Recipient Organization
CORNELL UNIVERSITY
(N/A)
ITHACA,NY 14853
Performing Department
CLINICAL SCIENCE
Non Technical Summary
Scientists, policy makers, health professionals, the agricultural community and the public need science-based information on environmental factors (agrochemicals, diet and lifestyle factors) and the risk of breast and other cancers. We will build capacity for understanding environmental risk and cancer in rural communities through print and electronic materials and a national satellite conference.
Animal Health Component
100%
Research Effort Categories
Basic
(N/A)
Applied
100%
Developmental
(N/A)
Goals / Objectives
Expand the database of Critical Evaluations on the current scientific evidence of carcinogenicity for selected agricultural chemicals. 2. Effectively communicate information on environmental cancer risks to a variety of audiences, including the academic scientific community; staff, scientists and policy makers in federal agencies; public health professionals and health providers; the agricultural community; and the public, using printed materials, and electronic formats on the internet. 3. Provide the public with access to science-based information, written in non-scientific language, about environmental factors and the risk of breast cancer and other cancers. This will include fact sheets and newsletters on environmental risk factors. 4. Increase the knowledge of health professionals in rural areas and build capacity for community education on practical strategies for breast cancer risk reduction. This will include a national satellite teleconference focused on
environmental risk reduction for breast cancer aimed at health professionals in rural communities throughout the U.S.
Project Methods
We will use a strength of evidence approach to critically evaluate the human, experimental animal, and mechanistic data in peer-reviewed and unpublished studies on the cancer causing potential of the selected agrochemicals. These Critical Evaluations (CEs) are peer-reviewed by Cornell faculty and external peer reviewers. Scientists and staff at federal and non-federal agencies will be notified when CEs are completed using electronic notification methods and via a fax-back form. Agrochemical CEs will be translated into fact sheets designed for those who do not have a scientific background. Other fact sheets will be developed on diet and lifestyle factors and breast cancer risk. Completion of fact sheets and CEs is announced through the BCERF newsletter, "The Ribbon"; the BCERF web page and are made available to all 57 Cornell Cooperative Extension offices in NYS. Due to an upcoming change in the server currently hosting the BCERF website, a new website address has been
initiated (http://envirocancer.cornell.edu). BCERF will expand efforts to reach rural health and breast cancer screening settings through a satellite conference on environmental risk reduction for breast cancer.