DCEG Hosts Visiting Scholar William Blot

DCEG was honored to welcome back Dr. William Blot as a Visiting Scholar in May. Dr. Blot is associate director of Cancer Prevention, Control, and Population-based Research at the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center and professor of medicine at the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine. He also serves as the chief executive officer of the International Epidemiology Institute in Rockville. As a member of DCEG from 1974 to 1994 and as Chief of the Biostatistics Branch (BB) starting in 1984, Dr. Blot was instrumental in shaping the Division's research portfolio, identifying environmental causes of cancer through studies conducted in the United States, China, Italy, and elsewhere.

While at NCI, he contributed to the development of the U.S. cancer atlases and led a series of seminal case-control studies in high-risk areas of the country that were identified by the cancer mapping project. These studies helped clarify the role of demographic, occupational (e.g., asbestos, arsenic), dietary, and other lifestyle factors (e.g., smoking, smokeless tobacco, obesity, alcohol consumption) in cancers of the oral cavity and pharynx, esophagus, stomach, pancreas, lung, kidney, bladder, and other sites. Pursuing these strategies in China, he collaborated with Chinese scientists to launch a series of case-control studies and clinical trials in high-risk areas to elucidate the effects of indoor air pollution (lung cancer), Helicobacter pylori infection (stomach cancer), and dietary insufficiencies (esophageal cancer).

Dr. Blot currently leads the Southern Community Cohort Study (SCCS), which is supported by several institutions, including NCI and the T.J. Martell Foundation. Researchers are continuing to register participants with the intent of creating one of the largest epidemiologic studies to explore racial disparities in cancer incidence and mortality, with a particular emphasis on the excess risks of cancer experienced among the African American population.

At the start of his two-day visit to DCEG, Dr. Blot presented a seminar titled "Examining cancer disparities: The SCCS." Mitchell H. Gail, M.D., Ph.D. (BB), introduced Dr. Blot, remarking that "throughout his career, Dr. Blot has identified key etiologic issues and pursued them with all the tools of epidemiology. Along the way, he created a legacy of investigational data sources, biospecimens, and ideas that benefited those around him. He continues to do that today with the establishment of the SCCS."

Dr. Blot detailed the research objectives of the eight-year-old cohort, highlighting the participation of traditionally underrepresented groups. He presented trends in cancer incidence and survival by race and gender, using data from the 150 community health centers involved in the cohort. Dr. Blot also discussed the challenges of recruitment that are unique to the study population.

Following the seminar, Joseph F. Fraumeni, Jr., M.D., Division Director, presented Dr. Blot with the DCEG Visiting Scholar Award in recognition of his major achievements in the field of cancer epidemiology and public health. Dr. Fraumeni applauded Dr. Blot's fundamental contributions to DCEG and quipped, "Dr. Blot dug the wells from which we now drink." Dr. Fraumeni also remarked, "We are grateful for this opportunity to recognize Dr. Blot's efforts that continue to allow research opportunities worldwide."

As former Chief of BB, Dr. Blot joined the branch members at lunch for a lively discussion of epidemiologic and statistical issues in studies of cancer etiology. Topics included evaluating dose-response trends, choosing appropriate comparison groups, and interpreting data when multiple comparisons have been made.

Dr. Blot participated in two afternoon seminars. The first, hosted by Ann W. Hsing, Ph.D., Hormonal and Reproductive Epidemiology Branch, focused on health disparities and cancer. Participants discussed cancer heterogeneity, recruitment challenges, the U.S. Kidney Cancer Study, and geographic information systems as tools to identify lifestyle and environmental risk factors.

The other seminar, hosted by Qing Lan, M.D., Ph.D., M.P.H., Occupational and Environmental Epidemiology Branch (OEEB), and Martha S. Linet, M.D., M.P.H., Chief of the Radiation Epidemiology Branch, focused on etiologic and intervention studies in China. Ongoing projects discussed included investigations of the hematotoxicity of benzene and the risk of lung cancer in relation to indoor smoke from coal combustion.

Dr. Blot posed questions and offered feedback throughout the sessions.

The next morning Dr. Blot attended a DCEG women scientists' breakfast, followed by a meeting on diet and cancer led by Nutritional Epidemiology Branch investigators Yikyung Park, Sc.D., and Amanda J. Cross, Ph.D. Presenters from DCEG and the Division of Cancer Control and Population Sciences focused on new tools for dietary and physical activity measurements in cohort studies.

Wong-Ho Chow Ph.D. (OEEB), and Philip R. Taylor, M.D., Sc.D., Genetic Epidemiology Branch (GEB), moderated a session highlighting studies of cancer of the upper gastrointestinal tract. Participants reviewed initial findings from the BEACON (Barrett's Esophagus and Adenocarcinoma Consortium), which is pooling data on such risk factors as obesity, smoking, gastroesophageal reflux, alcohol consumption, and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.

DCEG fellows had the opportunity to discuss career paths for epidemiologists with Dr. Blot during a brown bag lunch. He encouraged the fellows to work across different sectors, highlighting his experience in government, private, and academic research institutions.

GEB investigators Neil E. Caporaso, M.D., and Maria Teresa Landi, M.D., Ph.D., hosted the final session on new directions in lung cancer etiology. They discussed results from the EAGLE (Environment and Genetics in Lung Cancer Epidemiology) study on genetic determinants of lung cancer and smoking propensity, and they sought Dr. Blot's input on these exciting new findings.

About his visit, Dr. Blot commented, "It was a great pleasure for me to return to NCI for discussions with colleagues, many of whom I have known for years, about the causes, prevention, and control of cancer."

—Hannah Arem, M.H.S.

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