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Pooling Project of Prospective Studies of Diet and Cancer (DCPP) : Alcohol Use and Risk of Cancer

Principal Investigator
Name
Stephanie Smith-Warner
Degrees
PhD
Institution
Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health
Position Title
Senior Lecturer
Email
About this CDAS Project
Study
PLCO (Learn more about this study)
Project ID
PLCO-287
Initial CDAS Request Approval
Jul 28, 2017
Title
Pooling Project of Prospective Studies of Diet and Cancer (DCPP) : Alcohol Use and Risk of Cancer
Summary
This proposal focuses on evaluating the relationships between alcohol use and risk of cancer in the Pooling Project of Prospective Studies of Diet and Cancer (DCPP). The project only includes prospective studies because case-control studies (which have been commonly conducted to examine associations between lifestyle factors and risk of various diseases) are more susceptible to recall and selection bias than prospective cohort studies.
Aims

1. To conduct a pooled analysis of 36 studies of the role of alcohol use and risk of cancer sites for which the evidence is suggestive or limited. Hypothesis: Alcohol consumption, even when moderate, is associated with a higher risk of prostate cancer (both advanced and localized) and pancreatic cancer, and with a lower risk of kidney and thyroid cancer, and NHL.
2. To evaluate the associations between alcohol consumption and cancers of the prostate, pancreas, kidney and UADT in non-smokers. Hypothesis: Alcohol consumption is weakly associated with the risk of these cancers, once the role of tobacco smoking has been removed.
3. To evaluate associations of lifetime alcohol use (assessed in 7 studies) with risk of advanced and localized prostate, pancreatic, kidney, and thyroid cancer, and NHL. Hypothesis: Alcohol use at different ages together with alcohol exposure throughout life are important drivers on the way alcohol affects the risk of specific cancers.
4. To evaluate specific patterns of alcohol use, including binge drinking (assessed in 11 studies), in relation to risk of advanced and localized prostate, pancreas, kidney, and thyroid cancer, and NHL. Hypothesis: Specific patterns of alcohol drinking involving excessive alcohol use, binge drinking, and type of alcoholic beverages are important determinants of the alcohol and cancer relationship.

Collaborators

Regina Ziegler, DCEG
Neal Freedman, DCEG