Erin Bowles, MPH
“At KPWHRI, we have access to extensive data on cancer care. I'm using the data to learn how to improve the experiences of cancer patients and their families.”
Erin Bowles, MPH
Senior Research Associate, Kaiser Permanente Washington Health Research Institute
Biography
Epidemiologist Erin Bowles, MPH, is looking at cancer and aging from many different perspectives. Her research brings new insight into breast cancer risk factors, treatment, and survivorship, while helping improve cancer care for patients and families.
Ms. Bowles received an R50 mid-career research award from the National Cancer Institute (NCI). This award is given to cancer researchers who have demonstrated successes and contributions to cancer researcher as a non-principal investigator. As a key member of two large cancer collaborations—the NCI's Breast Cancer Surveillance Consortium and the Health Care Systems Cancer Research Network (CRN)—Ms. Bowles has developed diverse expertise that includes reading mammograms for breast density and using administrative data to understand patterns of care in cancer treatment.
Her current work includes:
- a multi-site CRN study led by an investigator at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center to understand how obesity affects chemotherapy treatment dosing and risks of recurrence and toxicity in women with breast cancer;
- helping investigators from Kaiser Permanente Northern California and the University of California (UC) San Francisco and UC Davis understand imaging trends in children and pregnant women, and subsequent risks of leukemia associated with ionizing radiation from imaging exams; and
- working with Kaiser Permanente Washington Health Research Institute (KPWHRI) investigator Diana Buist, PhD, and investigators from the NCI and Kaiser Permanente Colorado to study how mammographic breast density and radiation treatment are associated with second cancers in women with previous breast cancer.
Ms. Bowles' experience working with large cancer cohorts has provided her with expertise in data collection and management for other subject areas. She is a co-investigator on the Adult Changes in Thought study team, and oversees their living laboratory and data sharing for aging research, along with an annual research symposium. Finally, she is a member of the Kaiser Permanente Research Affiliates Evidence-based Practice Center and has participated in systematic evidence reviews for the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force.
Research interests and experience
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Cancer
Breast cancer; colorectal cancer; multiple myeloma; thyroid cancer; pancreatic cancer; biostatistics; epidemiology; mammography; mammographic breast density; cancer treatment; cancer screening and surveillance; automated data collection; quality of care; medication use; care coordination; administrative data
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Health Services & Economics
Access to care; health disparities; health outcomes research; quality of life; measurement of change in health care systems; practice variation
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Women's Health
Menopause; hormone replacement therapy (HRT); breast cancer
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Aging & Geriatrics
Cognitive health and dementia; biostatistics; epidemiology; medication use; cancer
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Medication Use & Patient Safety
Pharmacoepidemiology; observational study research methods; chemotherapy; radiation exposure
Recent publications
Mahorter SS, Knerr S, Bowles EJA, Wernli KJ, Gao H, Schwartz MD, O'Neill SC. Prior breast density awareness, knowledge, and communication in a health system-embedded behavioral intervention trial. LID - 10.1002/cncr.32711 [doi] Cancer. 2020 Jan 24. doi: 10.1002/cncr.32711 [Epub ahead of print] PubMed
Gray SL, Marcum ZA, Dublin S, Walker R, Golchin N, Rosenberg DE, Bowles EJ, Crane P, Larson EB. Medications acting on the central nervous system and fall-related injuries in community dwelling older adults: a new user cohort study. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci. 2019 Nov 22. pii: 5637925. doi: 10.1093/gerona/glz270. [Epub ahead of print]. PubMed
Mullooly M, Nyante SJ, Pfeiffer RM, Cora R, Butcher D, Sternberg L, Aiello Bowles EJ, Fan S, Figueroa JD, Weinmann S, Hoover RN, Brinton LA, Berrington de Gonzalez A, Glass A, Sherman ME, Gierach GL. Involution of breast lobules, mammographic breast density and prognosis among tamoxifen-treated estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer patients. J Clin Med. 2019 Nov 4;8(11). pii: E1868. doi: 10.3390/jcm8111868. PubMed
Chen L, Chubak J, Yu O, Pocobelli G, Ziebell RA, Aiello Bowles EJ, Fujii MM, Sterrett AT, Boggs JM, Burnett-Hartman AN, Ritzwoller DP, Hubbard RA, Boudreau DM. Changes in use of opioid therapy after colon cancer diagnosis: a population-based study. Cancer Causes Control. 2019 Dec;30(12):1341-1350. doi: 10.1007/s10552-019-01236-5. Epub 2019 Oct 30. PubMed
Sun L, Brentnall A, Patel S, Buist DSM, Bowles EJA, Evans DGR, Eccles D, Hopper J, Li S, Southey M, Duffy S, Cuzick J, Dos Santos Silva I, Miners A, Sadique Z, Yang L, Legood R, Manchanda R. A cost-effectiveness analysis of multigene testing for all patients with breast cancer. JAMA Oncol. 2019 Oct. doi: 10.1001/jamaoncol.2019.3323. PubMed
Smith-Bindman R, Kwan ML, Marlow EC, Theis MK, Bolch W, Cheng SY, Bowles EJA, Duncan JR, Greenlee RT, Kushi LH, Pole JD, Rahm AK, Stout NK, Weinmann S, Miglioretti DL. Trends in use of medical imaging in US health care systems and in Ontario, Canada, 2000-2016. JAMA. 2019;322(9):843-856. doi: 10.1001/jama.2019.11456. PubMed
healthy findings
Ask an epidemiologist: Where to learn about COVID-19
There’s much confusion about the new disease, but numbers don’t lie. The challenge is finding the right ones.
cancer research
Using breast MRI after cancer may lead to unneeded biopsies
A Kaiser Permanente-led BCSC study is among the largest ever to evaluate adding MRI surveillance for breast cancer survivors.
Breast Cancer Surveillance
Kaiser Permanente Washington Breast Cancer Surveillance Registry
Kaiser Permanente Washington has been part of the national Breast Cancer Surveillance Consortium since 1994. Learn about the Kaiser Permanente Washington Breast Cancer Surveillance Registry here.
KPWHRI In the Media
CT scan use in pregnancy rose in U.S. and Canada over two decades
Pregnant women exposed to more risky CT scans
HealthDay, Jul 24, 2019
