Dr Hari Iyer, our Principal investigator, traveled to Kentucky to present new findings from the REPEL (Research on the Epidemiology of Prostate Cancer and Environmental Levels) study at the Environmental Health Science Core Centers (EHSCC) Conference. The meeting gathered researchers to discuss emerging science on environmental exposures and disease risk.
He shared progress from the REPEL pilot cohort, one of the first New Jersey studies to integrate biospecimens, residential histories, electronic health records, and tap-water sampling to assess PFAS (“forever chemicals”) exposure among prostate cancer survivors.
Early results showed strong recruitment, and that serum PFAS levels in 30 participants, especially PFOS, were higher in individuals with high cholesterol compared to those without. Because prostate cancer survivors often face increased risks of cardiovascular disease due to long-term treatments and other health conditions, better understanding of PFAS in prostate cancer survivors could improve management of these patients.
The presentation also highlighted the contributions of relaying information to participants through a tutorial video and newsletters. The conference offered a valuable opportunity to share REPEL’s early achievements and gather feedback for participant engagement and dissemination.
