 |
 |
|
 |
||
 |
 |
|
 |
|
|
| Andrew F. Olshan, Ph.D.
Professor |  |
Research Interests
Dr. Olshan's cancer research involves studies of the molecular epidemiology of cancers of the head and neck and evaluation of risk factors for childhood cancer. Dr. Olshan recently conducted a national study of Wilms tumor, a kidney tumor that occurs in young children. The study examined an array of parental environmental, lifestyle, and medical history factors as potential risk factors. The work has included collaboration with Dr. Julie Blatt of the Pediatric Hematology and Oncology Division.
The head and neck cancer studies focus on gene-environment interaction involving variation in genes involved in the metabolism of tobacco and alcohol and repair of DNA damage. The studies have also included investigation of alterations of tumor suppressor genes and human papillomavirus. Related projects have examined environmental, clinical, and genetic predictors of survival among head and neck cancer patients. Dr. Olshan has initiated a North Carolina study of gene-environment interaction in head and neck cancer. This large, population-based study will enroll over 1,300 patients with head and neck cancer and over 1,700 persons without cancer. In addition, the study will evaluate disparities in access to health care and the occurrence and treatment of head and neck cancer among different ethnic groups. A follow-up survivorship study of the patient group is underway. Dr. Mark Weissler, Professor of Otolaryngology/Head and Neck Surgery, is a co-investigator on these projects.
Recent Accomplishments and Honors
Dr. Olshan’s study of neuroblastoma, the largest conducted to date, identified a number of risk factors that provide promising leads for additional research. A notable finding was that mother’s use of multivitamins during pregnancy reduced the risk of neuroblastoma by 30 to 40%.
Dr. Olshan directed a UNC case-control study that identified several common polymorphisms of metabolizing and DNA repair genes that, combined with tobacco exposure, increased the risk of head and neck cancer. Investigation of molecular genetic alterations using tumor samples revealed a unique p53 mutational pattern related to tobacco and alcohol exposure and the correspondence of p53, p16, and PRAD-1 alterations and the presence of HPV in the same tumor. p53 alterations and two polymorphisms also predicted survival among patients.
Training
Dr. Olshan is Director of the Cancer Epidemiology Training Grant.
Publications
Brennan P, Lewis S, Hashibe M, et al. Pooled-analysis of alcohol dehydrogenase genotypes and head and neck cancer - a HuGE review, American Journal of Epidemiology, 159:1-16, 2004.
Geisler SA, Olshan AF, Weissler MC, Cai J, Funkhouser WK, Smith J, Vick K.
p16 and p53 Protein expression as prognostic indicators of survival and disease
recurrence from head and neck cancer. Clin Cancer Res. 2002 Nov;8(11):3445-53.
Olshan AF, Smith JC, Bondy ML, Neglia JP, Pollock BH. Maternal vitamin use and reduced risk of neuroblastoma. Epidemiology. 2002 Sep;13(5):575-80.
Olshan AF, Weissler MC, Watson MA, Bell DA. GSTM1, GSTT1, GSTP1, CYP1A1, and NAT1 polymorphisms, tobacco use, and the risk of head and neck cancer.
Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 2000 Feb;9(2):185-91.
Daniels JL, Olshan AF, Teschke K, Hertz-Picciotto I, Savitz DA, Blatt J, Bondy ML, Neglia JP, Pollock BH, Cohn SL, Look AT, Seeger RC, Castleberry RP. Residential pesticide exposure and the risk of neuroblastoma. Epidemiology, 12:20-27, 2001.
Arbes SJ Jr, Olshan AF, Caplan DJ, Schoenbach VJ, Slade GD, Symons MJ.
Factors contributing to the poorer survival of black Americans diagnosed with
oral cancer (United States). Cancer Causes Control. 1999 Dec;10(6):513-23.
Olshan AF, Weissler MC, Pei H, Conway K. p53 mutations in head and neck cancer: new data and evaluation of mutational spectra. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 1997 Jul;6(7):499-504.
Olshan AF, Weissler MC, Pei H, Conway K, Anderson S, Fried DB, Yarbrough WG.
Alterations of the p16 gene in head and neck cancer: frequency and association
with p53, PRAD-1 and HPV. Oncogene. 1997 Feb 20;14(7):811-8.
E-mail: andy_olshan@unc.edu
Telephone: (919) 966--7424
FAX: (919) 966-2089
Address: 2103 McGavran-Greenberg Hall, CB# 7400 Chapel Hill, NC
