Reproductive windows, genetic loci, and breast cancer risk

PURPOSE

The reproductive windows between age at menarche and age at first birth (standardized age at first birth) and from menarche to menopause (reproductive lifespan) may interact with genetic variants in association with breast cancer risk.

METHODS

We assessed this hypothesis in 6131 breast cancer cases and 7274 controls who participated in the population-based Collaborative Breast Cancer Study. Risk factor information was collected through telephone interviews, and DNA samples were collected on a subsample (N= 1484 cases, 1307 controls) to genotype for 13 genome-wide association study-identified loci. Adjusted odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated, and P values for the interaction between reproductive windows and genotypes were obtained by adding cross-product terms to statistical models.

RESULTS

For standardized age at first birth, the OR was 1.52 (CI, 1.36-1.71) comparing the highest quintile with the lowest quintile. Carrier status for rs10941679 (5p12) and rs10483813 (RAD51B) appeared to modify this relationship (P = .04 and P = .02, respectively). For reproductive lifespan, the OR comparing the highest quintile with the lowest quintiles was 1.62 (CI, 1.35-1.95). No interactions were detected between genotype and reproductive lifespan (all P > .05). All results were similar regardless of ductal versus lobular breast cancer subtype.

CONCLUSIONS

Our results suggest that the reproductive windows are associated with breast cancer risk and that associations may vary by genetic variants.

Brain tumor risk according to germ-line variation in the MLLT10 locus

Genome-wide association studies have recently identified a cancer susceptibility locus at 10p12 mapping to MLLT10 associated with the onset of diverse tumors. We genotyped two tightly linked single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) at MLLT10 associated with meningioma (rs12770228) or ovarian cancer (rs1243180), and tested for associations among 295 meningioma cases, 606 glioma cases and 646 noncancer controls, all of European descent. The variant 'A' allele in MLLT10 rs12770228 was associated with an increased risk of meningioma (per allele odds ratio: 1.25; 95% confidence interval: 1.02, 1.53; P=0.031). Similar associations were observed for rs1243180. MLLT10 variants were unrelated to glioma. Functional investigation identified 22 candidate functional SNPs mapping to this region. The present study further validates 10p12 as a meningioma risk locus.

Management of primary metastatic breast cancer in elderly patients--an international comparison of oncogeriatric versus standard care

BACKGROUND

An oncogeriatric approach may affect management of elderly patients with breast cancer. However, little is known about oncogeriatric care in the metastatic setting. Therefore, we performed an international comparison of management of elderly patients with primary metastatic disease who were treated in two different care settings.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Patients who were ≥70years at diagnosis of primary metastatic disease were eligible. The first cohort comprised a population-based cohort of 104 patients (Comprehensive Cancer Center West, The Netherlands), who all received standard care. The second cohort comprised a hospital-based cohort of 42 patients (H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center, Florida, United States), who all received oncogeriatric care.

RESULTS

No large differences in patient and tumor characteristics were observed between both cohorts. Most patients in the standard care cohort received systemic therapy as primary therapy, whereas most patients in the oncogeriatric cohort received a combination of systemic and local therapy. Patients in the standard care cohort received fewer lines of treatment (mean number of treatments 2.1 vs. 3.6, p<0.001), and particularly received less breast surgery, chemotherapy, and trastuzumab. Three-year overall mortality was 71% (95% CI: 61-83%) as compared to 58% (95% CI: 42-75%) among patients in the oncogeriatric care cohort (multivariable HR: 1.59 [95% CI: 0.88-2.87], p=0.125).

CONCLUSIONS

In primary metastatic breast cancer, oncogeriatric care intensifies treatment and might improve survival in elderly patients. Future studies on a larger scale should investigate the potential for improved survival, and whether this is accompanied by a better (preservation of) quality of life and functional status.

