Interrelationships of Prenatal and Postnatal Growth, Hormones, Diet, and Breast Cancer

摘要

The purpose of this Career Development Award was to expand Dr. Sanderson's current breast cancer research from the effect of intrauterine exposure to estrogen on breast cancer to the interrelationships of prenatal and postnatal growth, hormones, diet and breast cancer. Based on these interrelationships, we hypothesized that insulin resistance would be positively associated with breast cancer, and that genetic susceptibility, and adolescent/adult diet and physical activity would modify the effect of insulin resistance on breast cancer. Specific aims were: (1) to undergo intensive training in cancer biology, and nutritional, molecular and genetic epidemiology, (2) to obtain funding to conduct case control studies of the insulin resistance- breast cancer relationship, and (3) to obtain funding to conduct a cohort study of the association between prenatal and postnatal growth and infant hormone levels. During the study, Dr. Sanderson co-taught or audited courses in cancer biology, and nutritional, molecular and genetic epidemiology; received funding as Principal Investigator of the research institution of a HBCU/MI Partnership Award from the Department of Defense to conduct a case-control study of insulin resistance and breast cancer; and submitted a grant to the National Cancer Institute to follow a cohort of children of gestational diabetics from birth through age 12 years to investigate hormone levels in cord blood and subsequent childhood weight, height, diet and physical activity.