Breast cancer program finds new home in CU's veterinary college

By Roger Segelken

The College of Veterinary Medicine at Cornell (CVM) will become the new home of the Cornell program on Breast Cancer and Environmental Risk Factors in New York State (BCERF).

Since 1995 the BCERF program has been part of the Cornell Center for the Environment (CfE) in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. But the program's future has been uncertain since CfE announced a reorganization six months ago.

Donald F. Smith, dean of the College of Veterinary Medicine, hailed the move as a positive step, saying: "BCERF is a worthwhile program that is vital to understanding risk factors for breast cancer. The program will benefit by bringing breast cancer educators and researchers into an environment rich in comparative biomedical research and cancer biology."

Smith noted a three-month feasibility study indicated that a merger into CVM could preserve BCERF's basic mission of critical analysis and communication, while broadening the program to reflect the veterinary college's research programs in cancer biology and oncology. BCERF's staff, he said, also would be able to collaborate more closely with faculty in the college's Comparative Cancer Program (CCP).

Rodney Page, director of CCP, added: "I'm very excited about the growth of the program with the expertise and reputation of BCERF staff. It is an exceptional opportunity for the college to promote the commitment to both animal and human health."

Suzanne Snedeker, BCERF's director of translational research, expressed optimism about the program's new departmental home, noting, "We look forward to building on our relationships with the Comparative Cancer Program. So much can be gained by understanding the cancer process and environmental linkages through the use of animal models."