Modification of breast cancer risk according to age and menopausal status: a combined analysis of five population-based case-control studies

While several risk factors for breast cancer have been identified, studies have not consistently shown whether these factors operate more strongly at certain ages or for just pre- or postmenopausal women. We evaluated whether risk factors for breast cancer differ according to age or menopausal status. Data from five population-based case-control studies conducted during 1988-2008 were combined and analyzed. Cases (N = 23,959) and population controls (N = 28,304) completed telephone interviews. Logistic regression was used to estimate adjusted odds ratios and 95 % confidence intervals and tests for interaction by age and menopausal status. Odds ratios for first-degree family history of breast cancer were strongest for younger women-reaching twofold elevations-but were still statistically significantly elevated by 58-69 % among older women. Obesity was inversely associated with breast cancer among younger women and positively associated with risk for older women (interaction P < 0.0001). Recent alcohol intake was more strongly related to breast cancer risk among older women, although consumption of 3 or more drinks/day among younger women also was associated with elevated odd ratios (P < 0.0001). Associations with benign breast disease and most reproductive/menstrual factors did not vary by age. Repeating analysis stratifying by menopausal status produced similar results. With few exceptions, menstrual and lifestyle factors are associated with breast cancer risk regardless of age or menopausal status. Variation in the association of family history, obesity, and alcohol use with breast cancer risk by age and menopausal status may need to be considered when determining individual risk for breast cancer.

Inherited variation in the PARP1 gene and survival from melanoma

We report the association of an inherited variant located upstream of the poly(adenosine diphosphate-ribose) polymerase 1 (PARP1) gene (rs2249844), with survival in 11 BioGenoMEL melanoma cohorts. The gene encodes a protein involved in a number of cellular processes including single-strand DNA repair. Survival analysis was conducted for each cohort using proportional hazards regression adjusting for factors known to be associated with survival. Survival was measured as overall survival (OS) and, where available, melanoma-specific survival (MSS). Results were combined using random effects meta-analysis. Evidence for a role of the PARP1 protein in melanoma ulceration and survival was investigated by testing gene expression levels taken from formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tumors. A significant association was seen for inheritance of the rarer variant of PARP1, rs2249844 with OS (hazard ratio (HR) = 1.16 per allele, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.04–1.28, p = 0.005, eleven cohorts) and MSS (HR = 1.20 per allele, 95% CI 1.01–1.39, p = 0.03, eight cohorts). We report bioinformatic data supportive of a functional effect for rs2249844. Higher levels of PARP1 gene expression in tumors were shown to be associated with tumor ulceration and poorer OS.

An inherited variant in the gene coding for vitamin D-binding protein and survival from cutaneous melanoma: a BioGenoMEL study

An association between low serum vitamin D levels and poorer melanoma survival has been reported. We have studied inheritance of a polymorphism of the GC gene, rs2282679, coding for the vitamin D-binding protein, which is associated with lower serum levels of vitamin D, in a meta-analysis of 3137 melanoma patients. The aim was to investigate evidence for a causal relationship between vitamin D and outcome (Mendelian randomization). The variant was not associated with reduced overall survival (OS) in the UK cohort, per-allele hazard ratio (HR) for death 1.23 (95% confidence interval (CI) 0.93, 1.64). In the smaller cohorts, HR in OS analysis was 1.07 (95% CI 0.88, 1.3) and for all cohorts combined, HR for OS was 1.09 (95% CI 0.93, 1.29). There was evidence of increased melanoma-specific deaths in the seven cohorts for which these data were available. The lack of unequivocal findings despite the large sample size illustrates the difficulties of implementing Mendelian randomization.

