Paula Berstad

Paula Berstad conducts research on cancer prevention with a special focus on colorectal cancer screening. She is concerned with how diet and lifestyle should be taken into account in bowel screening so that this lifestyle-related disease can best be prevented through an optimal screening programme. She is involved in several research projects dealing with colorectal cancer screening, diet and lifestyle. Berstad is educated a nutritionist. She gave her PhD on fat metabolism and risk of cardiovascular disease at the University of Oslo in 2003. She has worked as a postdoctoral fellow and researcher in cancer and nutrition epidemiology at the University of Oslo, Akershus University Hospital and Telemark Hospital. She has also taught community nutrition at Akershus University College.  

Paula Berstad conducts research on cancer prevention with a special focus on colorectal cancer screening. She is concerned with how diet and lifestyle should be taken into account in bowel screening so that this lifestyle-related disease can best be prevented through an optimal screening programme.

In the project CRCbiome , she and collaborators investigate relationships between diet, lifestyle, intestinal bacteria and precancerous lesions.

Berstad's research also includes projects where she and collaborators investigate in population studies whether lifestyle changes affect future cancer risk.

She is also involved in research on non-participation in colorectal cancer screening and measures to influence immigrants' participation in cancer screening.

Berstad is educated a nutritionist. She gave her PhD on fat metabolism and risk of cardiovascular disease at the University of Oslo in 2003.

She has worked as a postdoctoral fellow and researcher in cancer and nutritional epidemiology at the University of Oslo, Akershus University Hospital and Telemark Hospital.

She has also taught community nutrition at Akershus University College.

Knudsen MD, Botteri E, Holme Ø, Hjartåker A, Song M, Thiis-Evensen E, Norvard ER, Schult AL, Randel KR, Hoff G, Berstad P.
Association between lifestyle and site-specific advanced colorectal lesions in screening with faecal immunochemical test and sigmoidoscopy.
Dig Liver Dis. Dig Liver Dis. 2021 Mar;53(3):353-359.
DOI https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dld.2020.11.021,
PubMed https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33309513/

Knudsen MD, Hoff G, Tidemann-Andersen I, Bodin GE, Øvervold S, Berstad P.
Public Awareness and Perceptions of Colorectal Cancer Prevention: a Cross-Sectional Survey.
J Cancer Educ 2020 Feb 28 (Online ahead of print).
DOI https://doi.org/10.1007/s13187-020-01721-5, PubMed https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32112366/

Knudsen MD, Hjartåker A, Robb KA, de Lange T, Hoff G, Berstad PImproving Cancer Preventive Behaviors: A Randomized Trial of Tailored Lifestyle Feedback in Colorectal Cancer Screening.
Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2018:27(12):1442-9.
DOI https://doi.org/10.1158/1055-9965.epi-18-0268, PubMed https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30389802/

Botteri E, de Lange T, Tonstad S, Berstad P.
Exploring the effect of a lifestyle intervention on cancer risk: 43-year follow-up of the randomized Oslo diet and antismoking study.
J Intern Med 2018:284(3):282-91.
DOI https://doi.org/10.1111/joim.12765, PubMed https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29790221/

Knudsen MD, Hjartåker A, Olsen MKE, Hoff G, de Lange T, Bernklev T, Berstad P.
Changes in health behavior one-year after testing negative at a colorectal cancer screening – a randomized controlled study.
Eur J Cancer Prev 2018:27(4):316-22.
DOI https://doi.org/10.1097/cej.0000000000000328, PubMed https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27824661/

Kirkøen B, Berstad P, Botteri E, Dalén E, Nilsen JA, Hoff G, de Lange T, Bernklev T.
Acceptability of two colorectal cancer screening tests: Pain as a key determinant in sigmoidoscopy.
Endoscopy 2017:49(11);1075-86.
DOI https://doi.org/10.1055/s-0043-117400, PubMed https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28938500/

Berstad P, Botteri E, Larsen IK, Løberg M, Kalager M, Holme Ø, Bretthauer M, Hoff G.
Lifestyle changes at middle-age and risk of total mortality: A population-based prospective cohort study.
J Epidemiol Comm Health 2017;17:59-66.
DOI https://doi.org/10.1136/jech-2015-206760, PubMed https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27312250/

Knudsen MD, Berstad P, Hjartåker A, Gulichsen EH, Hoff G, de Lange T, Bernklev T, Botteri E.
Lifestyle predictors for discontinuation and outcome in the 2nd round of fecal immunochemical test in colorectal cancer screening.
Br J Cancer 2017:117(4):461-9.
DOI https://doi.org/10.1038/bjc.2017.189, PubMed https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28704841/

Knudsen MD, de Lange T, Botteri E, Nguyen DH, Evensen H, Steen CB, Hoff G, Bernklev T, Hjartåker A, Berstad P.
Favorable lifestyle before diagnosis associated with lower risk of screen-detected advanced colorectal neoplasisa.
World J Gastroenterol 2016:22(27):6276-86.
DOI https://doi.org/10.3748/wjg.v22.i27.6276, PubMed https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27468217/

Berstad P, Løberg M, Larsen IK, Kalager M, Holme Ø, Botteri E, Bretthauer M, Hoff G.
Long-term lifestyle changes after colorectal cancer screening: randomised controlled trial.
Gut 2015:64(8):1268-76.
DOI https://doi.org/10.1136/gutjnl-2014-307376, PubMed https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25183203/

Selected media clips (Norwegian only)

Lars og Siri kom seg ut av sofaen: Kan vente å leve lenger - nrk.no

Ingen aner hvorfor vi har så mye tarmkreft i Norge - forskning.no  

Tarmkreft kobles til velstand og livsstil - animalia

Derfor er hjertevennlig mat bra for oss - KK

Unik norsk studie viser at kostholdsendringer påvirker kreftrisiko -forskning.no

Livsstilsendringer i godt voksen alder har stor effekt - Kreftregisteret

Dobbelgevinst av sunt kosthold; mindre kreft og mindre hjerte/kar-sykdom - Kreftregisteret