Anna Wu, PhD

Professor Emerita

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Overview

Dr. Wu’s research focuses on the epidemiology of cancer with emphasis on understanding the increase of various (e.g., breast, ovarian, colon) cancers among Asian migrants to the US. A unifying theme of my research is to identify modifiable lifestyle and environmental factors to reduce the risk of specific cancers and to improve outcomes among those diagnosed with cancer. In addition to observational epidemiologic studies, I have conducted a series of controlled intervention studies to investigate the short-term effects of dietary (e.g., soy, green tea) and hormonal (e.g., oral contraceptives) agents on breast-tissue (e.g., mammographic density) and circulating sex hormones and other biomarkers.
Since 2014, I began to use the well-established Multiethnic Cohort (MEC) to address research questions on environmental exposures (e.g., air pollution, endocrine disrupting chemicals) that have been challenging to study. In addition, I am participating in two multicenter survivorship studies on breast cancer and ovarian cancer.

Education and Training

  • University of California, Los Angeles — PhD — 1983 — Epidemiology

Publications

  • Reproductive factors and risk of contralateral breast cancer by age and hormone receptor status: The California Breast Cancer Survivorship Consortium. Int J Cancer. 2026 Feb 01; 158(3):560-573.. View in PubMed
  • Overall and central adiposity and risk of contralateral breast cancer: The California Breast Cancer Survivorship Consortium. Int J Cancer. 2026 Jan 01; 158(1):69-83.. View in PubMed
  • Healthy Lifestyle Index and Breast Cancer Risk among Postmenopausal Women: The Multiethnic Cohort Study. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 2025 Jun 03; 34(6):875-884.. View in PubMed
  • Patterns of Associations with Epidemiologic Factors by High-Grade Serous Ovarian Cancer Gene Expression Subtypes. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 2025 May 02; 34(5):762-773.. View in PubMed
  • Ambient Air Pollution and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease: The Multiethnic Cohort Study. Ann Am Thorac Soc. 2025 05; 22(5):698-706.. View in PubMed
  • Association of Adiposity Phenotypes With 27-Hydroxycholesterol and Sex Hormones: The Multiethnic Cohort Study. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2025 Apr 22; 110(5):e1488-e1498.. View in PubMed
  • Risk factors for second primary breast cancer by laterality, age, and race and ethnicity. J Natl Cancer Inst. 2025 Mar 01; 117(3):436-449.. View in PubMed
  • Diet and survival after a diagnosis of ovarian cancer: a pooled analysis from the Ovarian Cancer Association Consortium. Am J Clin Nutr. 2025 Apr; 121(4):758-768.. View in PubMed
  • Circulating microRNAs and alcohol consumption in the multiethnic cohort study. Alcohol. 2025 05; 124:105-110.. View in PubMed
  • Air Pollution and Breast Cancer Incidence in the Multiethnic Cohort Study. J Clin Oncol. 2025 01 20; 43(3):273-284.. View in PubMed