Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention to offer best research practices related to tobacco use
The study of tobacco has been the life-long focus of his research and now, Peter Shields, MD, deputy director of the Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center at Georgetown University Medical Center, has led the effort to edit a special-edition of Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention (CEBP) dedicated to best research practices in tobacco science from researchers the world over.
The December issue of CEBP, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research, is designed to provide researchers with the critical tools to conduct research directed to assisting decision-makers, such as those at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), with a comprehensive review of the most up-to-date research on tobacco use. The journal includes nine review articles by leading experts in the field and covers topics from clinical trail design to how to best assess toxicity levels in new tobacco products. Shields is lead investigator for a series of papers in the issue.
"The FDA will soon grapple with very challenging issues," Shields says. "It cannot ban tobacco entirely, and its policy makers will need to address a unique paradigm -- how to regulate and balance health risks with continued protection of an industry whose products harm and kill people when used as intended."
Shields says the special issue of CEBP will provide the FDA and those who serve on the FDA's tobacco advisory panel with a strong scientific context to move tobacco regulation forward.