In summary, epidemiology has been described as a discipline that moves very slowly and with great force. However, by incorporating the genomic and other emerging technologies into well-designed and well-powered epidemiologic studies, it should be possible to move with greater speed and force to dissect the genetic and environmental determinants of cancer induction and progression, and to probe beyond the traditional risk factors into the pathways and mechanisms that may be targets for intervention. Progress will be accomplished by fostering the platforms and strategies of molecular epidemiology, including the collaborative networks we have been developing with extramural scientists, and by encouraging an expansion of multidisciplinary research across NCI in ways that will hopefully galvanize the process of discovery and its translation to clinical practice and public health.