Keeping “Your Disease Risk” Up to Date: Cancer Science Review and Plans for a Responsive Design

Since January of 2000, our website, Your Disease Risk, has reached millions of visitors with
personalized risk estimates and prevention messages for the most important preventable chronic diseases, including cancer, heart disease, osteoporosis, and others.

Based on feedback from both health professionals and the public, much of the appeal of the the Your Disease Risk site is its unique approach that  successfully meshes up-to-date science with engaging messages and an easy-to-navigate interface.

To maintain this important balance, the site has been through a number of programming updates and science reviews since its launch — the most recent of which looked at the Heart Disease, Stroke, and Diabetes tools and saw the launch of a new chronic bronchitis and emphysema tool.

Starting in 2015, we began the large task of reviewing and updating the science that drives the 12 different cancer tools on the site.   With a science panel consisting of leaders in cancer and nutritional epidemiology, a consensus-based approach will be adopted to identify any necessary changes to the risk factors used in each cancer risk estimate — as well as to the prevention messages that go along with them.

Among others, a sample of risk factor and messaging issues that will be reviewed in detail in this science update include:

Breast cancer risk

  • Weight/adiposity in youth/young adulthood
  • Mammographic density
  • Alcohol use in youth/young adulthood 

Cervical cancer risk 

    • HPV vaccination

     Colon cancer risk 

      • Processed meat 

      Ovarian cancer risk 

        • Talc use

        Prostate cancer risk 

          • New focus on advanced prostate cancer

            In concert with this science review are plans to optimize the site for mobile viewing by updating the appearance and overall design of Your Disease Risk so that it works seamlessly across all platforms – notebooks, tablets, and smartphones.

            The science review is expected to be completed by summer 2016, with updates to the site launched later in the year or early 2017.

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