I recently had the privilege to present my research at the 3rd Annual American Association for Cancer Research Prevention International Conference in the beautiful city of Seattle, Washington. From October 16-20, 2004, I had the amazing experience of being immersed in information about today’s cutting-edge prevention research, a field that is beginning to be increasingly recognized for its importance in eradicating cancer.

For four whole days, I attended discussions, debates and presentations on numerous topics ranging from epidemiology to means of targeting and identifying specific biomarkers of cancer. My mind was brimming with the abundant, new information I received from just attending lectures at the conference. Being my first conference, I attempted to absorb all of the material I could without thoroughly exhausting my mind. Most of the information I received was applicable to advancing my research interests and the other information was very useful to helping further my education. Sessions included extremely interesting talks about assessing risks and exposures to cancer, and strategies to prevent cancer including combination trials. The most interesting lectures concerned aspects of prevention that had no direct correlation to my current research, but were extremely important to know about because of their impact on the field of cancer prevention. These included topics such as the role of social, environmental and behavioral lifestyles and their correlation to cancer prevention and also, barriers that face cancer prevention. There were very provocative discussions of cultural aspects of life and cancer risk, which I found enthralling.

There were three separate poster sessions of about 150 posters each. These included recent data on cancer prevention from in vitro studies, animal models and clinical trials, attained by different methods. I had the privilege to meet and attend lectures given by prestigious, internationally renown leaders in cancer research, including the Arizona Cancer Center’s own Dr. David Alberts, honoree for the 2004 AACR Award for Excellence in Cancer Prevention Research. Seeing so many researchers at the conference dedicated to cancer prevention was an awe-inspiring experience. The best part of the conference was being able to hear proposals and expectations of the future of cancer prevention research.

My poster, entitled “The Role of NF-kB in UVB-irradiated Immortalized Keratinocytes Post-treated with Epigallocatechin-3-gallate” was a culmination of my research done in Dr. Steven Stratton’s laboratory. This project explored the mechanism of action of the green tea polyphenol, epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) as a chemopreventive treatment. Using an in vitro model of sun-exposed skin, I measured the effect EGCG had on NF-kB subunits in the cytoplasm and the nucleus of UV treated cells. Measuring those subunits by three separate methods, (ELISA, EMSA, and Western blots) I was able to determine if EGCG had an effect on the well-established NF-kB pathway. We used this data to support a mechanism of action that is upstream of the subunits investigated in this project, which birthed a new hypothesis that will be the subject of future studies.

Attending this conference was a truly amazing experience. This opportunity has allowed me to not only arm myself with the plethora of information, but to become comfortable with presenting research and also with listening to and interpreting others’ research. I learned so much in four short days, but the most vital thing I came away with was the understanding of the profound importance of discussing and sharing research with others. Even if the research does not seem to be related directly to the project at hand, building a network for future projects is imperative to the community as a whole. There is a necessity for more collaboration among researchers to further the accomplishments that research has attained thus far.

This conference has been a springboard from which brilliant ideas have come, not only for my current research but also for my future decisions. I would like to thank Carol Bender, Genevieve Kenney, UBRP, Dr. Stratton, and HHMI for allowing me to have this amazing experience. Aluvia’s trip was funded by a grant from the HHMI #52003749.

Aluvia Escalante, UBRPer in Dr. Steven Stratton’s lab, Arizona Cancer Center, Pharmacology and Toxicology.