Psychosocial Predictors Of Developing Breast Cancer In Women From High Risk Breast Cancer Families
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$337,018.00
Summary
Systematic review of the literature on psychosocial predictors of developing breast cancer has highlighted the possible roles of life events and distress, possibly mediated by social support and personality. To date there has been little prospective assessment of psychosocial factors in the development of breast cancer. Furthermore, no research in this area has specifically targeted women at increased risk because of their family history, nor explored whether the impact of psychosocial factors s ....Systematic review of the literature on psychosocial predictors of developing breast cancer has highlighted the possible roles of life events and distress, possibly mediated by social support and personality. To date there has been little prospective assessment of psychosocial factors in the development of breast cancer. Furthermore, no research in this area has specifically targeted women at increased risk because of their family history, nor explored whether the impact of psychosocial factors systematically varies according to genetic mutation status. Over the past 5 years it has become possible to isolate two breast cancer genes (BRCA1 and BRCA2). Female carriers of mutations in these susceptibility genes have an estimated lifetime risk of breast cancer of between 37% and 85%. The Kathleen Cuningham Consortium for Research into Familial Breast Cancer (KConFab) was established four years ago to co-ordinate the collection of genetic, epidemiological and clinical data in Australian families with a dominantly inherited predisposition to breast cancer. The systematic recruitment of large numbers of high risk women by KConFab provides a unique and temporary opportunity to address questions concerning psychosocial predictors of disease development in a prospective design with sufficient power, due to the higher rates of breast and ovarian cancer events in this population. We will also be able to explore interactions with genetic mutation status. The study will be a world first, and provide the most rigorous data to date in this area. If this study demonstrates a relationship between psychosocial factors and the development of breast cancer in women from high risk families, subsequent identification of vulnerable individuals and the implementation of appropriate interventions may have a real impact on reducing morbidity and mortality in this population. Furthermore, the results may have implications for all women in reducing breast cancer incidence.Read moreRead less
Psychosocial Predictors Of Developing Breast Cancer In Women From High Risk Breast Cancer Families
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$593,875.00
Summary
Over the past 20 years, studies have highlighted the possible roles of stressful life events and distress, possibly mediated by social support and personality, in causing or speeding up the development of breast cancer. This possibility is of strong concern to consumers. To date, there have been few well designed, prospective studies of this issue. Furthermore, no previous studies have specifically targeted women at increased risk because of their family history. Over the past 7 years, it has be ....Over the past 20 years, studies have highlighted the possible roles of stressful life events and distress, possibly mediated by social support and personality, in causing or speeding up the development of breast cancer. This possibility is of strong concern to consumers. To date, there have been few well designed, prospective studies of this issue. Furthermore, no previous studies have specifically targeted women at increased risk because of their family history. Over the past 7 years, it has become possible to identify 2 breast cancer genes (BRCA1 and BRCA2). Female carriers of mutations in these genes with a strong family history have an estimated lifetime risk of between 35% and 85%. The Kathleen Cuningham Consortium for Research into Familial Breast Cancer (KConFab) was established 7 years ago to coordinate the collection of genetic, epidemiological and clinical data in Australian families with a dominantly inherited predisposition to breast cancer. Due to the high rate of breast cancer diagnoses in this group, and the systematic recruitment of large numbers of high risk women by KConFab, there is a unique and temporary opportunity to conduct a rigorous study to resolve this question, with sufficient numbers involved. The study is a world first, and will provide the best data to date in this area. If the study demonstrates a relationship between psychosocial factors and the development of breast cancer in women from high risk breast cancer families, subsequent identification of vulnerable individuals and the implementation of appropriate interventions may have a real impact on reducing morbidity and mortality in this population. Furthermore, the results may have implications for all women in reducing breast cancer incidence.Read moreRead less
Adolescent Assessment Of The Perth Infant Respiratory Cohort
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$412,327.00
Summary
In spite of extensive research over several years, we still don t know why some people get asthma while others do not or at what age the disease begins. We also don t know why in some people, asthma resolves during the teenage years while in other people the disease persists through adolescence. The Perth respiratory cohort has been studied on repeated occasions (at recruitment prior to birth, 1, 6 and 12 months, 6 and 11 years of age) and is unique in having measured airway responsiveness (AR) ....In spite of extensive research over several years, we still don t know why some people get asthma while others do not or at what age the disease begins. We also don t know why in some people, asthma resolves during the teenage years while in other people the disease persists through adolescence. The Perth respiratory cohort has been studied on repeated occasions (at recruitment prior to birth, 1, 6 and 12 months, 6 and 11 years of age) and is unique in having measured airway responsiveness (AR) soon after birth and at each subsequent assessment. Our previous data have established the importance of an individual s airway status in infancy in determining respiratory health in mid-childhood. Since the last assessment at 11 years, most children in this cohort will have passed through puberty. Lung growth will have been maximal, but there will be differences in the rate of growth between boys and girls. Body size will also have increased during this period and the body mass index may start to exert a major influence on measured respiratory function and the development or persistence of asthma. The aim of this research (assessing the Perth respiratory cohort at 16 years of age) is to look at the effect of gender, puberty and obesity on the previously identified early life risk factors to see how they determine respiratory health in 16 year olds. We expect that airway status in early life will continue to predict respiratory health at 16 years of age and that respiratory health will be modified by gender, puberty and the development of obesity. In addition we expect that genetic variations will show age-specificity in their associations with disease outcomes ie. particular variations will be associated with disease at different ages. This study will answer fundamental questions on airway function and physiology through childhood and adolescence.Read moreRead less
Explaining Social Inequality In Population Oral Health Using A Multilevel Approach
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$103,500.00
Summary
Our preliminary research demonstrated a social gradient in the oral health of Australian adults. Adults who occupy higher positions on the social hierarchy experienced less disease and symptom experience, enhanced quality of life, and better self-rated oral health. Not only were associations made between social position and oral health, but a range of other factors such as personal control, social support, stress, life satisfaction, and workplace and childhood social environments were also assoc ....Our preliminary research demonstrated a social gradient in the oral health of Australian adults. Adults who occupy higher positions on the social hierarchy experienced less disease and symptom experience, enhanced quality of life, and better self-rated oral health. Not only were associations made between social position and oral health, but a range of other factors such as personal control, social support, stress, life satisfaction, and workplace and childhood social environments were also associated with oral wellness. This work is new Australian research and is yet to be published. In an expansion of this project, we move from describing oral health inequalities and identifying their social determinants to provide a better understanding of pathways to population oral health. In doing so we shift the focus from the individual to the social context in which individuals live. We suggest that characteristics of social environments contribute independently to the variation in oral health outcomes accounted for by the characteristics of the residents themselves. In particular, we seek to demonstrate that social cohesion (the social integration, trust, and reciprocity within an area) influences conditions linked to oral health. Previous research has demonstrated variation in health according to area. Such studies are able to demonstrate a clustering of health, but are not able to distinguish whether observed social patterns in health reflect characteristics of residents or some feature of the area itself. Such conclusions require multilevel statistical models designed to separate individual effects from contextual effects while simultaneously examining interactions between both levels. Oral health is ideally suited as a proxy for general health because of the ubiquity of dental diseases, the broad utilisation of dental services within the population, and the shared risk factors between oral disease and a wide range chronic health conditions.Read moreRead less