Jessica Chubak, PhD, is an epidemiologist who works to improve cancer diagnosis, treatment, control, and survivorship. She contributes to several national collaborations that are finding practical, efficient, effective ways to screen for cancer, especially colorectal cancer. She also studies how common medications affect cancer risk and recurrence. Intrigued by how pets positively affect health, Dr. Chubak is studying animal-assisted activities in clinics and hospitals where children get treated for cancer. Dr. Chubak’s methodological research focuses on the use of administrative and electronic health record data in epidemiologic and health services studies.
Dr. Chubak joined KPWHRI in 2007, bringing expertise in epidemiologic methods, pharmacoepidemiology, and cancer. Awarded a Fulbright graduate student grant, Dr. Chubak pursued her master's degree in bioethics and health law in New Zealand before completing her PhD in Epidemiology at the University of Washington (UW). Dr. Chubak is an affiliate associate professor in the Department of Epidemiology at the UW School of Public Health, where she enjoys guest-lecturing and getting to work with students.
Epidemiology; colorectal cancer; medication use; survivorship; recurrence; secondary prevention; quality of life; automated data collection; screening; animal-assisted activities; survivorship
Screening
Cancer risk and use of common medications
Green BB, Anderson ML, Cook AJ, Chubak J, Fuller S, Kimbel KJ, Kullgren JT, Meenan RT, Vernon SW. Financial incentives to increase colorectal cancer screening uptake and decrease disparities: a randomized clinical trial. JAMA Netw Open. 2019 Jul 3;2(7):e196570. doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2019.6570. PubMed
Burnett-Hartman AN, Powers JD, Chubak J, Corley DA, Ghai NR, McMullen CK, Pawloski PA, Sterrett AT, Feigelson HS. Treatment patterns and survival differ between early-onset and late-onset colorectal cancer patients: the Patient Outcomes to Advance Learning network. Cancer Causes Control. 2019 May 17. doi: 10.1007/s10552-019-01181-3. [Epub ahead of print]. PubMed
Breen N, Skinner CS, Zheng Y, Inrig S, Corley DA, Beaber EF, Garcia M, Chubak J, Doubeni C, Quinn VP, Haas JS, Li CI, Wernli KJ, Klabunde CN. Time to follow-up after colorectal cancer screening by health insurance type. Am J Prev Med. 2019;56(5):e143-e152. doi: 10.1016/j.amepre.2019.01.005. PubMed
Clarke CL, Kushi LH, Chubak J, Pawloski PA, Bulkley JE, Epstein MM, Burnett-Hartman AN, Powell B, Pearce CL, Spencer Feigelson H. Predictors of long-term survival among high-grade serous ovarian cancer patients. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 2019 May;28(5):996-999. doi: 10.1158/1055-9965.EPI-18-1324. Epub 2019 Apr 9. PubMed
Boudreau DM, Chen L, Yu O, Bowles EJA, Chubak J. Risk of second breast cancer events with chronic opioid use in breast cancer survivors. Pharmacoepidemiol Drug Saf. 2019 May;28(5):740-753. doi: 10.1002/pds.4779. Epub 2019 Apr 3. PubMed
Haas CB, Phipps AI, Hajat A, Chubak J, Wernli KJ. Time to fecal immunochemical test completion for colorectal cancer screening. Am J Manag Care. 2019 Apr;25(4):174-180. PubMed
Bowles EJA, Yu O, Ziebell R, Chen L, Boudreau DM, Ritzwoller DP, Hubbard RA, Boggs JM, Burnett-Hartman AN, Sterrett A, Fujii M, Chubak J. Cardiovascular medication use and risks of colon cancer recurrences and additional cancer events: a cohort study. BMC Cancer. 2019;19(1):270. doi: 10.1186/s12885-019-5493-8. PubMed
Understanding emergency department use among adolescent and young adult cancer survivors can help address care gaps.
How KPWHRI is contributing to better cancer screening and better outcomes for patients.
Top pediatric oncology hospitals reported lasting changes to programs involving visits with animals.