Colorectal cancer (CRC) screening of the average risk population is only indicated according to age. We aim to elaborate a model to stratify the risk of CRC by incorporating environmental data and ...single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP). The MCC-Spain case-control study included 1336 CRC cases and 2744 controls. Subjects were interviewed on lifestyle factors, family and medical history. Twenty-one CRC susceptibility SNPs were genotyped. The environmental risk model, which included alcohol consumption, obesity, physical activity, red meat and vegetable consumption, and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug use, contributed to CRC with an average per factor OR of 1.36 (95% CI 1.27 to 1.45). Family history of CRC contributed an OR of 2.25 (95% CI 1.87 to 2.72), and each additional SNP contributed an OR of 1.07 (95% CI 1.04 to 1.10). The risk of subjects with more than 25 risk alleles (5
quintile) was 82% higher (OR 1.82, 95% CI 1.11 to 2.98) than subjects with less than 19 alleles (1
quintile). This risk model, with an AUROC curve of 0.63 (95% CI 0.60 to 0.66), could be useful to stratify individuals. Environmental factors had more weight than the genetic score, which should be considered to encourage patients to achieve a healthier lifestyle.
In this novel research a hybrid algorithm is presented, one capable of selecting a set of features that makes it possible to identify individuals who are healthy and those who suffer from prostate ...cancer.
In this research the selection of features is carried out by means of evolutionary algorithms. In previous works, algorithms of this nature have proven their ability to find solutions for optimization problems in a wide range of fields. The present research proposes a novel hybrid algorithm based on genetic algorithms and support vector machines have been developed in order to find the best variables subset for classifying individuals. The results obtained show how well the method performs in comparison to other methodologies. Cases and controls belong to the study MCC-Spain.
Gastric cancer is the fifth most frequent tumor worldwide. In Spain, it presents a large geographic variability in incidence, suggesting a possible role of environmental factors in its etiology. ...Therefore, epidemiologic research focused on environmental exposures is necessary.
To assess the association between risk of gastric cancer (by histological type and tumor site) and residential proximity to industrial installations, according to categories of industrial groups and specific pollutants released, in the context of a population-based multicase-control study of incident cancer conducted in Spain (MCC-Spain).
In this study, 2664 controls and 137 gastric cancer cases from 9 provinces, frequency matched by province of residence, age, and sex were included. Distances from the individuals’ residences to the 106 industries located in the study areas were computed. Logistic regression was used to estimate odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (95%CIs) for categories of distance (from 1 km to 3 km) to industries, adjusting for matching variables and potential confounders.
Overall, no excess risk of gastric cancer was observed in people living close to the industrial installations, with ORs ranging from 0.73 (at ≤2.5 km) to 0.93 (at ≤1.5 km). However, by industrial sector, excess risks (OR; 95%CI) were found near organic chemical industry (3.51; 1.42–8.69 at ≤2 km), inorganic chemical industry (3.33; 1.12–9.85 at ≤2 km), food/beverage sector (2.48; 1.12–5.50 at ≤2 km), and surface treatment using organic solvents (3.59; 1.40–9.22 at ≤3 km). By specific pollutant, a statistically significant excess risk (OR; 95%CI) was found near (≤3 km) industries releasing nonylphenol (6.43; 2.30–17.97) and antimony (4.82; 1.94–12.01).
The results suggest no association between risk of gastric cancer and living in the proximity to the industrial facilities as a whole. However, a few associations were detected near some industrial sectors and installations releasing specific pollutants.
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•Association between gastric cancer and proximity to industries was investigated.•Logistic regression models in a population-based multicase-control study were used.•Overall, no association was found with proximity to industries as a whole.•Specific associations found near chemical, surface treatment, and food industry.•Specific associations found near industries releasing nonylphenol and antimony.
Capsule: Our results suggest no association between risk of gastric cancer and living in the proximity to the industrial facilities as a whole, although a few associations were detected near specific industries.
Evidence on the association between colorectal cancer and exposure to disinfection by-products in drinking water is inconsistent.
We assessed long-term exposure to trihalomethanes (THMs), the most ...prevalent group of chlorination by-products, to evaluate the association with colorectal cancer.
A multicenter case-control study was conducted in Spain and Italy in 2008-2013. Hospital-based incident cases and population-based (Spain) and hospital-based (Italy) controls were interviewed to ascertain residential histories, type of water consumed in each residence, frequency and duration of showering/bathing, and major recognized risk factors for colorectal cancer. We estimated adjusted odds ratios (OR) for colorectal cancer in association with quartiles of estimated average lifetime THM concentrations in each participant's residential tap water (micrograms/liter; from age 18 to 2 years before the interview) and estimated average lifetime THM ingestion from drinking residential tap water (micrograms/day).
