Faculty - Boyd- Department of Nutritional Sciences

Norman Boyd, M.D., F.R.C.P.(C)

Professor
Department of Nutritional Sciences
Department of Medicine
Head, Division of Epidemiology and Statistics
Ontario Cancer Institute

Princess Margaret Hospital,
620 University Avenue,
Toronto, ON M5G 2C1
Tel: (416) 946-2942
Fax: (416) 946-2024
Email:boyd@oci.utoronto.ca

Research

Cancer epidemiology including: the identification of subjects at increased risk for breast cancer, screening for breast cancer, mammographic, histological and biochemical markers of breast cancer risk, diet and cancer, methodology of dietary assessment, clinical trials of dietary modification in high risk individuals.

Selected Publications

Boyd NF, Greenberg C, Martin L, Stone J, Hammond G, Minkin S. Lack of effect of a low-fat high-carbohydrate diet on ovarian hormones in premenopausal women: results from a randomized trial. IARC Sci Publ 156:445-450, 2002.
Knight JA, Sutherland HJ, Glendon G, Boyd NF, Andrulis IL, and the Ontario Cancer Genetics Network (2002). Characteristics associated with participation at various stages at the Ontario site of the cooperative family registry for breast cancer studies. Ann Epidemiol 12:27-33, 2002.
Boyd NF, Stone J, Martin LJ, Jong R, Fishell E, Yaffe M, Hammond G, Minkin S. The association of breast mitogens with mammographic densities. Br J Cancer 87:876-882, 2002.
Boyd NF, Dite GS, Stone J, Gunasekara A, English DR, McCredie MRE, Giles GG, Tritchler D, Chiarelli A, Yaffe MJ, Hopper JL. Heritability of mammographic density, a risk factor for breast cancer. N Eng J Med 347:886-894, 2002.
Boyd NF, Martin L, Stone J, Little L, Minkin S, Yaffe MJ. A longitudinal study of the effects of menopause on mammographic features. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 11:1048-1053, 2002.
Fabian CJ, Kimler BF, Brady DA, Mayo MS, Chang CH, Ferraro JA, Zalles CM, Stanton AL, Masood S, Grizzle WE, Boyd NF, Arneson DW, Johnson KA. A phase II breast cancer chemoprevention trial of oral alpha-difluoromethylornithine: breast tissue, imaging, and serum and urine biomarkers. Clin Cancer Res 8:3105-3117, 2002,
Connolly BS, Barnett C, Vogt KN, Li T, Stone J, Boyd NF. A meta-analysis of published literature on waist-to hip ratio and risk of breast cancer. Nutr Cancer 44:127-138, 2002.
Stone J, Gunasekara A, Martin LJ, Yaffe M, Minkin S, Boyd NF. The detection of change in mammographic density. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 12:625-630, 2003.
Hong CC, Thompson HJ, Jiang C, Hammond GL, Tritchler D, Yaffe M, Boyd NF. Val158Met polymorphism in catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT3) gene associated with risk factors for breast cancer. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 12:838-847, 2003.
Boyd NF, Stone J, Vogt KN, Connelly BS, Martin LJ, Minkin S. Dietary fat and breast cancer risk revisited: a meta-analysis of the published literature. Br J Cancer 89:1672-1685, 2003.
Ozcelik H, Knight JA, Glendon G, Yazici, H, Carson N, Ainsworth PJ, Taylor SAM, Feilotter H, Carter RF, Boyd NF and Andrulis IL for the Ontario Cancer Genetics Network. Individual and family characteristics associated with BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations in an Ontario population-based series from the Cooperative Family Registry for Breast Cancer Studies. J Med Genet 40:1-7, 2003.
Prentice RL, Willett WC, Greenwald P, Alberts D, Bernstein L, Boyd NF, Byers T, Clinton SK, Fraser G, Freedman L, Hunter D, Kipnis V, Kolonel LN, Kristal BS, Kristal A, Lampe JW, McTiernam A, Milner J, Patterson RE, Potter J, Riboli E, Schatzkin A, Yates A. Nutrition, physical activity and chronic disease prevention: research strategies and recommendations. J Nat Cancer Inst 96:1276-1287, 2004.
Hong CC, Tang BK, Jiang C, Venketeshwer R, Agarwal S, Martin L, Tritchler D, Yaffe M, Boyd NF. Cytochrome P450 1A2 (CYP1A2) activity, mammographic density, and oxidative stress: a cross-sectional study. Breast Cancer Res 6:R338-R351, 2004.
Hong CC, Tang BK, Jiang C, Venketeshwer R, Agarwal S, Martin L, Tritchler D, Yaffe M, Boyd NF. Cytochrome P450 1A2 (CYP1A2) activity and risk factors for breast cancer: a cross-sectional study. Breast Cancer Res 6:R352-R365, 2004.
Hong CC, Thompson HJ, Jiang C, Hammond GL, Tritchler D, Yaffe M, Boyd NF. Association between the T27C polymorphism in the cytochrome P450 c17  (CYP17) gene and risk factors for breast cancer. Breast Cancer Res Treat 88:217-230, 2004.
Hariri M, Wood GA, DiGrappa MA, MacPherson M, Backman SA, Yaffe MJ, Mak TW, Boyd NF, Khokha R. Experimental manipulation of radiographic density in mouse mammary gland. Breast Cancer Res 6:R540-R545, 2004.