Smoking History in Relation to Survival after a Breast Cancer Diagnosis

Smoking history is associated with increased risk of most cancers, including breast cancer. Given the persistent effects of tobacco carcinogens, smoking history may also influence breast cancer survival. The few previous studies assessing this association were hindered by limited numbers of outcomes. METHODS: We assessed pre-diagnosis tobacco smoking in relation to survival in 22,870 female residents of Wisconsin, Massachusetts, or New Hampshire who were diagnosed with incident, invasive breast cancer between 1988–2008 at ages 20–79. All women reported pre-diagnosis tobacco use, as well as other known and suspected breast cancer risk factors. Information on breast cancer staging was obtained from state cancer registries. Proportional hazards regression with baseline hazard stratified on state of residence and study phase was used to estimate adjusted hazard ratios (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for cause-specific death according to current smoking (at the time of the breast cancer diagnosis) and long-term (&gt;30 years) smoking (prior to the diagnosis) adjusting for age at diagnosis, stage of disease at diagnosis, family history of breast cancer, age at first birth, menopausal status, hormone therapy use, body mass index, alcohol consumption, education, and mammography. RESULTS: During a median follow-up of 11.3 years from diagnosis, 7,807 deaths occurred, including 3,483 attributed to breast cancer, 328 to lung cancer, 415 to respiratory disease, and 1,553 to cardiovascular disease. Compared to nonsmokers, the HR were 1.2 (1.1–1.3. P = trend = 0.0003) for current smokers and 1.2 (1.1–1.3, P trend = 0.01) for &gt;30 years of smoking. Current smoking was also associated with increased mortality from lung cancer, HR = 14.5 (10.1–20.8), cardiovascular disease, HR = 2.2 (1.9–2.5), and respiratory disease HR = 6.3 (4.8–8.2). CONCLUSIONS: In this large population-based sample of breast cancer cases, current and long-term smokers at the time of diagnosis were 20% more likely to die from breast cancer than never smokers adjusting for breast cancer stage. The elevated mortality risk observed here for known smoking-related diseases adds confidence to the breast cancer findings.Smoking history is associated with increased risk of most cancers, including breast cancer. Given the persistent effects of tobacco carcinogens, smoking history may also influence breast cancer survival. The few previous studies assessing this association were hindered by limited numbers of outcomes. METHODS: We assessed pre-diagnosis tobacco smoking in relation to survival in 22,870 female residents of Wisconsin, Massachusetts, or New Hampshire who were diagnosed with incident, invasive breast cancer between 1988–2008 at ages 20–79. All women reported pre-diagnosis tobacco use, as well as other known and suspected breast cancer risk factors. Information on breast cancer staging was obtained from state cancer registries. Proportional hazards regression with baseline hazard stratified on state of residence and study phase was used to estimate adjusted hazard ratios (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for cause-specific death according to current smoking (at the time of the breast cancer diagnosis) and long-term (&gt;30 years) smoking (prior to the diagnosis) adjusting for age at diagnosis, stage of disease at diagnosis, family history of breast cancer, age at first birth, menopausal status, hormone therapy use, body mass index, alcohol consumption, education, and mammography. RESULTS: During a median follow-up of 11.3 years from diagnosis, 7,807 deaths occurred, including 3,483 attributed to breast cancer, 328 to lung cancer, 415 to respiratory disease, and 1,553 to cardiovascular disease. Compared to nonsmokers, the HR were 1.2 (1.1–1.3. P = trend = 0.0003) for current smokers and 1.2 (1.1–1.3, P trend = 0.01) for &gt;30 years of smoking. Current smoking was also associated with increased mortality from lung cancer, HR = 14.5 (10.1–20.8), cardiovascular disease, HR = 2.2 (1.9–2.5), and respiratory disease HR = 6.3 (4.8–8.2). CONCLUSIONS: In this large population-based sample of breast cancer cases, current and long-term smokers at the time of diagnosis were 20% more likely to die from breast cancer than never smokers adjusting for breast cancer stage. The elevated mortality risk observed here for known smoking-related diseases adds