Cancer Epidemiology

Two British medical epidemiologists, Richard Doll and Austin Bradford Hill, conducted the epidemiological work that proved beyond doubt that tobacco use causes the great majority of lung cancers. Their work was a crucial contribution to informing global policies aimed at reducing tobacco use, which have saved millions of lives.

Epidemiological methods have greatly contributed to the identification of risk factors for diseases, including cancer. From its beginning in the first half of the 19th century, epidemiology was strongly related to society, both in the sense that statistical data and concepts were introduced to improve public health, and through epidemiology’s connection with the birth of modern social science (e.g. with Adolphe Quetelet, 1796-1874).

The European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC-Europe) is a long-term, large-scale collaborative project that studies different populations from countries across Europe to investigate the relationships between diet, nutrition, lifestyle, and environmental factors, and the incidence of cancer.