While we can avoid some environmental carcinogens, like cigarette smoke and excessive sun exposure, it’s much harder to avoid pollutants in the air and contaminants in our drinking water. As a result, it is crucial to understand which environmental factors are associated with cancer, where they are found, and how they contribute to cancer development. This understanding requires taking reliable measurements of environmental factors, gathering data from disproportionately affected populations, and devising experimental approaches to investigate their biological impact.
Researchers at the University of Chicago are helping lead this effort, leveraging large datasets, cutting-edge technologies and advanced methodologies to unravel the complex relationship between cancer and the environment.