confidence to the breast cancer findings.Smoking history is associated with increased risk of most cancers, including breast cancer. Given the persistent effects of tobacco carcinogens, smoking history may also influence breast cancer survival. The few previous studies assessing this association were hindered by limited numbers of outcomes. METHODS: We assessed pre-diagnosis tobacco smoking in relation to survival in 22,870 female residents of Wisconsin, Massachusetts, or New Hampshire who were diagnosed with incident, invasive breast cancer between 1988–2008 at ages 20–79. All women reported pre-diagnosis tobacco use, as well as other known and suspected breast cancer risk factors. Information on breast cancer staging was obtained from state cancer registries. Proportional hazards regression with baseline hazard stratified on state of residence and study phase was used to estimate adjusted hazard ratios (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for cause-specific death according to current smoking (at the time of the breast cancer diagnosis) and long-term (&gt;30 years) smoking (prior to the diagnosis) adjusting for age at diagnosis, stage of disease at diagnosis, family history of breast cancer, age at first birth, menopausal status, hormone therapy use, body mass index, alcohol consumption, education, and mammography. RESULTS: During a median follow-up of 11.3 years from diagnosis, 7,807 deaths occurred, including 3,483 attributed to breast cancer, 328 to lung cancer, 415 to respiratory disease, and 1,553 to cardiovascular disease. Compared to nonsmokers, the HR were 1.2 (1.1–1.3. P = trend = 0.0003) for current smokers and 1.2 (1.1–1.3, P trend = 0.01) for &gt;30 years of smoking. Current smoking was also associated with increased mortality from lung cancer, HR = 14.5 (10.1–20.8), cardiovascular disease, HR = 2.2 (1.9–2.5), and respiratory disease HR = 6.3 (4.8–8.2). CONCLUSIONS: In this large population-based sample of breast cancer cases, current and long-term smokers at the time of diagnosis were 20% more likely to die from breast cancer than never smokers adjusting for breast cancer stage. The elevated mortality risk observed here for known smoking-related diseases adds confidence to the breast cancer findings.Smoking history is associated with increased risk of most cancers, including breast cancer. Given the persistent effects of tobacco carcinogens, smoking history may also influence breast cancer survival. The few previous studies assessing this association were hindered by limited numbers of outcomes. METHODS: We assessed pre-diagnosis tobacco smoking in relation to survival in 22,870 female residents of Wisconsin, Massachusetts, or New Hampshire who were diagnosed with incident, invasive breast cancer between 1988–2008 at ages 20–79. All women reported pre-diagnosis tobacco use, as well as other known and suspected breast cancer risk factors. Information on breast cancer staging was obtained from state cancer registries. Proportional hazards regression with baseline hazard stratified on state of residence and study phase was used to estimate adjusted hazard ratios (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for cause-specific death according to current smoking (at the time of the breast cancer diagnosis) and long-term (&gt;30 years) smoking (prior to the diagnosis) adjusting for age at diagnosis, stage of disease at diagnosis, family history of breast cancer, age at first birth, menopausal status, hormone therapy use, body mass index, alcohol consumption, education, and mammography. RESULTS: During a median follow-up of 11.3 years from diagnosis, 7,807 deaths occurred, including 3,483 attributed to breast cancer, 328 to lung cancer, 415 to respiratory disease, and 1,553 to cardiovascular disease. Compared to nonsmokers, the HR were 1.2 (1.1–1.3. P = trend = 0.0003) for current smokers and 1.2 (1.1–1.3, P trend = 0.01) for &gt;30 years of smoking. Current smoking was also associated with increased mortality from lung cancer, HR = 14.5 (10.1–20.8), cardiovascular disease, HR = 2.2 (1.9–2.5), and respiratory disease HR = 6.3 (4.8–8.2). CONCLUSIONS: In this large population-based sample of breast cancer cases, current and long-term smokers at the time of diagnosis were 20% more likely to die from breast cancer than never smokers adjusting for breast cancer stage. The elevated mortality risk observed here for known smoking-related diseases adds confidence to the breast cancer findings.

