
EPIC Centres
DENMARK
Background | Follow-up | Scientists | Funding | Activities |
Danish Cancer Society Research Centre
Copenhagen, Denmark
https://www.cancer.dk/research/dcrc-research-units-and-groups/diet-genes-and-environment/
Section for Epidemiology, Department of Public Health
Aarhus University, Denmark
http://ph.au.dk/en
Background
Males | Females | Number of participants | Percentage of EPIC cohort | |
Aarhus | 8433 | 8721 | 17 154 | 3.29% |
Copenhagen | 18 745 | 21 154 | 39 899 | 7.65% |
Denmark | 27 178 | 29 875 | 57 053 | 10.94% |
Follow-up
Scientists
Copenhagen

Dr Anne Tjønneland
Head of Research
Co-Investigator or Study Coordinator
Group Leader
Group Leader
Study Coordinator
Katja Boll
Programmer
Other key people
Postdotoral Researcher
Postdotoral Researcher
Aarhus

Dr Kim Overvad
Professor
Co-Investigator or Study Coordinator
Associate Professor
Associate Professor
Professor, Consultant
Helle Eriksen
Statistician
Funding
Copenhagen
Financial support is provided by:- Danish Cancer Society
- European Union
- Danish Agency for Science, Technology and Innovation
- NordForsk
- Nordic Cancer Union
Aarhus
Financial support is provided by:- Danish Cancer Society
- European Union
- Danish Agency for Science, Technology and Innovation
- NordForsk
Research Activities
Copenhagen
-
Studies on diet in relation to cancer. The most important fields are alcohol, fruit and vegetables, meat/fish, and wholegrain products. In addition, studies on macronutrients (fat and specific fatty acids, protein, and carbohydrates), micronutrients (vitamins and minerals), and risk of cancer are carried out, including the influence and interaction of dietary supplements. Another focus area is the association between intake of phytoestrogens and risk of cancer.
Studies on overweight/waist circumference in relation to cancer, including the relation between diet and subsequent development of overweight/obesity and waist circumference.
Studies on physical activity in relation to cancer. The main focus is physical activity in relation to cancers of the breast, colorectum, and prostate.
Survival and prognosis and cancer. The Copenhagen centre has initiated a new follow-up study, where women in the Diet, Cancer and Health cohort diagnosed with incident breast cancer are contacted and information is gathered about diet and lifestyle after diagnosis, through questionnaires. The women are followed up for risk of relapse and death.
Wholegrain – Nordic diet. Coordination of the HELGA project, a Nordic project with the primary aim to increase knowledge of health effects of wholegrain foods.
Diet, Cancer and Health – Next Generations
During 2015-2018 a new data collection including the children and the grandchildren of the original cohort, was collected, including 42.000 participants. Among the biological material, this cohort has provided saliva (app. all) and gut microbiota samples (n-23.000), giving unique possibilities to explore disease associations including gut microbiota in a prospective design.
Aarhus
Diet, lifestyle, genetic susceptibility, and development of cancer
Diet, lifestyle, genetic susceptibility, and development of cardiovascular diseases
Diet, lifestyle, genetic susceptibility, and development of type 2 diabetes
Overweight – causes and implications.