John EM, Hopper JL, Beck JC, Knight JA, Neuhausen SL, Senie RT, Ziogas A, Andrulis IL, Anton-Culver H, Boyd N, Buys SS, Daly MB, O’Malley FP, Santella RM, Southey MC, Venne VL, Venter DJ, West DW, Whittemore AS, Seminara D, and for the Breast Cancer Family Registry. The Breast Cancer Family Registry: an infrastructure for cooperative multinational, interdisciplinary and translation studies of the genetic epidemiology of breast cancer. Breast Cancer Res 6:R375-R389, 2004.
Heng D, Gao F, Jong R, Fishell E, Yaffe M, Martin L, Li T, Stone J, Sun L, Hopper JL, Boyd NF. Risk Factors for Breast Cancer Associated with Mammographic Features in Singaporean Chinese Women. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 13:1751-1758, 2004.
Li T, Sun L, Miller N, Nicklee T, Woo J, Hulse-Smith L, Tsao M, Khokha R, Martin L, Boyd, NF. The Association of Measured Breast Tissue Characteristics with Mammographic Density and Other Risk Factors for Breast Cancer. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 14:343-349, 2005.
Yaffe M, Boyd N. Mammographic breast density and cancer risk: The radiological view. Gynecol Endocrinol 21:6-11, 2005.
Boyd NF, Rommens JM, Vogt K, Lee V, Hopper JL, Yaffe MJ, Paterson AD. Mammographic breast density as an intermediate phenotype for breast cancer. Lancet Oncol 6:798-808, 2005.
Mulhall C, Hegele RA, Tritchler D, Yaffe M, Boyd NF. Mammographic density and the pituitary growth hormone and growth hormone releasing hormone receptor genes. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 14:2648-2654, 2005.
Stone J, Dite GS, Gunasekara A, English DR, McCredie MR, Giles GG, Cawson JN, Hegele RA, Chiarelli AM, Yaffe MJ, Boyd NF, Hopper JL. The heritability of mammographically dense and nondense breast tissue. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 15:612-617, 2006.
Boyd NF, Martin LJ, Li Q, Sun L, Chiarelli AM, Hislop G, Yaffe MJ, Minkin S. Mammographic density as a surrogate marker for the effects of hormone therapy on risk of breast cancer. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 15:961-966, 2006.
McGuire V, John EM, Felbert A, Haile RW, Boyd NF, Thomas DC, Jenkins MA, Milne RL, Daly MB, Ward J, Terry MB, Andrulis IL, Knight JA, Godwin AK, Giles GG, KconFab Investigators, Southey M, West DW, Hopper JL, Whittemore AS. No increased risk of breast cancer associated with alcohol consumption among carriers of BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations under age 50 years. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 15:1565-1567, 2006.
Boyd NF, Martin LJ, Sun L, Guo H, Chiarelli A, Hislop G, Yaffe M, Minkin S. Body size, mammographic density and breast cancer risk. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 15:2086-2092, 2006.
Chiarelli AM, Kirsh VA, Klar NS, Shumak R, Jong R, Fishell E, Yaffe MJ, Boyd NF. Influence of patterns of hormone replacement therapy use and mammographic density on breast cancer detection. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 15:1856-1862, 2006.
Boyd NF, Martin LJ, Yaffe MJ, Minkin S. Mammographic density: a hormonally responsive risk factor for breast cancer. J Br Menopause Soc. 12:186-193, 2006.
Martin LJ, Greenberg CV, Kriukov V, Minkin S, Jenkins DJA, Boyd NF. Intervention with a low-fat, high carbohydrate diet does not influence the timing of menopause. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 84:920-928, 2006.
Boyd NF, Guo H, Martin LJ, Sun L, Stone J, Fishell E, Jong R, Hislop G, Chiarelli A, Minkin S, Yaffe M. Mammographic density, and risk and detection of breast cancer. NEJM 356:11-20, 2007.
Santen RJ, Boyd NF, Chlebowski R, Cummings S, Cuzick J, Dowsett M, Easton D, Forbes J, Key T, Hankinson S, Howell A, Ingle J. Critical assessment of new risk factors for breast cancer: considerations for development of an improved risk prediction model. Endocrine Related Cancer 14:169-197, 2007.
Boyd NF, Whittemore A, John E, Felberg A, McGuire V, West D, Thomas D, Haile R, Daly M, Godwin A, Ross E, Beck J, Terry MB, Buys S, Veene V, Hopper J, Giles G, McCreadie M, Milne R, Southey M, Jenkins M, Apicella C, Andrulis I, Knight J, Ozclik H. Smoking and risk of breast cancer in carriers of mutations in BRCA1 or BRCA2 aged less than 50 years. Breast Cancer Research and Treatment, May 2007.
Martin LJ, Greenberg CV, Kriukov V, Minkin S, Jenkins DJA, Yaffee M, Hislop G, Boyd NF. Effect of a low-fat, high-carbohydrate dietary intervention on change in mammographic density over menopause. Breast Cancer Research and Treatment. January 2008.