Research Professor
Co-Director, Global Observatory on Planetary Health
Morissey College of Arts and Sciences, Schiller Institute for Integrated Science and Society, and Connell School of Nursing
Higgins 644B
Telephone: 617-552-2893
Email: straif@bc.edu
Cancer Epidemiology and Global Control of Cancer
Introduction to Epidemiology
Public Health in a Global Society
Environmental, occupational and behavioral risk and preventive factors of cancer; Global control of cancer as integral part of the SDG 2030 agenda; more recently, epidemiology of COVID-19; the health impact of the climate crisis.
With my background in clinical oncology, occupational and environmental medicine and epidemiology my research is broad and into identification of all kinds of risk and preventive factors of cancer and evidence-informed global cancer control in support of achieving the goals of the SDG 2030 agenda, and particularly SDG 3, Health, with a focus on non-communicable diseases.
Before joining Boston College as a Visiting Professor (2019-2022) and Research Professor (since 2022), I have worked for almost two decades at the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC/WHO) in Lyon, France as the Head of the IARC Monographs Program and the Section of Evidence Synthesis and Classification (encompassing the groups of IARC Monographs, IARC Handbooks of Cancer Prevention, WHO Classification of Tumours). I was responsible for the series of Monographs on the carcinogenicity of tobacco (including involuntary smoking, smokeless tobacco and betel quid); air pollution (including indoor and outdoor air pollution, diesel engine exhaust); radiofrequency electromagnetic fields; shift-work and circadian disruption; the IARC Handbooks of Cancer Prevention including Handbooks on cancer preventive effects of avoidance of obesity and screening for breast and colorectal cancer. I contribute my expertise to the Global Burden of Disease project to inform global and local policy for cancer prevention.
1. Books, Contributions to Books
World Cancer Report – Cancer Research for Cancer Prevention. Stewart BW, Wild CP (eds).Cree IA, Ferlay J, Straif K (assoc eds). International Agency for Research on Cancer: Lyon, France. 2020
Reducing Social Inequalities in Cancer: Evidence and Priorities for Research. IARC Scientific Publication No. 168. Vaccarella S, Lortet-Tieulent J, Saracci R, Conway DI, Straif K, Wild CP (eds). International Agency for Research on Cancer: Lyon, France. 2019
Tumour Site Concordance and Mechanisms of Carcinogenesis. IARC Scientific Publication No. 165. Baan RA, Stewart BW, Straif K (eds). International Agency for Research on Cancer: Lyon, France. 2019
Straif K, Cohen A, Samet J (eds). Air Pollution and Cancer (IARC Scientific Publications Series, No. 161). International Agency for Research on Cancer: Lyon, France, 2014
2. Articles in Scientific Journals
Schüz J, Kovalevskiy E, Olsson A, Moissonnier M, Ostroumova E, Ferro G, Feletto E, Schonfeld SJ, Byrnes G, Tskhomariia I, Straif K, Morozova T, Kromhout H, Bukhtiyarov I. Cancer mortality in chrysotile miners and millers, Russian Federation: main results (Asbest Chrysotile Cohort-Study). J Natl Cancer Inst. 2024 Jan 22:djad262. doi: 10.1093/jnci/djad262. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 38247448.
Wan W, Peters S, Portengen L, Olsson A, Schüz J, Ahrens W, Schejbalova M, Boffetta P, Behrens T, Brüning T, Kendzia B, Consonni D, Demers PA, Fabiánová E, Fernández-Tardón G, Field JK, Forastiere F, Foretova L, Guénel P, Gustavsson P, Jöckel KH, Karrasch S, Landi MT, Lissowska J, Barul C, Mates D, McLaughlin JR, Merletti F, Migliore E, Richiardi L, Pándics T, Pohlabeln H, Siemiatycki J, Świątkowska B, Wichmann HE, Zaridze D, Ge C, Straif K, Kromhout H, Vermeulen R. Occupational Benzene Exposure and Lung Cancer Risk: A Pooled Analysis of 14 Case-Control Studies. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2024 Jan 15;209(2):185-196. doi: 10.1164/rccm.202306-0942OC. PMID: 37812782; PMCID: PMC10806413.
