• The Breast Cancer and the Environment Research Center
  • Project 1
  • Project 1 Publications
  • External Advisory Board
• Genomic Basis of Reproductive History in Breast Cancer
• Breast Cancer Therapy by Differentiation Gene Activation
• Estrogens and Breast Cancer
• Biomarkers of Exposure
• Biomarkers of Breast Cancer Prevention
• Epigenetic Control of Estrogen Induced Cell Transformation
• Prevention Trial in the use of r-hCG in Women of High Risk of Developing Breast Cancer
• Circadian Rhythm and Mammary Gland Development
• Fox Chase Cancer Center Breast Cancer Tissue Resources
• Characterization and Validation of Genomic Expression Signature of Pregnancy
• Epigenetic And Chromatin Remodeling Studies
• Chromatin remodeling as a preventive strategy in breast cancer

The Breast Cancer and the Environment Research Center (BCERC)

The Breast Cancer and the Environment Research Center (BCERC) is a consortium composed of Fox Chase Cancer Center, University of Alabama at Birmingham, and Mt. Sinai School of Medicine (Figure 1).

Figure 1: Structure of the FCCC Breast Cancer and the Environment ResearchCenter

The NCI-NIEHS supported Fox Chase Breast Cancer and the Environment Research Center  is one of four consortiums working together to investigate the relationship between the environment and breast cancer. The University of Cincinnati, University of California at San Francisco, and Michigan State University are the other three leaders of this effort. The Fox Chase BCERC is a consortium between FCCC, University of Alabama at Birmingham and Mt. Sinai School of Medicine.

Figure 2: Components of the BCERC

BCERC consists of two research projects and two cores (Figure 2).

Dr. Ricardo Lopez at FCCC

The goal of Project 1 is to investigate the potential of known endocrine disruptors, and one nutritional agent which has been demonstrated to protect against breast cancer, to alter mammary cancer susceptibility when exposure occurs alone and in combination with each other.

The goal of Project 2 is to examine the relationship between environmental exposures and pubertal milestones, taking into consideration hormonal determinants, oxidative stress, and obesity.

The purpose of the Administrative Core is to provide leadership, direction, evaluation, organization and integration of the Center. The goals of the Community Outreach and Translation Core are to develop and coordinate on-site workshops for study participants and to publish and distribute a biannual newsletter on relevant topics.

Our center has taken the leadership of offering training  in laboratory research to breast cancer advocates. The Center has an External Advisory Board that meets yearly to gauge the progress of our research endeavor.