Overview

Research in the Cancer Risk, Detection, and Interception program includes basic, population, clinical, and translational research. Strengths include complementary approaches spanning cancer epidemiology, exposures, and genetics, to promote early intervention and avoid cancer progression. Collectively, the program aims to drive discovery and advances in novel biomarker identification, risk assessment strategies, early detection, and cancer interception.

Globally, the Cancer Risk Detection and Interception program seeks to provide the infrastructure and opportunities to facilitate collaborative research among its members and across the Duke Cancer Institute. Through these collaborations, the members aim to disseminate new knowledge and reduce the burden of cancer regionally and beyond.

Focus Areas

The Cancer Risk Detection and Interception program seeks to reduce the cancer burden in the Duke Cancer Institute (DCI) catchment area and address cancer health disparities locally, regionally, and globally. Our work can also be categorized into the following focus areas:

Risk Identification and Assessment (Leader: Heather Stapleton)
Research in this area seeks to improve the prevention of cancer and risk stratification through exposure measurement, discovery of novel risk factors for better risk prediction, identification of high-risk individuals for targeted prevention, and studies of genetic predisposition and cancer initiation.

Cancer Detection and Interception (Co-Leaders: Shelley Hwang and Evan Myers)
Research in this area seeks to expand cancer detection and interception (primary and secondary) through research into chemoprevention, cancer screening, and advances in screening technology, with a focus in situ/early-stage disease.