Physician Profile
Shuji Ogino, MD, PhD
Associate Professor of Pathology, Harvard Medical School
Centers/Programs
Department
Medical Oncology/Molecular and Cellular
Area of Research
Molecular Pathologic Epidemiology and Epigenetic Epidemiology of Colorectal Neoplasia
Contact Information
Shuji Ogino, MD, PhDDana-Farber Cancer Institute
44 Binney Street
Dana D318
Boston, MA 02115
Office phone: (617) 632-3978
Fax: (617) 632-5762
E-mail: shuji_ogino@dfci.harvard.edu
Preferred contact method: e-mail
Research
Molecular pathologic epidemiology and molecular epidemiologic pathology of colorectal neoplasia:
Colorectal cancer is a complex disease, and multifactorial in origin. Environmental and other exogenous factors may cause (or prevent) specific genetic and epigenetic alterations in these types of cancers.
A better understanding of how modifiable risk factors influence mechanisms for colorectal carcinogenesis can help optimize preventive strategies. Moreover, there appear to be important interactions between exogenous factors and tumoral molecular features that influence the survival of patients following a curative resection of colorectal cancer.
I have been conducting research in molecular epidemiologic pathology and molecular pathologic epidemiology of colorectal neoplasias, utilizing two prospective cohort studies, namely the Nurses' Health Study and the Health Professionals Follow-up Study. Both cohorts provide diet and lifestyle data over a 20- to 30-year period and long-term survival data as well as paraffin-embedded tissue of colorectal cancer and adenoma.
We have been analyzing various genetic and epigenetic alterations in these tumors to determine associations between certain environmental or genetic factors and specific molecular alterations in these tumors.
Epigenetic mechanism of colorectal carcinogenesis:
Using MethyLight, we have been characterizing CIMP in colorectal cancer. We have discovered the link between CIMP-low and KRAS mutations, and are further deciphering molecular mechanisms. We also discovered prognostic significance of LINE-1 hypomethylation, and are trying to find out responsible activated oncogenes.
Molecular pathologic epidemiology and molecular epidemiologic pathology of pancreatic cancer:
Since pancreatic cancer is among the most deadly cancers, we have also been analyzing pancreatic cancer tissue in the Nurses' Health Study and the Health Professionals Follow-up Study. Our aim is to help decrease the incidence and mortality of pancreatic cancer.
Biography
Dr. Ogino received his MD in 1993 and his PhD in 2001 from the University of Tokyo, Japan. He completed his residency in anatomic pathology and clinical pathology at Case Western Reserve University and University Hospitals of Cleveland in 1999, and a molecular pathology fellowship in 2000 at the University of Pennsylvania.
After a postdoctoral fellowship, he joined Dana-Farber as a research scientist in 2001. Dr. Ogino also serves as a pathologist at Brigham and Women's Hospital.
Select Publications
- Schernhammer ES, Giovannucci E, Kawasaki T, Rosner B, Fuchs CS, Ogino S. Dietary folate, alcohol, and B vitamins in relation to LINE-1 hypomethylation in colon cancer. Gut 2009: in press (published online).
- Nosho K, Kure S, Irahara N, Shima K, Baba Y, Spiegelman D, Meyerhardt JA, Giovannucci EL, Fuchs CS, Ogino S. A prospective cohort study shows unique epigenetic, genetic, and prognostic features of synchronous colorectal cancers. Gastroenterology 2009: in press (published online).
- Chan AT, Ogino S, Fuchs CS. Aspirin use and survival after diagnosis of colorectal cancer. JAMA J Am Med Assoc 2009;302:649-658.
- Ogino S, Nosho K, Irahara N, Shima K, Baba Y, Kirkner GJ, Meyerhardt JA, Fuchs CS. Prognostic significance and molecular associations of 18q loss of heterozygosity: a cohort study of microsatellite stable colorectal cancers. J Clin Oncol 2009;27:4591-4598.
- Ogino S, Shima K, Baba Y, Nosho K, Irahara N, Kure S, Chen L, Toyoda S, Kirkner GJ, Wang YL, Giovannucci EL, Fuchs CS. Colorectal cancer expression of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma; (PPARG, PPARgamma) is associated with good prognosisis. Gastroenterology 2009;136:1242-1250. PMCID:PMC2663601
- Ogino S, Nosho K, Kirkner GJ, Shima K, Irahara N, Kure S, Chan AT, Engelman JA, Kraft P, Cantley LC, Giovannucci EL, Fuchs CS. PIK3CA mutation is associated with poor prognosis among patients with curatively resected colon cancer. J Clin Oncol 2009;27:1477-1484. PMCID:PMC2659340
- Ogino S, Nosho K, Kirkner GJ, Kawasaki T, Meyerhardt JA, Loda M, Giovannucci EL, Fuchs CS. CpG island methylator phenotype, microsatellite instability, BRAF mutation and clinical outcome in colon cancer. Gut 2009;58:90-6. PMCID:PMC2679586
- Ogino S, Nosho K, Meyerhardt JA, Kirkner GJ, Chan AT, Kawasaki T, Giovannucci EL, Loda M, Fuchs CS. Cohort study of fatty acid synthase expression and patient survival in colon cancer. J Clin Oncol 2008;26:5713-20. PMCID:PMC2630484
- Ogino S, Nosho K, Kirkner GJ, Kawasaki T, Chan AT, Schernhammer ES, Giovannucci EL, Fuchs CS. A cohort study of tumoral LINE-1 hypomethylation and prognosis in colon cancer. J Natl Cancer Inst 2008;100:1734-8. PMCID:PMC2639290
- Nosho K, Irahara N, Shima K, Kure S, Kirkner GJ, Schernhammer ES, Hazra A, Hunter DJ, Quackenbush J, Spiegelman D, Giovannucci EL, Fuchs CS, Ogino S. Comprehensive biostatistical analysis of CpG island methylator phenotype in colorectal cancer using a large population-based sample. PLoS ONE 2008;3:e3698. PMCID:PMC2579485.
- Schernhammer ES, Ogino S, Fuchs CS. Folate intake and risk of colon cancer in relation to p53 expression. Gastroenterology 2008;135:770-80. PMCID:PMC2634965
- Firestein R, Bass AJ, Kim SY, Dunn IF, Silver SJ, Guney I, Freed E, Ligon AH, Vena N, Ogino S, Chheda MG, Tamayo P, Finn S, Shrestha Y, Boehm JS, Jain S, Bojarski E, Mermel C, Barretina J, Chan JA, Baselga J, Tabernero J, Root DE, Fuchs CS, Loda M, Shivdasani RA, Meyerson M, Hahn WC. CDK8 is a colorectal cancer oncogene that regulates beta-catenin. Nature 2008;455:547-51. PMCID:PMC2587138
- Ogino S, Kawasaki T, Kirkner GJ, Suemoto Y, Meyerhardt JA, Fuchs CS. Molecular correlates with MGMT promoter methylation and silencing support CpG island methylator phenotype-low (CIMP-low) in colorectal cancer. Gut 2007;56:1564-71.
- Chan AT, Ogino S, Fuchs CS. Aspirin use and risk of colorectal cancer according to cyclooxygenase-2 expression. New Engl J Med 2007;356:2131-42.
- Ogino S, Cantor M, Kawasaki T, Brahmandam M, Kirkner GJ, Weisenberger DJ, Campan M, Laird PW, Loda M, Fuchs CS. CpG island methylator phenotype (CIMP) of colorectal cancer is best characterised by quantitative DNA methylation analysis and prospective cohort studies. Gut 2006;55:1000-6.
