Advances in population research
Population research looks at how cancer affects the general population. This type of research uses large-scale studies that involve thousands of people, and look for patterns, or trends, in the incidence of different cancers.
The large numbers of people involved makes it easier to spot trends that are associated with increased cancer incidence. You can read more about population research in the 'About cancer research' section.
Smoking and lung cancer
The late Professor Sir Richard Doll, together with Professor Austin Bradford-Hill, first proved the link between smoking and lung cancer over fifty years ago. Professor Doll went on to have a glowing career in epidemiology, working with Professor Sir Richard Peto at Cancer Research UK’s Clinical Trial Service Unit in Oxford. The pair collaborated on tobacco studies for around 35 years, becoming world leaders in the field.
Professor Peto was the first to demonstrate the magnitude of the growing worldwide epidemic of tobacco deaths. A study in 1994 showed that half of all regular smokers will eventually die of their habit. And in 2004, they published a report showing that all the benefits of increased longevity from improved healthcare are completely lost if you smoke.
EPIC
Cancer Research UK is supporting the two UK arms of the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC), the largest study of diet and health ever undertaken. It is thought that changes to our diet could prevent up to a third of all cancers. At present, however, little is known about which aspects of our diet are important for determining cancer risk.
To address this issue, Cancer Research UK scientists are collaborating with researchers in nine other European countries to examine the link between diet and different types of cancer. Nearly half a million individuals have been recruited to the study.
Preliminary results from EPIC have shown links between an increased risk of bowel cancer and a diet high in red and processed meat and low in fibre. Over the next decade, the study should give us even more insights into the links between diet and cancer risk and help us provide clear messages about healthy eating.
The Million Women Study
Cancer Research UK scientists in Oxford are conducting a study, called The Million Women Study, to investigate the effects of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) on health. The study was launched in 1997. In October 2000 the ambitious target of recruiting over a million women was successfully achieved, making it the largest study of female health ever undertaken.
In August 2003, the study proved that current or recent use of HRT increases a woman’s risk of breast cancer, especially in those who have taken the combined oestrogen-progesterone form of HRT for several years. More recent publications and details of research can be found on The Million Women Study website.
