Dr. Zauber's primary research interest is colorectal cancer prevention. She serves on the Multi-Society Task Force for colorectal cancer and has research in the following areas:
Screening colonoscopy to reduce colorectal cancer risk. The National Colonoscopy Study is a multi-center randomized controlled trial conducted by MSKCC to assess the acceptability of colonoscopy screening and the yield of neoplastic findings in the general population with colonoscopy compared to an annual program of fecal occult blood testing.
Colonoscopy surveillance issues. The National Polyp Study was a randomized controlled trial of colonoscopy surveillance intervals. Dr. Zauber is assessing lengthening the surveillance interval for low risk patients; the roles of the advanced adenoma, the flat adenoma, the hyperplastic polyposis syndrome in surveillance risk; the impact of fecal occult blood testing in a surveillance program; the prevalence of colonoscopic complications; and the long term impact of colonoscopic polypectomy on colorectal cancer mortality.
Mathematical modeling of colorectal cancer risk factors, screening and surveillance, and cancer treatment. Dr. Zauber uses a microsimulation model to assess the impact of potential cancer interventions on the US colorectal cancer incidence and mortality rates over the past 25 years and the projected impact of implementing the Healthy People 2010 recommendations. (Collaboration with Erasmus University, the Netherlands).
Molecular and genetic markers of colorectal adenomas. Dr. Zauber is collaborating with Dr. Timothy Bishop of Cancer Research, U.K., to assess the impact of germ line mutations in Ashkenazi Jews that predispose to colorectal cancer. In collaboration with Dr. James German she assesses the excess risk of colorectal cancer in persons with Bloom's Syndrome carriers, a very rare autosomal recessive condition, or in their parents who are obligate carriers.
Selected Bibliography:
Zauber AG. Quality control for flexible sigmoidoscopy: which polyps count? Gastroenterology 2004;126:1474-1477.
Zauber P, Sabbath-Solitare M, Marotta S, Zauber A, Bishop T. Comparative molecular pathology of sporadic hyperplastic polyps and neoplastic lesions from the same individual. J Clin Pathol 2004: 57:1084-1088
Winawer SJ, Zauber AG, Fletcher RH, Stillman JS, O'Brien MJ, Levin B, Smith RA, Lieberman DA, Burt RW, Levin TR, Bond JH, Brooks D, Byers T, Hyman N, Kirk L, Thorson A, Simmang C, Johnson D, Rex DK. Guidelines for colonoscopy surveillance after polypectomy: a consensus update by the US Multi-Society Task Force on Colorectal Cancer: and the American Cancer Society. Joint publication in Gastroenterology 2006:130:1872-85 and CA Cancer J Clin 2006;56:143-59.
Bertagnolli MM, Eagle CJ, Zauber AG, Redston M, Solomon SD, Kim KM, Tang J, Rosenstein RB., Janet Wittes, Ph.D., Donald Corle, M.S., Timothy M. Hess, M.S., G. Mabel Woloj, Ph.D., William F. Anderson, M.D., M.P.H., Jaye L. Viner, M.D., M.P.H., Donya Bagheri, M.S., D.A.B.T., Gary B. Gordon, M.D., Ph.D., Frederic Boisserie, John Burn, M.D., Daniel C. Chung, M.D., Thomas Dewar, M.D., T. Raymond Foley, M.D., Neville Hoffman, M.D., Finlay Macrae, M.D., Ronald E. Pruitt, M.D., John R. Saltzman, M.D., Bruce Salzberg, M.D., Thomas Sylwestrowicz, M.D., Ernest T. Hawk, M.D., M.P.H. for the Adenoma Prevention with Celecoxib (APC) Study Investigators. Prevention of Sporadic Colorectal Adenomas with Celecoxib: Results of a Randomized Trial .N Engl J Med 2006;355:873-84.
Vogelaar I, van Ballegooijen M, Schrag D, Boer R, Winawer SJ, Habbema JDF, Zauber AG. How much can current interventions reduce colorectal cancer mortality in the US? Mortality projections for scenarios of risk factor modification, screening and treatment. Cancer 2006;107:1624-33.
