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From the Editors
It is now just over 30 years since the American "War on Cancer" began with Congressional passage of
the Cancer Control Act. Since then, research has provided us with a better understanding of this
group of diseases, as well as with effective offensive strategies. Despite the continuing
refinement of innovative therapies and surgical techniques, the enemy is still there, waiting to be
conquered.
Perhaps the most telling battle, the one that truly is the turning point in this "War on Cancer," is
upon us now. A battle that seeks to keep the enemy from even entering the field-the battle of prevention. Recent years have witnessed the founding of both the Division
of Cancer Prevention and the Division of Cancer Control and Population Sciences at the National
Cancer Institute. Over the past decade, these divisions have heralded the vigorous efforts of
numerous researchers to disseminate new advances in cancer prevention and screening to the general
public.
Very soon, however, cancer will replace cardiovascular disease
as the number one cause of death in the US. In large part, this
stems from the successes that the medical profession and public
health officials have had in reducing mortality from cardiovascular
diseases. As a result, life expectancy in the US has been extended.
While this may bring added years of enjoyment to many Americans,
the downside is that more of them are developing cancer, albeit
at an older age. This makes concerted efforts to reduce the incidence
and mortality from cancer all the more important.
In essence, cancer prevention stands today about 10 to 15 years behind where cardiovascular disease
was in the late 1980s and early 1990s, when preventive strategies such as blood pressure control,
cholesterol control, increased physical activity, weight control, and tobacco cessation were
introduced and widely adopted. The consequence has been the dramatic fall in cardiovascular disease
incidence and mortality.
Some of these same tools are currently in our hands, ready to be used for cancer prevention. These
include tobacco cessation, the development of medications to treat precancer, increased physical
activity, and the utilization of screening for the early detection of both precancer
(intraepithelial neoplasia) and cancer. The full effects of such measures remain to be seen, and
new advances in technology, both for cancer prevention and for cancer screening, are appearing
almost daily.
In this newsletter, under the auspices of the Cancer Prevention
Program at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital, a joint effort of personnel
at the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Columbia University
and Weill Medical College of Cornell University, we plan to bring
to you a forum in which will be presented the latest advances
in the area of cancer prevention. These will range from the laboratory
to the clinic to the public at large. Scientists and public health
personnel from around the country will be invited to submit articles
and will be interviewed regarding the very latest topics of interest
in cancer prevention.
This is our premiere issue. We hope you enjoy it, learn from it, and ultimately benefit from it.
The Editors:
Andrew J. Dannenberg, MD
Henry R. Erle, MD-Roberts Family Professor of Medicine
Weill Medical College of Cornell University
Co-Director
Cancer Prevention Program
Columbia Weill Cornell Cancer Centers
NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital
Alfred I. Neugut, MD, PhD
Professor of Medicine and Epidemiology
Head of Cancer Prevention
Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center
Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons
and Mailman School of Public Health
Co-Director
Cancer Prevention Program
Columbia Weill Cornell Cancer Centers
NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital
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