We analyzed 2,047 cases and 3,718 controls. Median values (ranges) for average lifetime residential tap water concentrations of total THMs, chloroform, and brominated THMs were 30 (0-174), 17 (0-63), and 9 (0-145) μg/L, respectively. Total THM concentration in residential tap water was not associated with colorectal cancer (OR = 0.92, 95% CI: 0.66, 1.28 for highest vs. lowest quartile), but chloroform concentrations were inversely associated (OR = 0.31, 95% CI: 0.24, 0.41 for highest vs. lowest quartile). Brominated THM concentrations showed a positive association among men in the highest versus the lowest quartile (OR = 1.43, 95% CI: 0.83, 2.46). Patterns of association were similar for estimated average THM ingestion through residential water consumption.
We did not find clear evidence of an association between detailed estimates of lifetime total THM exposure and colorectal cancer in our large case-control study population. Negative associations with chloroform concentrations and ingestion suggest differences among specific THMs, but these findings should be confirmed in other study populations. Citation: Villanueva CM, Gracia-Lavedan E, Bosetti C, Righi E, Molina AJ, Martín V, Boldo E, Aragonés N, Perez-Gomez B, Pollan M, Gomez Acebo I, Altzibar JM, Jiménez Zabala A, Ardanaz E, Peiró R, Tardón A, Chirlaque MD, Tavani A, Polesel J, Serraino D, Pisa F, Castaño-Vinyals G, Espinosa A, Espejo-Herrera N, Palau M, Moreno V, La Vecchia C, Aggazzotti G, Nieuwenhuijsen MJ, Kogevinas M. 2017. Colorectal cancer and long-term exposure to trihalomethanes in drinking water: a multicenter case---control study in Spain and Italy. Environ Health Perspect 125:56-65; http://dx.doi.org/10.1289/EHP155.
Night shift work, exposure to light at night (ALAN) and circadian disruption may increase the risk of hormone-dependent cancers.
We evaluated the association of exposure to ALAN during sleeping time ...with breast and prostate cancer in a population based multicase-control study (MCC-Spain), among subjects who had never worked at night. We evaluated chronotype, a characteristic that may relate to adaptation to light at night.
We enrolled 1,219 breast cancer cases, 1,385 female controls, 623 prostate cancer cases, and 879 male controls from 11 Spanish regions in 2008-2013. Indoor ALAN information was obtained through questionnaires. Outdoor ALAN was analyzed using images from the International Space Station (ISS) available for Barcelona and Madrid for 2012-2013, including data of remotely sensed upward light intensity and blue light spectrum information for each geocoded longest residence of each MCC-Spain subject.
Among Barcelona and Madrid participants with information on both indoor and outdoor ALAN, exposure to outdoor ALAN in the blue light spectrum was associated with breast cancer adjusted odds ratio (OR) for highest vs. lowest tertile, OR=1.47; 95% CI: 1.00, 2.17 and prostate cancer (OR=2.05; 95% CI: 1.38, 3.03). In contrast, those exposed to the highest versus lowest intensity of outdoor ALAN were more likely to be controls than cases, particularly for prostate cancer. Compared with those who reported sleeping in total darkness, men who slept in "quite illuminated" bedrooms had a higher risk of prostate cancer (OR=2.79; 95% CI: 1.55, 5.04), whereas women had a slightly lower risk of breast cancer (OR=0.77; 95% CI: 0.39, 1.51).
Both prostate and breast cancer were associated with high estimated exposure to outdoor ALAN in the blue-enriched light spectrum. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP1837.
Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is the most common leukemia in adults in Western countries. Its etiology is largely unknown but increasing incidence rates observed worldwide suggest that lifestyle ...and environmental factors such as diet might play a role in the development of CLL. Hence, we hypothesized that the consumption of ultra-processed food and drinks (UPF) might be associated with CLL. Data from a Spanish population-based case-control study (MCC-Spain study) including 230 CLL cases (recruited within three years of diagnosis) and 1634 population-based controls were used. The usual diet during the previous year was collected through a validated food frequency questionnaire and food and drink consumption was categorized using the NOVA classification scheme. Logistic regression models adjusted for potential confounders were used. Overall, no association was reported between the consumption of UPF and CLL cases (OR per each 10% increase of the relative contribution of UPF to total dietary intake = 1.09 (95% CI: 0.94; 1.25)), independently of the Rai stage at diagnosis. However, when analyses were restricted to cases diagnosed within <1 year (incident), each 10% increment in the consumption of UPF was associated with a 22% higher odds ratio of CLL (95% CI: 1.02, 1.47) suggesting that the overall results might be affected by the inclusion of prevalent cases, who might have changed their dietary habits after cancer diagnosis. Given the low number of cases in the subgroup analyses and multiple tests performed, chance findings cannot totally be ruled out. Nonetheless, positive associations found in CLL incident cases merit further research, ideally in well-powered studies with a prospective design.
