DCEG News Updates
The latest news and research findings from the Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics.
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A new NIH study of 85,000 adults in the United Kingdom found that individuals who engaged in light- and moderate-to-vigorous-intensity daily physical activity had a lower risk of cancer than individuals who were more sedentary. Participants in the study wore accelerometers to track their total daily activity, its intensity, and daily step count. The researchers determined that a higher step count, at any pace, can help lower cancer risk.
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New guidelines for clinicians advise on cervical cancer screening using self-collected vaginal samples. Self-collection expands screening options and has potential to increase access for individuals who have never been screened or are not receiving adequate screening.
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The NIH Intramural Research program highlights Dr. Nicolas Wentzensen’s prototype artificial intelligence program that reviews cervical cell samples and detects proteins that could predict cervical cancer risk.
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Kiyohiko Mabuchi, senior scientist in the Radiation Epidemiology Branch, retired from the National Cancer Institute in early 2025 after more than 20 years of service. Dr. Mabuchi investigated cancer and chronic disease risks associated with exposure to ionizing radiation and how radiation-related risks are modified by modes of exposure and other factors.
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Health data of Asian Americans and Pacific Islander individuals have often been aggregated, but Jacqueline B. Vo, Jaimie Z. Shing, and colleagues observed significantly higher death rates among Pacific Islander individuals compared to Asian Americans between 2018 and 2020.
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Dr. McGlynn and colleagues found testicular cancer incidence rates among Hispanic men rose to the levels of rates among non-Hispanic White men in 2021, marking a significant development in the descriptive epidemiology of testicular cancer in the U.S.
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Dr. Rabkin retired from the National Cancer Institute after 35 years of service. He received Public Health Service and Unit Commendation Medals for his studies of non-Hodgkin lymphoma and Kaposi sarcoma and the Outstanding Service Medal for the molecular epidemiology of Helicobacter pylori and HIV-related malignancies.
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Michael Sargen, M.D., has been promoted to Lasker Clinical Research Scholar, a tenure-track position in the Clinical Genetics Branch in December 2024. He is an expert in the clinical, histopathologic, and genetic characteristics of melanoma-prone families. He also uses epidemiologic and molecular approaches to investigate risk factors for sebaceous carcinoma and other rare cutaneous malignancies in children and adults.
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The objectives of the meeting, organized by the NIH Hispanic Health Research Scientific Interest Group, were to learn about existing research projects across the NIH and to promote trans-NIH research collaborations to address health disparities and inequities among Hispanic/Latino populations.
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In December, Dr. Constanza Camargo was awarded scientific tenure by the NIH and promoted to senior investigator in the Metabolic Epidemiology Branch (MEB). Dr. Camargo is an internationally recognized expert on the epidemiology of gastric cancer, an understudied malignancy with high mortality coupled with substantial economic and social costs.
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Dr. Patricia Ganz presented an overview of her research investigating long-term and late effects of treatment for breast cancer in a talk entitled, “‘Not Just Tired’: The Biology of Fatigue and Cognitive Changes after Breast Cancer Treatment.” She then met with DCEG scientists at all levels to talk about opportunities, challenges, and strategic approaches to survivorship research.
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The new web-based tool, developed by Dr. Eric Engels and colleagues, provides estimates that a colorectal cancer patient will not die from their cancer in the next five years, calculated both at the time of their cancer diagnosis and updated to accommodate the passage of time since their cancer diagnosis. The authors illustrate how these probabilities can inform organ transplant guidelines and help clinicians decide when it is safe to offer a transplant for individual patients with a history of colorectal cancer.
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Drs. Emily Pearce, Jessica Scales, and Isabelle van der Velpen were selected for the 2025 Sallie Rosen Kaplan Fellowship program. The program prepares female postdoctoral fellows for the transition to independent biomedical research careers through mentoring and networking opportunities, and seminars and workshops designed to strengthen leadership, time management, and self-promotional skills.
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A new ancestry-adjusted risk prediction model, Genomic-informed Care for Motivating High Risk Individuals Eligible for Evidence-based Prevention (GREAT), may aid patients in decision-making around lung cancer prevention. The model and its performance are described in a paper published November 8, 2024, in the journal eBioMedicine.
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Aimée Kreimer and fellow guest editors published, “State of the Science of Single-Dose Prophylactic HPV Vaccination,” a Journal of the National Cancer Institute Monograph comprised of 13 studies which together update the state of the science on single-dose HPV vaccination since World Health Organization’s recommendation in 2022 of an alternative single-dose schedule.
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A new study by Dr. Eleanor Watts and investigators in the Metabolic Epidemiology Branch explores how physical activity influences metabolic pathways and how these changes might lower breast cancer risk. Higher physical activity was associated with a broad range of metabolic adaptations, highlighting potential role of fatty acid metabolism in breast cancer prevention.
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Dr. Ward retired on October 31, 2024, after 30 years of federal service. She investigated environmental and occupational causes of cancer, with special emphasis on drinking water contaminants, pesticides, and other chemicals in relation to the etiology of childhood leukemia, gastrointestinal cancers, and thyroid cancer.
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Dr. Stephen Chanock, director of DCEG, was elected as a member of the National Academy of Medicine on October 21, 2024 during their annual meeting.
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Tawnjerae Joe and Douglas Monroe are the 2024 incoming NCI Intramural Continuing Umbrella of Research Experiences (iCURE) Program Scholars.
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The 2024 NCI Principal Investigators Retreat gathered principal investigators from the two intramural divisions of NCI, Division of Cancer Epidemiology & Genetics and the Center for Cancer Research. The retreat was held at Hood College in Frederick, Maryland, on October 15, 2024.