Pre-Invasive Disease: Pathogenesis and Clinical Management

Guest editorial: Professor Sir Bruce Ponder (AGREED)

1. Epidemiology: public health burden, increasing disease and/or increasing detection, lag phase, risk factors ? Prof. John Potter Fred Hutchinson Centre/? Paul Pharoah

2. Pathogenesis:

- cancer stem cells: Prof. Sir Nick Wright, London Research Institute

- inflammation: Lisa Coussens, University California San Francisco

- hereditary factors: Paul Pharoah/Bruce Ponder CRI, Cambridge

- acquired mutations: Doug Hanahan /Robert Weinberg, University California San Francisco

- Epigenetics: E.G. William Nelson Baltimore/ Steve Meltzer John Hopkins USA

3. Animal models and other model systems of pre-invasive disease e.g. Tyler Jacks MIT or Dave Tuveson, CRI cambridge

4. Biomarkers - tissue, serum, fluids: Prof. Brian Reid, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle or Barbara Weber, GSK Pharmaceuticals

5. Molecular imaging: Professor Kevin Brindle Cambridge Research Institute, UK or Gary Kelloff NCI, Rockville

6. Issues around screening/surveillance: psychosocial, economic: Dr. Dawn Provenzale Duke University/ Karen Basen-Engquist MD Anderson texas/ prof Jane Blazeby Bristol UK

7. Disease specific examples:

Lung: Herman Baltimore

Mouth: Miriam Rosin Vancouver

Oesophagus: Dr Rebecca Fitzgerald, Cambridge UK

Stomach: Dr. Tim Wang, Columbia Univ, New York

Colon: Prof Bert Vogelstein, John Hopkins USA, John Potter, Seattle

Breast: Prof Stephen Duffty, CRUK, UK

Cervix -papsmear/vaccines: TC Wu, Johns Hokins Baltimore

Prostate/bladder: Professor David Neal, CRI Cambridge

8. Chemoprevention: e.g. Prof. John Potter Fred Hutchinson Centre

9. Treatment of early lesions: Jacques Van Dam Stanford / or Jacques Bergman Amsterdam

10. Common threads: areas for future research and future costs.benefits to society for early detection: or Michael Sporn Dartmouth Med Sch New Hampshire, or Gary Kelloff NCI, Maryland or Prof. George Triadafilopoulos, Stanford

Rebecca Fitzgerald is a tenured Programme Leader at the Medical Research Council (MRC) Cancer Cell Unit in Cambridge and her research is in Barrett's oesophagus with a particular focus on early cancer detection. She trained at Cambridge University, conducted her doctoral research at Stanford University, California and came to the UK for her post-doctoral research and specialist clinical training at St. Barts and the London Hospitals before returning to Cambridge. Rebecca maintains an clinical active practice as an honorary consultant in Gastroenterology at the University teaching hospital Addenbrooke's and enjoys teaching in her capacity as Director of Studies at Trinity College, Cambridge.