Understanding cancer and improving outcomes for everyone

The Cancer Population Science program in the Division of Oncological Sciences at the OHSU Knight Cancer Institute studies why people get cancer and how things like environment, lifestyle, genes, and social factors influence their risk and outcomes. Our goal is to use this knowledge to develop and test ways to prevent cancer and improve outcomes for everyone.

Our approach

• Working together: We work with experts from many fields, like data scientists, system biologists and basic scientists, to design the best approaches.
   
• Community-focused: We study large groups of people (populations) and engage with communities in our research to create solutions that work for everyone.
   
• New tools and techniques: We use the latest scientific and population-based resources to identify people at risk, diagnose cancer early, and develop better treatments, including:
   
  • Cancer Early Detection Advanced Research (CEDAR) Center
  • Healthy Oregon Project
  • Oregon Rural Practice-based Network
  • Oregon State Cancer Registry
     
• Focus on all stages: We explore ways to prevent cancer, find it early, treat it effectively, and help people live well after treatment throughout their lives.
   
• Closing the gap: We strive to ensure everyone has access to the best prevention, treatment, and care options.

Our ultimate goal is to deliver the right intervention, at the right time, to the right people, to prevent and manage cancer and improve health for all.

Our research

Some of our current projects include:

• More than 40,000 people have enrolled in the Healthy Oregon Project. This OHSU Knight Cancer Institute project offers no-cost screening for inherited cancer-predisposing genes to any Oregon adult. Researchers are using the genetic data — combined with surveys on health, wellness, and behavior — to answer many different questions about human health. 
• The National Cancer Institute has funded three projects at the OHSU Knight Cancer Institute advancing the implementation of exercise programs in clinical practice, and a fourth project that will intensively monitor long-term symptoms and side effects in aging cancer survivors. Kerri Winters-Stone, Ph.D., has led more than 15 clinical trials examining the benefits of exercise training for numerous outcomes, including physical functioning, fall prevention, bone health, emotional well-being, and quality of life in over 2,000 cancer survivors.
   
• OHSU leads a national study on how the pandemic affected tobacco assessments, funded in part by the National Cancer Institute’s Cancer Moonshot initiative.
   
• The OHSU Knight Cancer Institute’s Community Partnership Program funds community-led projects to address the cancer-related needs of communities across the state. Since 2014, the Community Partnership Program has invested nearly $7.3 million in 205 projects around Oregon.
   
• An OHSU study confirms the unique danger of postpartum breast cancers. A postpartum cancer diagnosis can move women who appear to have a good prognosis into a high-risk category.