Dalla Lana School of Public Health

Faculty Member

Eric J. Holowaty M.D., FRCP(C), M.Sc.

Research Interests

• cancer registries
• data quality control
• descriptive epidemiology
• multiple primaries
• record linkage studies
• forecasting
• mapping and spatial analysis

Primary Teaching Responsibilities

• Coordinator and Lecturer, Health Trends and Surveillance (CHL 5405H), University of Toronto. 2011-present.
• Coordinator and Lecturer, Cancer Epidemiology (CHL 5409H), University of Toronto. 1996-2009.
• Lecturer, Seminars in Environment and Health, Institute for Environmental Studies, University of Toronto (MSC 4000-4001). “Spatial Surveillance of Cancer in Ontario”, October, 2002 – 2009.
• Lecturer, Environmental Epidemiology (CHL5416), Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto. “Cluster Analysis, Clusters and Cluster Hypotheses, Methodological Issues”, September, 2001 to 2009.

Honours & Awards

• Blair Travelling Fellowship (1986) – Canadian Cancer Society
• W.H. LeRiche Epidemiology Medal (1977) – University of Toronto
• Scholarship (1971-72) – Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia

Current Research Projects

• 2011-2013 – Advanced Spatial Analyses to Characterize Environmental Impacts on Cancer Risk – Phase 1
• 2007-2009 – The Ontario Health and Environment Integrated Surveillance System
• 2004-2009 – Social, Prognostic & Therapeutic Factors Associated with Breast Cancer Survival in Canada & the United States: Health Care Access & Effectiveness in Diverse Urban & Rural Contexts, 1985 to 2010
• 2005-2008 – Social, Prognostic & Therapeutic Factors Associated with Colon Cancer Survival in Canada and the US
• 2005-2007 – Evaluating a Knowledge Translation Strategy for Pancreatic Cancer Surgery in Ontario
• 2004-2007 – Improving Continuity of Care in the Ontario Cancer Care System: Monitoring Cancer Services Integration
• 2002-2007 – Ontario Registry for Studies of Familial Colorectal Cancer
• 1997 – present – Canadian Breast Implant Cohort Study
• 2003-2006 – Radiation Dose-Response for Second Primary Cancers of Stomach, Esophagus and Pancreas: A Study of Cancer Survivors
• 2003-2006 – Evaluation of the Effect of Screening Mammography on Breast Cancer Incidence and Mortality Among Women 50-69 in Ontario

Representative Publications

• • Holowaty EJ, Norwood, TA, Wannigaratne S, Abellan JJ, and Beale L. Feasibility and utility of mapping disease risk at the neighbourhood level within a Canadian public health unit: an ecological study. Int J Health Geogr. 9(11):2854-62, 2010.
  • Howard R, Gilbert E, Lynch CF, Hall P, Storm H, Holowaty EJ et al. Risk of leukemia among survivors of testicular cancer: a population-based study of 42,722 patients. Ann Epidemiol. May;18(5):416-21, 2008.
  • Gorey KM, Fung KY, Luginaah IN, Bartfay E, Hamm C, Wright FC, Holowaty EJ, Tang KX. Cancer survival in Ontario, 1986-2003: evidence of equitable advances across most diverse urban and rural places. Can J Public Health. Jan-Feb;99(1):12-6, 2008.
  • Worrillow LJ, Smith AG, Scott K, Andersson M, Ashcroft AJ, Dores GM, Glimelius B, Holowaty EJ et al. Polymorphic MLH1 and risk of cancer after methylating chemotherapy for Hodgkin lymphoma. J Med Genet. 45(3):142-6, 2008.
  • Alibhai SM, Leach M, Tomlinson G, Krahn MD, Fleshner N, Holowaty EJ, Naglie G. 30-day mortality and major complications after radical prostatectomy: influence of age and comorbidity. J Natl Cancer Inst. Oct 19;97(20):1525-32, 2005. Erratum in: J Natl Cancer Inst. Nov 7;99(21):1648, 2007.
  • Brisson J, Holowaty EJ, Villeneuve PJ, Zie L, Ugnat AM, Latulippe L, Mao Y. Cancer incidence in a cohort of Ontario and Quebec women having bilateral breast augmentation. Int J Cancer. 118(11):2854-62, 2006.
  • Zhang-Salomons J, Qian H, Holowaty E, Mackillop WJ. Associations between socioeconomic status and cancer survival: Choice of SES indicator may affect results. Ann Epidemiol. Jul;16(7):521-8, 2006.
  • Travis BL, Hill D, Dores GM, Gospodarowicz M, van Leeuwen FE, Holowaty E, Glimelius B et al. Cumulative absolute breast cancer risk for young women treated for Hodgkin Lymphoma. J Natl Cancer Inst. October 5;97(19):1428-37, 2005.
  • Gorey KM, Holowaty EJ, Laukkanen E, Luginaah IN. Social, prognostic and therapeutic factors associated with cancer survival: A population-based study in metropolitan Detroit, Michigan. J Health Care Poor Underserved. Nov;14(4):478-88, 2003.
  • Holowaty E. The Ontario Cancer Registry : A registry with almost completely automated data collection. In: Black RJ, Simonato L, Storm HH, Démaret E, editors. Automated Data Collection in Cancer Registry. IARC Technical Reports. No. 32, Lyon, France, IARC Press, 39-44, 1998.