GEP is currently undertaking large multi-partner genetic epidemiology studies of cancers strongly related to tobacco and alcohol - principally lung and aerodigestive cancers, but also kidney and pancreatic cancers. These include candidate gene studies, and increasingly genomewide association studies.

A series of large multicentre case-control studies of lung, upper aerodigestive and kidney cancer have been completed in Europe and Latin America, comprising over 15 000 subjects. Genomewide association studies are currently underway in collaboration with the Centre National de Genotypage to help identify new genes for these cancers and the first results for lung cancer have been published (Hung et al, Nature 2008; Mc Kay et al, Nature Genetics, 2008). The Group is also working with the International Lung Cancer Consortium (ILCCO) and the International Head and Neck Cancer Epidemiology (INHANCE) Consortium, with the aim of pooling information and results from all large studies of lung and aero-digestive cancers.

A large genome-wide study of kidney cancer is also underway, in collaboration with the Centre National de Genotypage (Evry, France) and the US National Cancer Institute. Complete results are expected before the end of 2009.

Genetic investigations into pancreatic cancer are expected to start soon. As part of this initiative, we are coordinating a large case-control study of pancreatic cancer in Slovakia and Czech Republic, and are participating in the Pancreatic Cancer Case-Control Consortium (PANC4)

These genetic investigations are being complemented by molecular epidemiology studies of these cancers. This includes investigating the role of specific gene mutations in tobacco related tumours (conducted in collaboration with scientists in the Molecular Carcinogenesis Group) as well as the role of human papilloma virus (HPV) in head and neck cancers (conducted in collaboration with DKFZ, Heidelberg).

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is a malignancy with a wide range of incidence rates across the world. In most areas, it is rare (e.g., 0.5 cases per 100 000 per year in the UK), but in certain regions it occurs in an endemic form with an incidence 10- to 40-fold higher. We are conducting large studies on the role of genes and environmental factors in the etiology of NPC in South East Asia, in particular in Sarawak (Malaysia), Thailand and Singapore.

Russian cohort study

We are coordinating a large cohort study in Russia, along with colleagues in the Cancer Research Centre of Moscow and the Clinical Trials Service Unit of the University of Oxford. Over 100,000 adults have already been recruited from 3 cities in Western Siberia (Barnaul, Bysk and Tomsk) with collection of extensive questionnaire information and DNA. Follow-up is underway to identify cancer and other chronic disease outcomes, and future analyses will focus on understanding the causes of the extremely high mortality rates among adults in middle age in this region.

Updated: Tue, Sep 22, 2009