UIC School of Public Health
2005 Sponsored Activities Annual Report

STUDENT PROFILE

Katrine Wallace,
Epidemiology and Biostatistics

I am a PhD candidate in the Epidemiology and Biostatistics Division. As an undergraduate, I majored in sociology at DePaul University. I later received a master’s degree in quantitative social sciences, also at DePaul. My main research interests are the epidemiology of prostate cancer, aging, and quantitative research methodology.

Prostate cancer is the sixth most common cancer in the world in terms of incidence and the third most common cancer among men. Despite its marked prevalence, the natural history of prostate cancer is very poorly understood. Something about the Western lifestyle and diet is a risk factor for prostate cancer. High fat and caloric diets result in high levels of a hormone called insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) and low levels of the associated insulin-like binding protein-3 (IGFBP-3) in the bloodstream. Increased IGF-1 has been found to be significantly and positively associated with prostate cancer. However, existing studies on IGF-1 and prostate cancer have not assessed race, nor have they examined interactions of IGF-1 with modifiable risk factors such as diet and exercise.

This project will assess racial differences in potential dietary/lifestyle risk factors (IGF-1 levels, IGFBP-3 levels, dietary intake, exercise habits, and body composition) for prostate cancer. To accomplish these ends, 328 subjects will be enrolled at Jesse Brown VA Medical Center in Chicago. The subject enrollment will consist of 228 prostate cancer patients (114 African-American and 114 Caucasian) and 110 controls (55 African-American and 55 Caucasian). Once enrolled, subjects will participate in one study visit which will consist of a demographic interview, body measurements, blood sampling (for IGF-1, IGFBP-3, PSA, and testosterone), and questionnaires pertaining to lifestyle, medical history and exercise. Follow-up phone calls will be made by a registered dietitian to assess dietary intake. Data will be analyzed to determine whether racial differences in prostate cancer risk are attributed, in part, to interactions between lifestyle factors and the IGF axis.

Conducting etiologic research in prostate cancer by race groups is of the utmost importance. Immeasurable clinical benefit would be gained if there are lifestyle changes that, if initiated, would decrease the incidence of prostate cancer and reduce the health disparities between African-Americans and other races in the U.S. Results from the current study could contribute valuable information for primary and perhaps secondary prevention of the disease.

This project is funded by the Department of Defense.

Copyright 2005 Contact jckong@uic.edu for questions