ETIOLOGY PROGRAM AREA

SUMMARY OF ACTIVITIES

The year April 1, 1985 to March 31, 1986 is the second of the third 5-year program of the U.S.-Japan Cooperative Cancer Research Program. The aim of the Etiology Program Area is to clarify the causes of human cancers and to determine the mechanisms of carcinogenesis. It has been envisaged that cancer prevention may be achieved eventually through progress in the science of cancer etiology.
Three seminars were held during this period, two in the United States and one in Japan. The first seminar, "Oncogenes and Experimental Carcinogenesis," focused on the molecular mechanisms underlying the development of cancer. The second seminar, "Modifying Factors in Gastroinvestinal Carcinogenesis" which was held in Japan, focused on re-cent research findings on etiologic factors in digestive tract cancer and an appraisal of the strength of evidence for involvement of suspect factors. The third seminar focused on the role of "Oxygen Radicals in Cancer". At all three seminars, scientists presented research which was at the cutting edge of science concerning important insights into the development of the malignant process and sometimes suggested avenues for potential cancer prevention.
Five scientists from Japan came to the United States as exchange scientists, two conducting collaborative research in tumor virology, two in the field of chemical carcinogenesis, and one in the field of cytogenetics.
During this reporting period, 2 gms of 2-amin0-3,8-dimethylimidazo-(4,5-f)quinoxa-line (MEIQx) and 3 gms of 2-amino-3,4,8-trimethylimidazo-(4,5-f)quinoxaline (4,8 DiMEIQx) were shipped to the United States from Japan, and 150 mg of fecapentaene-12 and 100 mg of fecapentaene-14 were shipped to Japan from the United States.