Current approaches to the treatment of metastatic brain tumours

Metastatic tumours involving the brain overshadow primary brain neoplasms in frequency and are an important complication in the overall management of many cancers. Importantly, advances are being made in understanding the molecular biology underlying the initial development and eventual proliferation of brain metastases. Surgery and radiation remain the cornerstones of the therapy for symptomatic lesions; however, image-based guidance is improving surgical technique to maximize the preservation of normal tissue, while more sophisticated approaches to radiation therapy are being used to minimize the long-standing concerns over the toxicity of whole-brain radiation protocols used in the past. Furthermore, the burgeoning knowledge of tumour biology has facilitated the entry of systemically administered therapies into the clinic. Responses to these targeted interventions have ranged from substantial toxicity with no control of disease to periods of useful tumour control with no decrement in performance status of the treated individual. This experience enables recognition of the limits of targeted therapy, but has also informed methods to optimize this approach. This Review focuses on the clinically relevant molecular biology of brain metastases, and summarizes the current applications of these data to imaging, surgery, radiation therapy, cytotoxic chemotherapy and targeted therapy.

Circadian pathway genes in relation to glioma risk and outcome

PURPOSE

There is growing evidence that circadian disruption may alter risk and aggressiveness of cancer. We evaluated common genetic variants in the circadian gene pathway for associations with glioma risk and patient outcome in a US clinic-based case-control study.

METHODS

Subjects were genotyped for 17 candidate single nucleotide polymorphisms in ARNTL, CRY1, CRY2, CSNK1E, KLHL30, NPAS2, PER1, PER3, CLOCK, and MYRIP. Unconditional logistic regression was used to estimate age and gender-adjusted odds ratios (OR) and 95 % confidence intervals (CI) for glioma risk under three inheritance models (additive, dominant, and recessive). Proportional hazards regression was used to estimate hazard ratios for glioma-related death among 441 patients with high-grade tumors. Survival associations were validated using The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) dataset.

RESULTS

A variant in PER1 (rs2289591) was significantly associated with overall glioma risk (per variant allele OR 0.80; 95 % CI 0.66-0.97; p trend = 0.027). The variant allele for CLOCK rs11133391 under a recessive model increased risk of oligodendroglioma (OR 2.41; 95 % CI 1.31-4.42; p = 0.005), though not other glioma subtypes (p for heterogeneity = 0.0033). The association remained significant after false discovery rate adjustment (p = 0.008). Differential associations by gender were observed for MYRIP rs6599077 and CSNK1E rs1534891 though differences were not significant after adjustment for multiple testing. No consistent mortality associations were identified. Several of the examined genes exhibited differential expression in glioblastoma multiforme versus normal brain in TCGA data (MYRIP, ARNTL, CRY1, KLHL30, PER1, CLOCK, and PER3), and expression of NPAS2 was significantly associated with a poor patient outcome in TCGA patients.

CONCLUSION

This exploratory analysis provides some evidence supporting a role for circadian genes in the onset of glioma and possibly the outcome of glioma.

Breast cancer susceptibility loci in association with age at menarche, age at natural menopause and the reproductive lifespan

BACKGROUND

Genome-wide association studies have identified single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with breast cancer risk. Some of these loci have unknown functional significance and may mediate the effects of hormonal exposures on breast cancer risk. We examined relationships between breast cancer susceptibility variants and menstrual/reproductive factors using data from two population-based studies.

METHODS

The first analysis was based on a sample of 1328 women age 20-74 who participated as controls in a case-control study of breast cancer conducted in three U.S. states. We evaluated the associations between age at menarche, age at natural menopause and the reproductive lifespan with 13 previously identified breast cancer variants. Associations were also examined with a genetic score created as the sum of at-risk alleles across the 13 variants. For validation, significant results were evaluated in a second dataset comprised 1353 women age 43-86 recruited as part of a cohort study in Wisconsin.

RESULTS

Neither the genetic score nor any of the 13 variants considered individually were associated with age at menarche or reproductive lifespan. Two SNPs were associated with age at natural menopause; every increase in the minor allele (A) of rs17468277 (CASP8) was associated with a 1.12 year decrease in menopause age (p=0.02). The minor allele (G) of rs10941679 (5p12) was associated with a 1.01 year increase in age at natural menopause (p=0.01). The results were not replicated in the validation cohort (B=-0.61, p=0.14 and B=-0.01, p=.0.98, respectively).

