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
Chen L, Chubak J, Boudreau DM, Barlow WE, Weiss NS, Li CI. Use of antihypertensive medications and risk of adverse breast cancer outcomes in a SEER-Medicare population. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 2017 Nov;26(11):1603-1610. doi: 10.1158/1055-9965.EPI-17-0346. Epub 2017 Aug 14. PubMed
Green BB, Anderson ML, Cook AJ, Chubak J, Fuller S, Meenan RT, Vernon SW. A centralized mailed program with stepped increases of support increases time in compliance with colorectal cancer screening guidelines over 5 years: a randomized trial. Cancer. 2017 Nov 15;123(22):4472-4480. doi: 10.1002/cncr.30908. Epub 2017 Jul 28. PubMed
Chubak J, Hawkes R, Dudzik C, Foose-Foster JM, Eaton L, Johnson RH, Macpherson CF. Pilot study of therapy dog visits for inpatient youth with cancer. J Pediatr Oncol Nurs. 2017 Sep/Oct;34(5):331-341. doi: 10.1177/1043454217712983. Epub 2017 Jun 14. PubMed
Reed SC, Walker R, Ziebell R, Rabin B, Nutt S, Chubak J, Nekhlyudov L. Cancer survivors' reported discussions with health care providers about follow-up care and receipt of written care plans. J Cancer Educ. 2017 May 8. doi: 10.1007/s13187-017-1228-1. [Epub ahead of print]. PubMed
Reed SC, Walker R, Ziebell R, Rabin B, Nutt S, Chubak J, Nekhlyudov L. Cancer survivors’ reported discussions with health care providers about follow-up care and receipt of written care plans. J Cancer Educ. 2017 May 8. doi: 10.1007/s13187-017-1228-1. [Epub ahead of print]. PubMed
Hardikar S, Burnett-Hartman AN, Chubak J, Upton MP, Zhu LC, Potter JD, Newcomb PA. Reproductive factors and risk of colorectal polyps in a colonoscopy-based study in western Washington State. Cancer Causes Control. 2017 Mar;28(3):241-246. doi: 10.1007/s10552-017-0866-2. Epub 2017 Feb 15. PubMed
Jones SM, Ziebell R, Walker R, Nekhlyudov L, Rabin BA, Nutt S, Fujii M, Chubak J. Association of worry about cancer to benefit finding and functioning in long-term cancer survivors. Support Care Cancer. 2017 May;25(5):1417-1422. doi: 10.1007/s00520-016-3537-z. Epub 2016 Dec 15. PubMed
The findings can help guide colorectal cancer screening decisions later in life.
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.