bain CJ, Gertig DM, Webb PM, for the Australian Cancer Study Group (ovarian cancer) and the Australian Ovarian Cancer Study Group. Serous ovarian, fallopian tube and primary peritoneal cancers: a comparative epidemiological analysis. Int J Cancer, 2008; 122: 1598-1603. [pubmed abstract]

Olsen CM, Bain CJ, Jordan SJ, Nagle CM, Green AC, Whiteman DC, Webb PM, Australian Cancer Study (Ovarian Cancer) and Australian Ovarian Cancer Study Group. Recreational physical activity and epithelial ovarian cancer: a case-control study, systematic review and meta-analysis. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev, 2007; 16: 2321-30. [pubmed abstract]

Jordan SJ, Green AC, Webb PM. Benign epithelial ovarian tumours - cancer precursors or markers of risk for ovarian cancer? Cancer Causes Control, 2006; 17: 623-32. [pubmed abstract]

Webb PM, Green A, Cummings MC, Purdie DM, Walsh M, Chenevix-Trench G. Relationship between number of ovulatory cycles and accumulation of mutant p53 in epithelial ovarian cancer. JNCI 1998; 90: 1729-34. [pubmed abstract]

Oesophagus cancer and Barrett's Oesophagus

Whiteman DC, Sadeghi S, Pandeya N, Smithers BM, Gotley DC, Bain C, Webb PM, Green AC for the Australian Cancer Study. Combined effects of obesity, acid reflux and smoking on the risks of adenocarcinoma of the oesophagus. Gut 2008; 57: 173-180 [pubmed abstract]

Nancarrow DJ, Handoko HY, Stark M, Whiteman DC, Hayward NK. SiDCoN: A Tool to Aid Scoring of DNA Copy Number Changes in SNP Chip Data. PLoS ONE. 2007;2:e1093 [pubmed abstract]

Doecke J, Zhao ZZ, Pandeya N, Sadeghi S, Green AC, Hayward NK, Webb PM, Whiteman DC for the Australian Cancer Study. Polymorphisms in MGMT and DNA repair genes and the risk of esophageal adenocarcinoma. Int J Cancer 2008;123:174-180 [pubmed abstract]

Ibiebele TI, Hughes MC, O'Rourke P, Webb PM, Whiteman DC for the Australian Cancer Study. Cancers of the esophagus and carbonated beverage consumption: a population-based case-control study. Cancer Causes Control (CACO1301R1, accepted 12 Jan 2008) [pubmed abstract]

Doecke JD, Zhao ZZ, Stark MS, Green AC, Hayward NK, Montgomery GW, Webb PM, Whiteman DC for the Australian Cancer Study. Single nucleotide polymorphisms in obesity-related genes and the risk of esophageal cancers. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 200;17:1007-12 [pubmed abstract]

Sadeghi S, Bain C, Pandeya N, Webb PM, Green AC, Whiteman DC Whiteman DC for the Australian Cancer Study. Aspirin, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and the risks of cancers of the esophagus. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev accepted 23 Feb 2008 [pubmed abstract]

Pandeya N, Williams G, Sadeghi S, Webb PM, Green AC, Whiteman DC for the Australian Cancer Study. Duration, intensity and dose of smoking have different associations with adenocarcinomas and squamous cell carcinomas of the esophagus. Am J Epidemiol AJE-01363-2007.R1 accepted 13 March 2008 [pubmed abstract]

Smith KJ, O'Brien SO, Webb PW, Green AC, Whiteman DC. Interactions among smoking, obesity, and symptoms of acid reflux in Barrett's esophagus. Cancer Epi Biomarkers Prev, 2005; 14: 2481-6. [pubmed abstract] [pubmed abstract]

Kendall BJ, Whiteman DC. Temporal changes in the endoscopic frequency of new cases of Barrett's Esophagus in an Australian health region. Am J Gastroenterol, 2006; 101: 1178-82. [pubmed abstract]

Kendall BJ, Macdonald GA, Hayward NK, Prins JB, Brown I, Walker N, Pandeya N, Green AC, Webb PM, Whiteman DC for the Study of Digestive Health. Leptin and the risk of Barrett's oesophagus. Gut 2008;57:448-54 [pubmed abstract]

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