CONCLUSIONS

The evaluated variants and reproductive experiences may work through separate pathways to influence breast cancer risk.

Toenail iron, genetic determinants of iron status, and the risk of glioma

PURPOSE

Iron is essential for oxygen transport and oxidative metabolism; however, elevated iron stores can trigger overproduction of reactive oxygen species and induce DNA damage. Little is known about the association between body iron stores and glioma risk. This study examined the associations of iron levels measured in toenails and genetic variants linked to body iron stores with risk of glioma in a clinic-based case-control study.

METHODS

Samples were collected a median of 24 days following glioma diagnosis in the cases (10th-90th percentile, range: 10-44 days). Nail iron levels were measured in 300 cases and 300 controls using neutron activation analysis. A total of 24 genetic variants associated with iron status were genotyped in 622 cases and 628 controls. Logistic regression was used to estimate odds ratios (OR) and 95 % confidence intervals (CI) for glioma risk according to toenail iron and the examined genotypes.

RESULTS

No association was observed between toenail iron and glioma risk when restricting to cases with nails collected within ~3 weeks of diagnosis (OR = 0.93; 95 % CI 0.46, 1.87 comparing those with high (≥14 μg/g) vs. low (<6 μg/g) iron levels). In contrast, an inverse association with increasing iron was observed after restricting to cases with a delay of 3 weeks or greater (OR = 0.42; 95 % CI 0.19, 0.95), reflecting potentially insidious effects of advancing disease on iron levels among the cases. No associations were observed for any of the examined genetic variants.

CONCLUSION

The results do not support a role for body iron stores as a determinant of glioma risk.

Early life exposures and the risk of adult glioma

Exposure to common infections in early life may stimulate immune development and reduce the risk for developing cancer. Birth order and family size are proxies for the timing of exposure to childhood infections with several studies showing a reduced risk of glioma associated with a higher order of birth (and presumed younger age at infection). The aim of this study was to examine whether birth order, family size, and other early life exposures are associated with the risk of glioma in adults using data collected in a large clinic-based US case-control study including 889 glioma cases and 903 community controls. A structured interviewer-administered questionnaire was used to collect information on family structure, childhood exposures and other potential risk factors. Logistic regression was used to calculate odds ratios (OR) and corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CI) for the association between early life factors and glioma risk. Persons having any siblings were at significantly lower risk for glioma when compared to those reporting no siblings (OR=0.64; 95% CI 0.44-0.93; p=0.020). Compared to first-borns, individuals with older siblings had a significantly lower risk (OR=0.75; 95% CI 0.61-0.91; p=0.004). Birth weight, having been breast fed in infancy, and season of birth were not associated with glioma risk. The current findings lend further support to a growing body of evidence that early exposure to childhood infections reduces the risk of glioma onset in children and adults.

Prediagnostic body weight and survival in high grade glioma

Greater adiposity has been linked to an increased risk and/or poorer survival in a variety of cancers. We examined whether prediagnostic body weight 1-5 years prior to diagnosis is associated with survival in patients with high grade glioma. The analysis was based on a series of patients with high-grade glioma (N = 853) enrolled in a US-based multicenter case-control study. Subjects reported height and weight 1-5 years prior to interview and at age 21. BMI was categorized according to WHO criteria as underweight (BMI <18.5 kg/m(2)), normal weight (BMI 18.5-24.9 kg/m(2)), overweight (BMI 25-29.9 kg/m(2)) and obese (BMI ≥30 kg/m(2)). Proportional hazards regression was used to estimate hazard ratios (HR) and 95 % confidence intervals (CIs) for glioma-related death according to body mass index (BMI, kg/m(2)). Overall survival was reduced among patients underweight (median survival: 12.0 months) or obese (median: 13.6 months) when compared to patients of normal weight (median: 17.5 months) prior to glioma diagnosis (p = 0.004). In a multivariate model controlling for other prognostic factors, an excess mortality was observed in patients reporting obese body weights 1-5 years prior to study interview when compared to patients with a normal BMI (HR = 1.32; 95 % CI 1.04-1.68). Consistent patterns of association with excess body weight were observed in men and women, and all findings were similar regardless of treatment for glioma. A lower than optimal body weight was associated with a nonsignificant excess mortality in multivariate analysis. Premorbid obesity was significantly associated with a poor patient outcome independent of treatment and established prognostic factors. Excess body weight may be an adverse prognostic factor in glioma, a relationship observed across a spectrum of cancer types. The current findings linking prediagnostic body weight with mortality in high-grade glioma warrant further research.

