The reference population of EPIC-GREECE consists of 28,572 adult volunteers, men and women, apparently healthy at recruitment, and permanent residents of Greece. The selection of volunteers aims at covering all socio-economic strata throughout the country.

EPIC-GREECE studies factors that affect morbidity and mortality in the Greek population and identifies trends in the health status of this population.

The European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and nutrition (EPIC) emerged from the need to clarify the role of diet in cancer etiology as well as in the causes of other chronic diseases. It belongs to a new generation of multi-centre prospective cohort studies in which the collection and analysis of biological samples is a fundamental component of the study design. This generation of studies overcomes problems related to the case-control study methodology and deals successfully with issues such as the inherent limitations of the dietary assessment methods, the small study sample and the low variability of exposure (in this case diet) among the study population. EPIC studies a large and heterogeneous European population, with wide variations in their dietary and lifestyle habits, and cancer risk, and collects a wealth of information on socio-demographic and health related factors, and introduces an additional tool for conducting biochemical and biological investigations, through blood collection.

EPIC is one of the most important cohort studies ever launched worldwide. Twenty-two research centres from 10 European countries (Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, The Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden and The United Kingdom) participate in the study, under the coordination of the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) of the World Health Organization. The study is supported by the "Europe Against Cancer" program of the European Commission, as well as by national sources (in Greece mainly the Ministry of Health and Welfare).

The Greek segment of the EPIC study (EPIC-Greece) started in 1994, after the successful implementation of a pilot study between 1991-1993. Recruitment of volunteers was completed in 1999. The Greek cohort consists of 28,572 adults, 16,619 women and 11,953 men, 20 to 86 years old, recruited from all over Greece and representing a broad range of socio-demographic factors. Data collection was accomplished by means of an interview during a baseline examination in which the following information was recorded:
• medical and reproductive history
• socio-demographic and lifestyle factors, and
• habitual diet

Baseline examination also included measurement of anthropometric data and collection of blood samples. The blood samples are kept in liquid nitrogen at -196 ºC.

The follow-up of study participants was initiated in January 1997 and focused on the update of information on lifestyle factors and, most importantly, the health status of the participants. Due to the lack of a national cancer registry and the country-wide nature of EPIC-Greece, information is being collected through telephone interviews. Reported diagnoses of interest are further ascertained through consultation of medical files in hospitals and clinics all over Greece, or through the collection of death certificates from the regional death registries, in case of death.

For more information on EPIC GREECE: https://epic.iarc.fr/centres/epic-centres.gif

Project Partners: https://www.hhf-greece.gr/partner-organizations#epic