Olsson A, Bouaoun L, Schüz J, Vermeulen R, Behrens T, Ge C, Kromhout H, Siemiatycki J, Gustavsson P, Boffetta P, Kendzia B, Radoi L, Barul C, Karrasch S, Wichmann HE, Consonni D, Landi MT, Caporaso NE, Merletti F, Migliore E, Richiardi L, Jöckel KH, Ahrens W, Pohlabeln H, Fernández-Tardón G, Zaridze D, Field JK, Lissowska J, Świątkowska B, McLaughlin JR, Demers PA, Schejbalova M, Foretova L, Janout V, Pándics T, Fabianova E, Mates D, Forastiere F, Straif K, Brüning T, Vlaanderen J, Peters S. Lung Cancer Risks Associated with Occupational Exposure to Pairs of Five Lung Carcinogens: Results from a Pooled Analysis of Case-Control Studies (SYNERGY). Environ Health Perspect. 2024 Jan;132(1):17005. doi: 10.1289/EHP13380. Epub 2024 Jan 18. PMID: 38236172; PMCID: PMC10795675.
Nys E, Pauwels S, Ádám B, Amaro J, Athanasiou A, Bashkin O, Bric TK, Bulat P, Caglayan C, Guseva Canu I, Cebanu S, Charbotel B, Cirule J, Curti S, Davidovitch N, Dopelt K, Fikfak MD, Frilander H, Gustavsson P, Höper AC, Kiran S, Kogevinas M, Kudász F, Kolstad HA, Lazarevic SB, Macan J, Majery N, Marinaccio A, Mates D, Mattioli S, McElvenny DM, Mediouni Z, Mehlum IS, Merisalu E, Mijakoski D, Nena E, Noone P, Otelea MR, Pelclova D, Pranjic N, Rosso M, Serra C, Rushton L, Sandal A, Schernhammer ES, Stoleski S, Turner MC, van der Molen HF, Varga M, Walusiak-Skorupa J, Straif K, Godderis L. Recognition of COVID-19 with occupational origin: a comparison between European countries. Occup Environ Med. 2023 Nov 23;80(12):694-701. doi: 10.1136/oemed-2022-108726. PMID: 37984917.
Kim J, Leon ME, Schinasi LH, Baldi I, Lebailly P, Freeman LEB, Nordby KC, Ferro G, Monnereau A, Brouwer M, Kjaerheim K, Hofmann JN, Straif K, Kromhout H, Schüz J, Togawa K. Exposure to pesticides and risk of Hodgkin lymphoma in an international consortium of agricultural cohorts (AGRICOH). Cancer Causes Control. 2023 Nov;34(11):995-1003. doi: 10.1007/s10552-023-01748-1. Epub 2023 Jul 7. PMID: 37418114; PMCID: PMC10533587.
Turner MC, Cogliano V, Guyton K, Madia F, Straif K, Ward EM, Schubauer- Berigan MK. Research Recommendations for Selected IARC-Classified Agents: Impact and Lessons Learned. Environ Health Perspect. 2023 Oct;131(10):105001. doi: 10.1289/EHP12547. Epub 2023 Oct 30. PMID: 37902675; PMCID: PMC10615125.
Palomar-Cros A, Straif K, Romaguera D, Aragonés N, Castaño-Vinyals G, Martin V, Moreno V, Gómez-Acebo I, Guevara M, Aizpurua A, Molina-Barceló A, Jiménez- Moleón JJ, Tardón A, Contreras-Llanes M, Marcos-Gragera R, Huerta JM, Pérez- Gómez B, Espinosa A, Hernández-Segura N, Obón-Santacana M, Alonso-Molero J, Burgui R, Amiano P, Pinto-Carbó M, Olmedo-Requena R, Fernández-Tardón G, Santos- Sánchez V, Fernández de Larrea-Baz N, Fernández-Villa T, Casabonne D, Dierssen- Sotos T, Ardanaz E, Dorronsoro A, Pollán M, Kogevinas M, Lassale C. Consumption of aspartame and other artificial sweeteners and risk of cancer in the Spanish multicase-control study (MCC-Spain). Int J Cancer. 2023 Sep 1;153(5):979-993. doi: 10.1002/ijc.34577. Epub 2023 Jun 16. PMID: 37323037.
Chartres N, Sass JB, Gee D, Bălan SA, Birnbaum L, Cogliano VJ, Cooper C, Fedinick KP, Harrison RM, Kolossa-Gehring M, Mandrioli D, Mitchell MA, Norris SL, Portier CJ, Straif K, Vermeire T. Conducting evaluations of evidence that are transparent, timely and can lead to health-protective actions. Environ Health. 2022;21(1):123.
