Dr. Platz is a cancer epidemiologist, whose research on prostate and colon cancers sits at the interface between epidemiology and basic science. Within prospective cohorts, she studies the association of genetic and epigenetic factors as well as circulating markers of androgenicity, inflammation, and oxidation with prostate cancer incidence and recurrence. For colorectal neoplasia, her work focuses on the metabolic syndrome, growth factors, and inflammation as sequelae of adiposity. She also studies the role of modifiable factors that influence these pathways, such as diet and lifestyle, in relation to the incidence of these diseases and other men’s health concerns. In addition, she studies these factors in association with benign conditions of the prostate and colon, including benign prostatic hyperplasia and adenomatous polyps. She has a long-standing interest uncovering explanations for the notably higher rate of prostate cancer in African-American compared to white men, including racial variation in sex steroid hormones in the in utero milieu and throughout life. Dr. Platz conducts her multidisciplinary work with an eye toward translation; that is, identifying strategies to prevent the development or progression of cancer. These goals have led to her recent research interest in the possible benefits of drugs for other indications, including statin drugs, as well as their underlying mechanisms of action in the prevention of the development and recurrence of prostate cancer. Finally, she dabbles in research that identifies and solves methodologic issues in study design germane to epidemiologic and translational studies on prostate cancer detection, incidence, prognosis, and recurrence.

Epidemiology, prostate cancer, benign prostatic hyperplasia, colorectal cancer, adenomatous polyps, diet, lifestyle, race, genetics, epigenetics, inflammation, insulin, obesity, sex steroid hormones, vitamin D

Faculty Innovation Fund Bernstein Young Investigator's Award Delta Omega Honorary Society in the Public Health Alpha Chapter AMTRA Award (recognition for advising, mentoring and teaching), 2003 and 2007

Click for list of all Platz EA citations in PubMed

Tsilidis KK, Brancati FL, Pollak MN, Rifai N, Clipp SL, Hoffman-Bolton J, Helzlsouer KJ, Platz EA. Metabolic syndrome components and colorectal adenoma in the CLUE II cohort. Cancer Causes and Control 2009 Sep 23. [Epub ahead of print] PMID: 19774471

Platz EA, Till C, Goodman PJ, Parnes HL, Figg WD, Albanes D, Neuhouser ML, Klein EA, Thompson IM Jr, Kristal AR. Men with low serum cholesterol have a lower risk of high-grade prostate cancer in the placebo arm of the Prostate Cancer Prevention Trial. Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers and Prevention 2009; 18:2807-2813. PMID: 19887582

Wu K, Platz EA, Willett WC, Fuchs CS, Selhub J, Rosner BA, Hunter DJ, Giovannucci E. A randomized trial on folic acid supplementation and risk of recurrent colorectal adenoma. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 2009; 90:1623-1631. PMID: 19864409

Tsilidis KK, Helzlsouer KJ, Smith MW, Grinberg V, Hoffman-Bolton J, Clipp SL, Visvanathan K, Platz EA. Association of common polymorphisms in IL10, and in other genes related to inflammatory response and obesity with colorectal cancer. Cancer Causes and Control 2009; 20:1739-1751. PMID: 19760027

Stark JR, Judson G, Alderete JF, Mundodi V, Kucknoor AS, Giovannucci EL, Platz EA, Sutcliffe S, Fall K, Kurth T, Ma J, Stampfer MJ, Mucci LA. Prospective study of Trichomonas vaginalis infection and prostate cancer incidence and mortality: Physicians' Health Study. Journal of the National Cancer Institute 2009; 101:1406-1411. PMID: 19741211

Albadine R, Latour M, Toubaji A, Haffner M, Isaacs WB, Platz EA, Meeker AK, Demarzo AM, Epstein JI, Netto GJ. TMPRSS2-ERG gene fusion status in minute (minimal) prostatic adenocarcinoma. Modern Pathology 2009;22:1415-22. PMID: 19734849

Sutcliffe S, Kawachi I, Alderete JF, Gaydos CA, Jacobson LP, Jenkins FJ, Viscidi RP, Zenilman JM, Platz EA. Correlates of sexually transmitted infection histories in a cohort of American male health professionals. Cancer Causes and Control 2009; 20:1623-1634. PMID: 19655261

