Obesity is estimated to explain 15-20% of all cancer deaths in the United States. The SC CTSI supported a clinical trial by Kristine R. Monroe, PhD, assistant professor of clinical preventive medicine, Keck School of Medicine of USC who recruited more than 800 research participants to evaluate body fat distribution patterns in U.S. ethnic and racial minorities and their association with cancer risks. “SC CTSI’s Clinical Trials Unit was vital for completing enrollment of our large study,” said Monroe. “The CTU team helped us provide a respectful environment, which is so important when you work with research participants. They also helped us ensure the quality of the data by adhering to protocols.”
Body fat distribution patterns — visceral or superficial — vary among different ethnic and racial groups and carry different risks of metabolic diseases. The study, unique in its scale and scope, is building signatures of fat distribution patterns based on nutritional, behavioral, biochemical, and genetic factors and high-resolution scans. When analyses are complete, Monroe and her team will use these signatures to predict breast and colorectal cancers, the two most common obesity-related cancers.
Kristine R. Monroe, PhD