It has been proposed that inflammation plays a major role in prostate cancer risk. We are well placed to test this hypothesis following up evidence from our MCCS and RFPCS studies of associations between inflammatory markers and prostate cancer risk. This proposed project may open for the first time opportunities for the prevention of prostate cancer.
The Predictors Of Prostate Cancer In The Melbourne Collaborative Cohort Study
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$358,457.00
Summary
In 1990 we set up a long-term study of diet and health. The aim was to measure diet and other risk factors in healthy people in order to see how they might affect future development of cancer. To do this we recruited 41,500 people aged 40 to 69, measured what they ate and drank, and collected information on other aspects of lifestyle, medical history, and family history of common diseases. All had height and weight and blood pressure measured and gave a blood sample. People were selected so that ....In 1990 we set up a long-term study of diet and health. The aim was to measure diet and other risk factors in healthy people in order to see how they might affect future development of cancer. To do this we recruited 41,500 people aged 40 to 69, measured what they ate and drank, and collected information on other aspects of lifestyle, medical history, and family history of common diseases. All had height and weight and blood pressure measured and gave a blood sample. People were selected so that men and women and migrants from Italy and Greece would be included. In this way we could widen the range of dietary habits, other lifestyle factors and genetic variation (measured in DNA from blood). Since then participants have completed another questionnaire and instances of disease have been noted from self reports and from examining medical records. We want to analyse data from 700 men in the study who have developed prostate cancer (PC). First we will analyse data collected on all 17,000 men (collected when joining the study, and at follow up). Next we will use data from only the 700 men with PC and 1400 men who have not developed PC. This study will focus on measuring substances in the blood. We want to measure a range of fats, vitamins, antioxidants and phytoestrogens, as well as male sex hormones and related substances. In the DNA from the blood we plan to measure variations in genes that influence how male sex hormones and other growth factors important in the prostate are produced and used. We will then be able to estimate what affect these factors have on the risk of getting PC. We will also be able to see if any of them act together to make the risk of PC much higher in certain men. This work should identify what lifestyle factors could reduce the risk of PC. It should also identify what genetic variations are associated with increased risk of PC and thus identify a sub group of men who might benefit from early medical attention or from changes in lifestyle.Read moreRead less
Population Health Modelling, With Applicationsto Asbestos-related Diseases, Cervical Cancer And Prostate Cancer
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$380,558.00
Summary
Population health modelling can be used to understand complex systems, through bringing together diverse data sources to answer questions of public health importance. We will apply modelling techniques to three public health areas, including: the effects of HPV testing on cervical cancer screening; the impact of the rapid uptake of PSA screening on prostate cancer incidence and mortality; and projections of the incidence of asbestos-related diseases.
Risk And Prognostic Factors For Breast Cancer Of Different Immunohistochemical Subtypes
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$294,461.00
Summary
Breast cancer is a heterogeneous disease. Gene expression analysis has identified a number of subtypes that are different with respect to pathology, prognosis, and response to treatment. Building on an existing cohort study, we aim to identify risk and prognostic factors for molecular subtypes of breast cancer.
Allergies And Chronic Respiratory Diseases: Causes, Biological Pathways And Interventions
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$420,872.00
Summary
Allergies and chronic respiratory diseases are major causes of illness and death in Australia. Worryingly there are still many gaps in knowledge on how best to prevent and manage these diseases. The proposed program will investigate these questions and provide evidence to guide health policy and clinical management. As this program is built on state-of the-art methods and technology, these original Australian findings will be of great importance internationally.
Infections, Inflammatory Markers And Prostate Cancer Risk
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$731,217.00
Summary
Prostate cancer is the leading cancer for Australian men but apart from getting older and having a family history of prostate cancer we do not know what causes it and nothing can be done to prevent it. This project follows up recent suggestions that some prostate cancer might be due to infections by bacteria and viruses. We will look for evidence of infection in blood samples and prostate tissue that we have collected from men with prostate cancer and from controls without prostate cancer.
The Epidemiology Of Staphylococcus Aureus And Antibiotic Resistance In Community-acquired Infections
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$1,267,784.00
Summary
Staphylococcus aureus infections range from boils to life-threatening diseases and are increasingly resistant to antibiotics and difficult to treat. This study follows patients with community-acquired S. aureus infections, and close contacts, for 24 months to see if they carry S. aureus (nose swabs) or develop infection. Our data on risk factors for colonisation and infection will help doctors decide whether to trace and treat contacts of patients to protect households from further infection.
Follow Up Of The 1985 Australian Schools Health And Fitness Survey Cohort
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$2,309,456.00
Summary
This study provides a unique opportunity to follow up a cohort of children on which an extensive range of physical and lifestyle measures were made in 1985. This study has the capacity to find out whether childhood lifestyle and physical measures are related to the risk of heart disease, diabetes and other common health problems in adulthood.
Cerebral Palsy In Victoria: A Population-based Study
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$107,990.00
Summary
This research project is broad in its exploration of cerebral palsy in Victoria. It will contribute to the global pool of knowledge by addressing a number of unanswered questions, such as whether the overall rates of cerebral palsy are changing over time, an important indicator of the effect of changes in medical management strategies for pregnancy and newborns. Recognition of patterns of brain abnormalities and other risk factors play an important role in the identification of causal pathways.