Annual Report 2018 | Page 10

Te University of Hawai ‘ i Cancer Center proudly celebrated the 25th anniversary of the Multiethnic Cohort ( MEC ) Study . Te MEC Study is the most ethnically diverse epidemiologic study in the world that investigates the roles of lifestyle , diet and genetics in cancer and other chronic diseases .

“ Te MEC Study is being conducted to understand the diferences in risk that exist for cancer and other chronic diseases among the main ethnic / racial groups living in Hawai ‘ i and California ,” said Loic Le Marchand , MD , PhD , UH Cancer Center epidemiologist and principal investigator of the study .

Te MEC Study , which started in 1993 , follows a group of individuals over time to see how the members , who develop cancer or other conditions , difered in various risk factors several years before diagnosis . At the start of the study , over 215,000 Hawai ‘ i and Los Angeles residents , aged 45 to 75 , were recruited

and completed a 26-page questionnaire about their dietary habits and lifestyle , as well as their medical history . Participants ’ information is updated through follow-up questionnaires sent every fve years . Te cohort is comprised of men and women primarily of Japanese , Native Hawaiian , African American , Latino and Caucasian origin .

“ After all these years , over 70 percent of all cohort members still fll out their questionnaires , demonstrating the participants ’ exceptionally high level of commitment to the study .”

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– LOIC LE MARCHAND