Background
Previous studies suggest that dietary vitamin C is inversely associated with gastric cancer (GC), but most of them did not consider intake of fruit and vegetables. Thus, we aimed to ...evaluate this association within the Stomach cancer Pooling (StoP) Project, a consortium of epidemiological studies on GC.
Methods
Fourteen case–control studies were included in the analysis (5362 cases, 11,497 controls). We estimated odds ratios (ORs) and corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for the association between dietary intake of vitamin C and GC, adjusted for relevant confounders and for intake of fruit and vegetables. The dose–response relationship was evaluated using mixed-effects logistic models with second-order fractional polynomials.
Results
Individuals in the highest quartile of dietary vitamin C intake had reduced odds of GC compared with those in the lowest quartile (OR: 0.64; 95% CI: 0.58, 0.72). Additional adjustment for fruit and vegetables intake led to an OR of 0.85 (95% CI: 0.73, 0.98). A significant inverse association was observed for noncardia GC, as well as for both intestinal and diffuse types of the disease. The results of the dose–response analysis showed decreasing ORs of GC up to 150–200 mg/day of vitamin C (OR: 0.54; 95% CI: 0.41, 0.71), whereas ORs for higher intakes were close to 1.0.
Conclusions
The findings of our pooled study suggest that vitamin C is inversely associated with GC, with a potentially beneficial effect also for intakes above the currently recommended daily intake (90 mg for men and 75 mg for women).
Epidemiologic and animal data indicate that night shift work might increase the risk for breast cancer. We evaluated the association of night work with different clinical types of breast cancer in a ...population based case-control study (MCC-Spain study) taking into account chronotype, an individual characteristic that may relate to night shift work adaptation. Lifetime occupational history was assessed by face-to-face interviews and shift work information was available for 1708 breast cancer cases and 1778 population controls from 10 Spanish regions, enrolled from 2008 to 2013. We evaluated three shift work domains, including shift work type (permanent vs rotating), lifetime cumulative duration and frequency. We estimated odds ratios (OR) for night work compared to day work using unconditional logistic regression models adjusting for confounders. Having ever worked permanent or rotating night shift was associated with an increased risk for breast cancer compared to day workers odds ratio (OR) 1.18; 95 % CI 0.97,1.43. Chronotype was differentially associated with breast cancer depending on the duration of night shift work. Risk was higher in women with invasive tumors (OR 1.23; 95 % CI 1.00, 1.51) and for estrogen and progestagen positive tumors among premenopausal women (OR 1.44; 95 % CI 1.05, 1.99). Having ever performed night shift was associated with a small increased risk for breast cancer and especially in subgroups of women with particular hormone related characteristics.
Introduction
We used data from MOBI-Kids, a 14-country international collaborative case–control study of brain tumors (BTs), to study clinical characteristics of the tumors in older children ...(10 years or older), adolescents and young adults (up to the age of 24).
Methods
Information from clinical records was obtained for 899 BT cases, including signs and symptoms, symptom onset, diagnosis date, tumor type and location.
Results
Overall, 64% of all tumors were low-grade, 76% were neuroepithelial tumors and 62% gliomas. There were more males than females among neuroepithelial and embryonal tumor cases, but more females with meningeal tumors. The most frequent locations were cerebellum (22%) and frontal (16%) lobe. The most frequent symptom was headaches (60%), overall, as well as for gliomas, embryonal and ‘non-neuroepithelial’ tumors; it was convulsions/seizures for neuroepithelial tumors other than glioma, and visual signs and symptoms for meningiomas. A cluster analysis showed that headaches and nausea/vomiting was the only combination of symptoms that exceeded a cutoff of 50%, with a joint occurrence of 67%. Overall, the median time from first symptom to diagnosis was 1.42 months (IQR 0.53–4.80); it exceeded 1 year in 12% of cases, though no particular symptom was associated with exceptionally long or short delays.
Conclusions
This is the largest clinical epidemiology study of BT in young people conducted so far. Many signs and symptoms were identified, dominated by headaches and nausea/vomiting. Diagnosis was generally rapid but in 12% diagnostic delay exceeded 1 year with none of the symptoms been associated with a distinctly long time until diagnosis.