Current Research

Infections and cancers

I am working in this area with Dr. Heidi Brown and others on various aspects of infectious diseases as risk factors for various cancer. This research has included various students as vital contributors. Our group has been working at reviewing the evidence from studies of HPV and anogenital cancers as it relates to statements about such associations. 

  • HPV and penile cancer meta-analysis – lead author: Collin Catalfamo, MPH (PhD Epidemiology student)
    • Catalfamo CJ, Brown HE, Dennis LK. Evaluating the strength of association of human papillomavirus infection with penile carcinoma: a meta-analysis. Sex Transm Dis. 2022; 49(5):368-376. https://doi.org/10.1097/OLQ.0000000000001606
  • HPV and other anogenital cancers meta-analyses – coauthors: Meghan Murphy (PhD Epidemiology student); Jumanah Abuasbeh, MD (MPH student), Brittany DiVito, MPH (PhD Epidemiology student)
  • COVID-19 and melanoma – research funded by the American Society of Clinical Oncology & the Melanoma Research Foundation to look at effects of COVID-19 in melanoma patients.

Risk Factors for liver cancer.

Liver cancer has some common risk factors and genetic factors with bile duct and pancreatic cancers.

  • I am working with 2 current students & a former student reviewing the literature via meta-analyses
    • liver cancer & hepatitis: Jumanah Abuasbeh, MD (MPH student), + others
    • liver cancer & diabetes: Meghan Murphy (PhD Epidemiology student), + others
    • liver cancer & hemochromatosis

Sun sensitivity and skin color measurement

  • Among Hispanics in Arizona
    • The purpose of this research is to show the extent to which skin color for Whites and Hispanics overlap, thus Hispanics need to be included in research of skin cancer particularly in regions with high UVR. (See a more detailed description below).
    • Risk factors for melanoma among Hispanics.
      • Dennis LK, Lashway SG, Langston ME.  Sun sensitivity and sunburns as related to cutaneous melanoma among populations of Spanish descent: a meta-analysis. J Dermatol Res Ther. 2015; 1(2):1-5. †
      • I am working with Dylan Miller to update this report to include other Latinos.
    • (repeat) Reliability of the color palette: co-authors – all MPH graduates
      • Dennis LK, Martin MK, Zaman T, Okello AM. Reliability of a Self-Assessment of skin color using a color palette. Arc Clin Exp Dermatol. 2020;2(1):111. † link
    • Validity color palette to measure skin color for skin cancer studies: Michelle K Martin (lead author), Tanzida Zaman and Amanda M Okello (all MPH graduates, submitted)
      • Martin MK, Zaman T, Okello AM, Dennis LK. Validity of a Self-Assessment Skin Tone Palette Compared to a Colorimeter for Characterizing Skin Color for Skin Cancer Research. Curr Oncol. 2023, 30(3), 3189-3200. https://doi.org/10.3390/curroncol30030241
  • Sun sensitivity and sun protective behaviors during sun exposure among indoor office workers:  Alesia Jung MS thesis (published).
    • Jung AM, Dennis LK, Jacobs ET, Wondrak G. Sun sensitivity and sun protective behaviors during sun exposure among indoor office workers in the American Midwest. Photodermatol Photoimmunol Photomed. 2018; Epub June 2018 † https://doi.org/10.1111/phpp.12403
  • Sunless tanning product use among young adults as related to their prevention behaviors regarding ultraviolet radiation: Desire Christensen MS Thesis (published).
    • Christensen DK, Dennis LK, Lynch CF, Smith EM, Snetselaar LG. Sunless tanning product use among young adults as related to their prevention behaviors regarding ultraviolet radiation. Invest Dermatol Venereol Res. 2015; 1(2): 1-6. † https://doi.org/10.15436/2381-0858.15.006

Risk factors for melanoma

This is a case-control study of risk factors for melanoma.