Bardia A, Platz EA, Yegnasubramanian S, De Marzo AM, Nelson WG. Anti-inflammatory drugs, antioxidants, and prostate cancer prevention. Current Opinions in Pharmacology 2009; 9:419-26. PMID: 19574101

Rohrmann S, Sutcliffe CG, Bienstock JL, Monsegue D, Akereyeni F, Bradwin G, Rifai N, Pollak MN, Agurs-Collins T, Platz EA. Racial variation in sex steroid hormones and the insulin-like growth factor axis in umbilical cord blood of male neonates. Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers and Prevention 2009; 18:1484-1491. PMID: 19423525

Rollison DE, Helzlsouer KJ, Lee JH, Fulp W, Clipp S, Hoffman-Bolton JA, Giuliano AR, Platz EA, Viscidi RP. Prospective study of JC virus seroreactivity and the development of colorectal cancers and adenomas. Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers and Prevention 2009; 18:1515-1523. PMID: 19383887

Shiels MS, Rohrmann S, Menke A, Selvin E, Crespo CJ, Rifai N, Dobs A, Feinleib M, Guallar E, Platz EA. Association of cigarette smoking, alcohol consumption, and physical activity with sex steroid hormone levels in US men. Cancer Causes and Control 2009; 20:877-86. PMID: 19277882

Menke A, Muntner P, Silbergeld EK, Platz EA, Guallar E. Cadmium levels in urine and mortality among U.S. adults. Environmental Health Perspectives 2009; 117:190-196. PMID: 19270787

Wang MH, Helzlsouer KJ, Smith MW, Hoffman-Bolton JA, Clipp SL, Grinberg V, De Marzo AM, Isaacs WB, Drake CG, Shugart YY, Platz EA. Association of IL10 and other immune response- and obesity-related genes with prostate cancer in CLUE II. Prostate 2009; 69:874-85. PMID: 19267370

Wang MH, Shugart YY, Cole SR, Platz EA. A simulation study of control sampling methods for nested case-control studies of genetic and molecular biomarkers and prostate cancer progression. Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers and Prevention 2009; 18:706-711. PMID: 19258478

Yi S, Selvin E, Rohrmann S, Basaria S, Menke A, Rifai N, Guallar E, Platz EA, Astor B. Endogenous sex steroid hormones and measures of chronic kidney disease in a nationally representative sample of men. Clinical Endocrinology (Oxf) 2009; 71:246-52. PMID: 19178534

Lotan TL, Toubaji A, Albadine R, Latour M, Herawi M, Meeker AK, Demarzo AM, Platz EA, Epstein JI, Netto GJ. TMPRSS2-ERG gene fusions are infrequent in prostatic ductal adenocarcinomas. Modern Patholology 2009; 22:359-365. PMID: 19151660

Sutcliffe S, Alderete JF, Till C, Goodman PJ, Hsing AW, Zenilman JM, De Marzo AM, Platz EA. Trichomonosis and subsequent risk of prostate cancer in the Prostate Cancer Prevention Trial. International Journal of Cancer 2009; 124:2082-2087. PMID: 19117055

Agrawal Y, Platz EA, Niparko JK. Risk factors for hearing loss in US adults: data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 1999-2002. Otology & Neurotology 2009; 30:139-145. PMID: 19092714.

Hamilton RJ, Goldberg KC, Platz EA, Freedland SJ. The influence of statin medications on prostate-specific antigen levels. Journal of the National Cancer Institute 2008; 100:1511-1518. PMID: 18957682

Roddam AW, Allen NE, Appleby P, Key TJ, Ferrucci L, Carter HB, Metter EJ, Chen C, Weiss NS, Fitzpatrick A, Hsing AW, Lacey JV Jr, Helzlsouer K, Rinaldi S, Riboli E, Kaaks R, Janssen JA, Wildhagen MF, Schröder FH, Platz EA, Pollak M, Giovannucci E, Schaefer C, Quesenberry CP Jr, Vogelman JH, Severi G, English DR, Giles GG, Stattin P, Hallmans G, Johansson M, Chan JM, Gann P, Oliver SE, Holly JM, Donovan J, Meyer F, Bairati I, Galan P. Insulin-like growth factors, their binding proteins, and prostate cancer risk: analysis of individual patient data from 12 prospective studies. Annals of Internal Medicine 2008; 149:461-471. PMID: 18838726