Exploring the Association Between Environmental Factors, Genetic Factors, and the Incidence of Lung Cancer, Colorectal Cancer, Prostate Cancer, Ovarian Cancer, Chronic Diseases, and Comorbidities Using the PLCO Database
The PLCO study, with its extensive cohort and comprehensive data collection, provides an unparalleled opportunity to conduct a multifactorial analysis. This study will examine the influence of lifestyle factors (such as diet, physical activity, smoking, and alcohol consumption), environmental exposures (such as pollutants and occupational hazards), and genetic variants on the risk of developing the specified cancers and chronic diseases. Additionally, we will explore the burden of comorbid conditions, focusing on the co-occurrence of chronic diseases with cancer, to understand how these conditions interact and impact patient outcomes.
Advanced statistical methods and machine learning techniques will be employed to analyze the data, identify significant risk factors, and uncover potential gene-environment interactions. The ultimate goal is to develop predictive models that can stratify individuals based on their risk profiles, which could inform personalized prevention and intervention strategies.
The expected outcomes of this project include a comprehensive understanding of the risk factors associated with lung, colorectal, prostate, and ovarian cancers, as well as chronic diseases and their comorbidities. Identifying these factors and their interactions will provide valuable insights for public health initiatives and clinical practices aimed at reducing the incidence and burden of these diseases.
Aim 1: Evaluate the Association Between Environmental Factors and the Risk of Multiple Cancers and Chronic Diseases
Assess the impact of dietary patterns, including intake of specific food groups, on the incidence of lung, colorectal, prostate, and ovarian cancers, as well as chronic diseases.
Examine the relationship between physical activity levels and the risk of developing these cancers and chronic conditions.
Investigate the effects of smoking and alcohol consumption on the development of the specified cancers and chronic diseases.
Analyze the influence of environmental pollutants and occupational exposures on the incidence of these cancers and chronic diseases.
Aim 2: Investigate the Role of Genetic Factors in Susceptibility to Multiple Cancers and Chronic Diseases
Identify genetic variants associated with increased risk of lung, colorectal, prostate, and ovarian cancers, and chronic diseases using genome-wide association studies (GWAS) within the PLCO cohort.
Explore the interaction between known susceptibility loci and environmental exposures to determine their combined effect on disease risk.
Assess the heritability and genetic correlations of these cancers and chronic diseases within the PLCO cohort.
Aim 3: Explore the Comorbidity Patterns and Their Impact on Patient Outcomes
Identify common comorbid conditions that co-occur with lung, colorectal, prostate, and ovarian cancers.
Investigate how the presence of chronic diseases influences cancer progression, treatment response, and overall survival.
Develop models to predict the risk of comorbidities in cancer patients, facilitating better management and care planning.
Aim 4: Develop and Validate Predictive Models for Cancer and Chronic Disease Risk
Integrate significant environmental and genetic factors identified in Aims 1 and 2 to develop comprehensive risk prediction models.
Validate the predictive models using independent subsets of the PLCO data to ensure accuracy and generalizability.
Evaluate the models' clinical utility in stratifying individuals into different risk categories, guiding personalized screening, prevention, and intervention strategies.
Shenzhen University Medical School-Dongsheng Hu
Shenzhen University Medical School-Ming Zhang
National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, National Cancer Center, Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China-Chunqing Lin