Abstract IA21: A systems approach to cancer prevention

Cancer prevention research and practice largely focus on three overlapping areas: precision prevention (e.g., genetic, social, and other factors specific to an individual patient), genetics, and health behaviors. All three of these envision the individual patient and her provider as the agents of change. A fourth realm of research and practice with potential to contribute to the primary prevention of cancers targets environmental and social factors over which the individual has little control, but governments, businesses, and communities do. These include environmental carcinogens in consumer products, workplaces, and air and water pollution. For example, flame retardants, dry cleaning solvents, formaldehyde, and diesel exhaust are widespread and often pose disproportionately high risks for people in low-income communities. Historically, laws and regulations have been the primary tools for controlling environmental and workplace contaminants, but despite important successes, significant cancer risks from pollution still occur. This presentation explores two questions based on our recent policy and program research: 1) What does systems analysis tell us about actions that impede and hold promise for reducing exposure to environmental carcinogens at the scale needed? 2) How might a systems approach inform the integration of environmental carcinogen reduction into cancer prevention research and practice? Particularly in the current political climate, system-level interventions that shift dominant narratives about cancer, prioritize interdisciplinary research, and harness market forces deserve prioritization. Citation Format: Polly J. Hoppin, David Kriebel, Molly Jacobs. A systems approach to cancer prevention [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference on Environmental Carcinogenesis: Potential Pathway to Cancer Prevention; 2019 Jun 22-24; Charlotte, NC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Can Prev Res 2020;13(7 Suppl): Abstract nr IA21.