J. Charles Lacson MS, PhD

Education

Ph.D. Molecular Epidemiology
University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA

M.S. Biology (Human Molecular Genetics)
California State University - Northridge
Northridge, CA

B.S. Medical Physics (PreMed)
De La Salle University - Manila
Manila, Philippines

Biography

Dr. Charles Lacson is a molecular epidemiologist in the Murtha Cancer Center Research Program. He is the Principal Investigator for the Applied Proteogenomics OrganizationaL Learning & Outcomes (APOLLO) 11 Project, which is focused on Melanoma, the most common non-sex-related cancer among U.S. Military Active Duty service members. Together with collaborators from the Joint Pathology Center and Harvard University, Dr. Lacson is interested in understanding the etiology and precision oncology of melanoma in the military by developing and using population-based resources that exploit the Joint Pathology Center's tissue repository, the largest and oldest tissue repository in the world, with over 70 million accessions dating back to 1917. Specifically, the APOLLO 11 team is currently examining trends of melanoma incidence using data from the DoD Cancer Registry, MilCanEpi, the Joint Pathology Center, and to compare these trends to the general population data from the Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) program and the National Cancer Database (NCDB). Additionally, the APOLLO 11 team is interested in creating a warehouse of whole-slide images of melanoma and melanocytic lesions and to leverage Artificial Intelligence to develop diagnostic, prognostic, and predictive markers. APOLLO 11 is also poised to perform multi-omics assays on FFPE material and to integrate multi-omics data with whole-slide images to further develop clinical ancillary tools. Dr. Lacson is also an associate investigator for the Framingham 3 Study on Melanoma, which aims to develop early detection markers of melanoma using DoD Serum Repository samples.

Dr. Lacson is also an investigator in the National Cancer Institute's Cancer Surveillance Research Network (CSRN), which is currently conducting the Vanguard Study. This is a feasibility trial that aims to randomize 18,000 participants across the USA to either receive one of two Multi-Cancer Detection (MCD) tests, or to a control arm with no testing. The study aims to determine the feasibility of doing such a trial, which involves comprehensive diagnostic work for those randomized to the MCD test arms and test positive. Dr. Lacson co-leads a military substudy within the Vanguard study that aims to understand whether military experience and exposures affect Vanguard study outcomes, such as test positivity, study adherence, as well as cancer-related worry and anxiety.

He is involved in several studies in the PROject for Military Exposures and Toxin History Evaluation among U.S. service members (PROMETHEUS), which is a research ecosystem that aims to examine the associations between cancer and exposures experienced by US service members during active duty, especially during deployment.

Prior to joining the Henry M. Jackson Foundation and USUHS, Dr. Lacson worked at the Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa, Florida with Dr. Peter Kanetsky on precision prevention trials to improve primary and secondary prevention of skin cancer and melanoma among Hispanic and non-Hispanic White individuals. His doctoral dissertation was on the association between breast cancer and putative functional variants on the exome genotyping array using a case-control study nested in the California Teachers Study, and his mentors were Dr. Fred Schumacher and Dr. Leslie Bernstein. He also worked with Dr. Victoria Cortessis on various epidemiologic studies on testicular germ cell tumors.

Career Highlights: Positions, Projects, Deployements, Awards and Additional Publications

Applied Research Scientist, Department of Cancer Epidemiology, Moffitt Cancer Center, 2020-2023

AACR Integrative Molecular Epidemiology Workshop attendee, July 2022

NIH/NIGMS T32 Predoctoral Fellow in Cellular, Biochemical, Molecular, and Genomic Sciences, 2011-2013

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Lacson JCA, Kim Y, Roetzheim RG, Sutton SK, Vadaparampil ST, Kanetsky PA. Predictors of genetic risk recall among the participants of a randomized controlled precision prevention trial against melanoma. Genet Med. 2023 Apr;25(4):100005. doi: 10.1016/j.gim.2023.100005. Epub 2023 Jan 7. PubMed PMID: 36629029; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC10085824.

Lacson JCA, Doyle SH, Del Rio J, Forgas SM, Carvajal R, Gonzalez-Calderon G, Feliciano AR, Kim Y, Roetzheim RG, Sutton SK, Vadaparampil ST, Soto-Torres B, Kanetsky PA. A randomized clinical trial of precision prevention materials incorporating MC1R genetic risk to improve skin cancer prevention activities among Hispanics. Cancer Res Commun. 2022 Jan;2(1):28-38. doi: 10.1158/2767-9764.crc-21-0114. Epub 2022 Jan 11. PubMed PMID: 35845857; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC9286490.

Lacson JCA, Doyle SH, Qian L, Del Rio J, Forgas SM, Valavanis S, Carvajal R, Gonzalez-Calderon G, Kim Y, Roetzheim RG, Sutton SK, Vadaparampil ST, Kanetsky PA. A Randomized Trial of Precision Prevention Materials to Improve Primary and Secondary Melanoma Prevention Activities among Individuals with Limited Melanoma Risk Phenotypes. Cancers (Basel). 2021 Jun 23;13(13). doi: 10.3390/cancers13133143. PubMed PMID: 34201795; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC8267659.

Lacson JCA, Zamani SA, Froes LAR Jr, Mitra N, Qian L, Doyle SH, Azizi E, Balestrini C, Bishop DT, Bruno W, Carlos-Ortega B, Cuellar F, Cust AE, Elder DE, Gerdes AM, Ghiorzo P, Grazziotin TC, Gruis NA, Hansson J, Hočevar M, Höiom V, Holland EA, Ingvar C, Landman G, Larre-Borges A, Mann GJ, Molgo M, Moredo LF, Olsson H, Out-Luiting JJ, Perić B, Pjanova D, Puig S, Salas-Alanis J, Schmid H, Wadt KAW, Newton-Bishop JA, Kanetsky PA. Birth cohort-specific trends of sun-related behaviors among individuals from an i

Lacson JCA, Ma H, Lee E, Neuhausen SL, Anton-Culver H, Reynolds P, Nelson DO, Ziogas A, Van Den Berg D, Deapen DM, Bernstein L, Schumacher FR. Genome-Wide Testing of Exonic Variants and Breast Cancer Risk in the California Teachers Study. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 2017 Sep;26(9):1462-1465. doi: 10.1158/1055-9965.EPI-17-0364. PubMed PMID: 28864454.

Lacson JC, Carroll JD, Tuazon E, Castelao EJ, Bernstein L, Cortessis VK. Population-based case-control study of recreational drug use and testis cancer risk confirms an association between marijuana use and nonseminoma risk. Cancer. 2012 Nov 1;118(21):5374-83. doi: 10.1002/cncr.27554. Epub 2012 Sep 10. PubMed PMID: 22965656; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC3775603.

Representative Bibliography