Cohort analyses

  • Dennis LK, Lynch CF, Sandler DP, Alavanja MC. Pesticide use and cutaneous melanoma in pesticide applicators in the Agricultural Heath Study. Environ Health Perspect. 2010; 118:812-7. https://doi.org/10.1289/ehp.0901518
  • Dennis LK, Lowe JB, Lynch CF, Alavanja MC. Cutaneous melanoma and obesity in the Agricultural Health Study. Ann Epidemiol. 2008; 18(3):214-21. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.annepidem.2007.09.003

Various other meta-analyses

  • Sunburns and basal cell carcinoma (BCC), a meta-analysis: Stephanie Lashway (lead author)- one of her dissertation manuscripts
    • second reviews conducted by Aimee Worthen (MPH student at the time)
    • comparison of reviews by Jumanah Abuasbeh (MPH student at the time)
    • Lashway SG, Worthen ADM, Abuasbeh JN, Harris RB, Farland LV, O’Rourke MY, Dennis LK. A meta-analysis of sunburns and basal cell carcinoma of the skin. Cancer Epidemiol, 2023; 85:102379. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.canep.2023.102379
  • Risk factors for melanoma among Hispanics (repeat from above): co-authors: Stephanie Lashway, MPH (PhD Student), Marvin Langston, PhD (PhD graduate)
    • Dennis LK, Lashway SG, Langston ME.  Sun sensitivity and sunburns as related to cutaneous melanoma among populations of Spanish descent: a meta-analysis. J Dermatol Res Ther. 2015; 1(2):1-5. †
  • Prostatitis and prostate cancer: Marvin Langston, PhD (PhD graduate, lead author, see meta-analyses page
    • Langston ML, Horn M, Khan S, Pakahan R, Doering M, Dennis LK, Sutcliffe S. A systematic review and meta-analysis of associations between clinical prostatitis and prostate cancer: new estimates accounting for detection bias. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 2019; 28(10):1594-1603. https://doi.org/10.1158/1055-9965.EPI-19-0387
  • Melanoma and sunburns
    • Dennis LK, VanBeek MJ, Beane Freeman LE, Smith BJ, Dawson DV, Coughlin JA. Sunburns and risk of cutaneous melanoma: does age matter? a comprehensive meta-analysis. Ann Epidemiol. 2008; 18(8):614-27. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.annepidem.2008.04.006

Various reliability studies of designed questionnaires

  • Validity color palette to measure skin color for skin cancer studies (repeat from above): 
    • Martin MK, Zaman T, Okello AM, Dennis LK. Validity of a Self-Assessment Skin Tone Palette Compared to a Colorimeter for Characterizing Skin Color for Skin Cancer Research. Curr Oncol. 2023, 30(3), 3189-3200. https://doi.org/10.3390/curroncol30030241
  • Reliability of the color palette (repeat from above): co-authors – all MPH graduates.
    • Dennis LK, Martin MK, Zaman T, Okello AM. Reliability of a Self-Assessment of skin color using a color palette. Arc Clin Exp Dermatol. 2020;2(1):111. † link
  • Endometriosis: Kim Parra (lead author), Rachel Begay (both PhD students)
  • Valley Fever:  Collin Catalfamo, MPH (PhD Epidemiology student), Ferris Ramadan (MS student)

Other areas of research:

  • I have conducted a variety of meta-analyses for my own research along with working with students and other faculty for the following purposes:
    • Estimate the magnitude of effect between exposure and disease to sometimes identify misconceptions
    • Identify exposure measurement issues that make exposure and disease associations unclear
    • Identify areas of no associations so that such “exposures” do not need to be measured as potential confounders in subsequent case control studies.
  • I have conducted several reliability and/or validity studies for my own research along with working with students and other faculty. See also EPID 646.
  • Environmental epidemiology
  • Ophthalmology
  • Prostate cancer research
  • Family medicine
  • I have worked with students on a variety of topics including autism, BMI, coronary risk factors, gun safety, endometrial cancer, HIV/AIDS, lymphedema among breast cancer survivors, obesity, ovarian cancer, physical activity, rectal cancer, SARs surveillance, and virtual reality to help with aging related diseases.

     † Manuscripts /research mentoring students