Goldberg X, Castaño-Vinyals G, Espinosa A, Carreras A, Liutsko L, Sicuri E, Foraster M, O'Callaghan-Gordo C, Dadvand P, Moncunill G, Dobaño C, Cortés B, Pleguezuelos V, Straif K, Garcia-Aymerich J, de Cid R, Cardis E, Kogevinas M. Mental health and COVID-19 in a general population cohort in Spain (COVICAT study). Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol. 2022;57(12):2457-2468.
Drakvik E, Kogevinas M, Bergman Å, Devouge A, Barouki R; HERA (Health and Environment Research Agenda) Consortium. Priorities for research on environment, climate and health, a European perspective. Environ Health. 2022;21(1):37.
Global Burden of Disease 2019 Cancer Collaboration. Cancer Incidence, Mortality, Years of Life Lost, Years Lived With Disability, and Disability-Adjusted Life Years for 29 Cancer Groups From 2010 to 2019: A Systematic Analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019. JAMA Oncol. 2022;8(3):420-444.
Hoffmann B, Boogaard H, de Nazelle A, Andersen ZJ, Abramson M, Brauer M, Brunekreef B, Forastiere F, Huang W, Kan H, Kaufman JD, Katsouyanni K, Krzyzanowski M, Kuenzli N, Laden F, Nieuwenhuijsen M, Mustapha A, Powell P, Rice M, Roca-Barceló A, Roscoe CJ, Soares A, Straif K, Thurston G. WHO Air Quality Guidelines 2021-Aiming for Healthier Air for all: A Joint Statement by Medical, Public Health, Scientific Societies and Patient Representative Organisations. Int J Public Health. 2021;66:1604465.
Samet JM, Chiu WA, Cogliano V, Jinot J, Kriebel D, Lunn RM, Beland FA, Bero L, Browne P, Fritschi L, Kanno J, Lachenmeier DW, Lan Q, Lasfargues G, Le Curieux F, Peters S, Shubat P, Sone H, White MC, Williamson J, Yakubovskaya M, Siemiatycki J, White PA, Guyton KZ, Schubauer-Berigan MK, Hall AL, Grosse Y, Bouvard V, Benbrahim-Tallaa L, El Ghissassi F, Lauby-Secretan B, Armstrong B, Saracci R, Zavadil J, Straif K, Wild CP. The IARC Monographs: Updated Procedures for Modern and Transparent Evidence Synthesis in Cancer Hazard Identification. J Natl Cancer Inst. 2020; 112:30-37
Mehrotra R, Yadav A, Sinha DN, Parascandola M, John RM, Ayo-Yusuf O, Nargis N, Hatsukami DK, Warnakulasuriya S, Straif K, Siddiqi K, Gupta PC. Smokeless tobacco control in 180 countries across the globe: call to action for full implementation of WHO FCTC measures. Lancet Oncol. 2019;20:e208-e217
Lauby-Secretan B, Vilahur N, Bianchini F, Guha N, Straif K; International Agency for Research on Cancer Handbook Working Group. The IARC Perspective on Colorectal Cancer Screening. N Engl J Med. 2018; 378:1734-1740. GBD 2017 SDG Collaborators. Measuring progress from 1990 to 2017 and projecting attainment to 2030 of the health-related Sustainable Development Goals for 195 countries and territories: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2017. Lancet. 2018;392:2091-2138
Lauby-Secretan B, Scoccianti C, Loomis D, Grosse Y, Bianchini F, Straif K; International Agency for Research on Cancer Handbook Working Group. Body fatness and cancer – Viewpoint of the IARC Working Group. N Engl J. Med. 2016; 375: 794-798 Wild CP, Bray F, Forman D, Franceschi S, Sankaranarayanan R, Straif K. Cancer in the 25x25 non-communicable disease targets. Lancet 2014; 384: 1502-1503 Chaloupka FJ, Straif K, Leon ME. Effectiveness of tax and price policies in tobacco control. Tob. Control 2011; 20: 235-238
Stayner L, Bena J, Sasco AJ, Smith R, Steenland K, Kreuzer M, Straif K. Lung cancer risk and workplace exposure to environmental tobacco smoke. Am J Public Health 2007;97:545-51 Straif K, Baan R, Grosse Y, Secretan B, El Ghissassi F, Cogliano V; WHO International Agency for Research on Cancer Monograph Working Group. Carcinogenicity of household solid fuel combustion and of high-temperature frying. Lancet Oncol. 2006;7:977-8.