Public Health & Cancer Awareness

CANCER PREVENTION

Experts believe that up to 50% of cancers can be prevented. That’s because certain daily habits can make us more likely to get cancer. Changing these habits may help prevent cancer.

5 lifestyle changes that may reduce your cancer risk:

  • Quit smoking (802quits.org is Vermont's tobacco cessation resource. ). 
  • Make healthy food choices.
  • Get regular checkups & screenings.
  • Stay active.
  • Protect your skin with sun safe behaviors.

LEARN MORE

 

COLORECTAL CANCER AWARENESS

With regular screening, almost all colorectal cancer can be prevented. If you are 45 or older, please talk to your doctor about screening options. 

VIEW RESOURCES

 

SKIN CANCER AWARENESS: "BE SUN SAFE" 

Did you know that Vermont has the second highest incident rate of melanoma in the U.S.?
May is skin cancer awareness month and by limiting sun exposure you can reduce your skin cancer risk.
Three Prevention Tips:

  1. Cover up. Wear wide-brimmed hats, sun-protective clothing and sunglasses.
  2. Stay indoors between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. or seek shade.
  3. Wear sunscreen, with a sun protection factor (SPF) of 30 or higher.

Early detection promotes successful treatment, talk to your doctor about your screening options. 

Summer Safety Tips: Find some simple health and safety tips for summertime activities.

Something New Under The Sun: Learn about the signs of melanoma.

9 Things I'd Never Do As A Dermatologist: Summer's coming. How many of these ski 'don'ts' do you do?

 

PROSTATE CANCER AWARENESS MONTH

Prostate cancer is the second most common type of cancer. UVM Cancer Center clinical member, Shahid Ahmed, MD, MBBS, a medical oncologist specializes in cancers of the urinary system and the reproductive organs in men and provides an overview of diagnosis and tips to manage treatment side effects in this Healthsource article. 

READ ARTICLE

 

BREAST CANCER AWARENESS

Women's Health and Cancer Conference: View recordings of presentations and panels about surgical options, survivorship, integrative care, palliative care, and breakthrough advances in the research.

Breast Cancer Portfolio: Learn more about the UVM Cancer Center's research, education, community outreach, and clinical care related to breast cancer.

Clinical Trials: See what clinical trials are being offered related to breast cancer.

Genetic Testing for Cancer and Risk Assessment: Learn about the team of clinicians who provide genetic screening and risk assessment.

Screening Guidelines: The American Cancer Society recommends these screening guidelines. 

Breast Cancer Screening: Reach out to your primary care provider or the Breast Care Center if you are due for a screening.

Support Services: There are many resources for patients in treatment or patients who have completed their treatment, including support groups and the popular Steps to Wellness class. 

 

LUNG CANCER AWARENESS: "GET CHECKED, IT CAN SAVE YOUR LIFE"

Lung Cancer Public Health Campaign. The UVM Cancer Center teamed up with Dartmouth Cancer Center and Vermonters Taking Action Against Cancer to encourage more Vermonters to get screened for lung cancer. When detected early, local tumors can be removed which increases the patient's survival rate from 24% to 60%.

Learn more about:

  • Guidelines
  • Screening locations in Vermont
  • Eligibility requirements

VIEW CAMPAIGN

Lung Cancer Research. Learn more about the Cunniff lab's promising new therapy for mesothelioma and metastatic cancer, which is currently a Phase I clinical trial. 

Clinical Trials: See what clinical trials are being offered related to lung cancer.

News Headlines:

Connections Matter: Collaborative Study Stems from Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine Annual Research Day

June 28, 2024 by Katelyn Queen, PhD

Top: Yvonne Janssen-Heininger, PhD, Reem Aboushousha, PhD. Bottom: Hend Abdelhamid, PhD, Raul Mostoslavsky, MD, PhD, and Christina Ferrer, PhD

A collaborative study, recently published in Nature Cell Biology, found its origins at the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine Annual Research Day. At the meeting, keynote speaker Raul Mostoslavsky, MD, PhD, was introduced to Yvonne Janssen-Heininger, PhD, and the redox biochemistry research her lab conducts. This introduction led to a collaborative study focused on understanding the biological mechanisms that drive cancer metastasis.

Metastatic disease (the spread of cancer cells from their primary origin to new sites) accounts for 90% of cancer-related deaths1. Certain cancers, such as pancreatic cancers, have often metastasized at the time of diagnosis, contributing to a low five-year survival rate. Little is understood about what drives this metastatic nature, making it challenging to treat these diseases. The collaborative study between Janssen-Heininger and Mostoslavsky identified a new driver of metastasis, the protein glutathione S-transferase theta (GSTT). GSTT carries a compound known as glutathione and transfers the compound to other target proteins, changing the function of the receiving protein. The research group found that in metastatic cancer cells GSTT specifically modifies the protein, fibronectin. Fibronectin is a component of cells’ extracellular matrix, which surrounds and structurally supports cells and plays an important role in cellular communication. GSTT modification of fibronectin causes a cascade effect resulting in pro-metastatic cellular characteristics. These findings provide insight into how metastasis is controlled and maintained in certain cancer cells. 

A collaborative study between Raul Mostoslavsky, MD, PhD, and Christina Ferrer, PhD, from the Broad Institute of Havard and MIT, this study was made possible by UVM Cancer Center members Reem Aboushousha, PhD, and Hend Abdelhamid, PhD, who conducted the biochemical studies showing that GSTT can directly modify fibronectin. Future collaborative studies will focus on the development of GSTT inhibitors that could be used to treat metastatic disease. 

Read more about the study “The glutathione S-transferase Gstt1 drives survival and dissemination in metastases” here. 

References:

1. Anderson, R. L. et al. A framework for the development of effective anti-metastatic agents. Nat. Rev. Clin. Oncol. 16, 185–204 (2019).