Anthropometric factors in relation to risk of glioma

INTRODUCTION

Increased height and greater adiposity have been linked to an increased risk of many cancer types, though few large studies have examined these associations in glioma. We examined body weight and height as potential risk factors for glioma in a large US-based case-control study.

METHODS

The analysis included 1,111 glioma cases and 1,096 community controls. In a structured interview, participants reported their height and weight at 21 years of age, lowest and highest weight in adulthood, and weight 1-5 years in the past.

RESULTS

Being underweight at age 21 (BMI < 18.5 kg/m(2)) was inversely associated with the risk of glioma development. This protective association was observed in both men and women, but reached statistical significance in women only (multivariate OR 0.68; 95 % CI 0.48, 0.96). When BMI at age 21 was assessed as a continuous variate, a small but significant increase in risk was observed per unit increase in kg/m(2) (OR 1.04; 95 % CI 1.02, 1.07). Adult height, recent body weight, and weight change in adulthood were not associated with glioma risk. All results were similar among never smokers and were consistent after stratifying by glioma subtype.

CONCLUSION

The present data suggest that a low body weight in early adulthood is associated with a reduced risk of glioma later in life. Results are consistent with previous studies in showing no material association of glioma risk with usual adult body weight. The present study does not support any association of adult stature with glioma risk.

Gene variants in angiogenesis and lymphangiogenesis and cutaneous melanoma progression

BACKGROUND

Angiogenesis and lymphangiogenesis are important in the progression of melanoma. We investigated associations between genetic variants in these pathways with sentinel lymph node (SLN) metastasis and mortality in 2 independent series of patients with melanoma.

METHODS

Participants at Moffitt Cancer Center were 552 patients, all Caucasian, with primary cutaneous melanoma referred for SLN biopsy. A total of 177 patients had SLN metastasis, among whom 60 died from melanoma. Associations between 238 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) in 26 genes and SLN metastasis were estimated as ORs and 95% confidence intervals (CI) using logistic regression. Competing risk regression was used to estimate HRs and 95% CI for each SNP and melanoma-specific mortality. We attempted to replicate significant findings using data from a genome-wide association study comprising 1,115 patients with melanoma who were referred for SLN biopsy from MD Anderson Cancer Center (MDACC), among whom 189 patients had SLN metastasis and 92 patients died from melanoma.

RESULTS

In the Moffitt dataset, we observed significant associations in 18 SNPs with SLN metastasis and 17 SNPs with mortality. Multiple SNPs in COL18A1, EGF receptor (EGFR), FLT1, interleukin (IL)-10, platelet-derived growth factor D (PDGFD), PIK3CA, and toll-like receptor (TLR)-3 were associated with the risk of SLN metastasis and/or patient mortality. The MDACC data set replicated an association between mortality and rs2220377 in PDGFD. Furthermore, in a meta-analysis, 3 additional SNPs were significantly associated with SLN metastasis (EGFR rs723526 and TLR3 rs3775292) and melanoma-specific death (TLR3 rs7668666).

CONCLUSIONS

These findings suggest that genetic variation in angiogenesis and lymphangiogenesis contributes to regional nodal metastasis and progression of melanoma.

IMPACT

Additional research attempting to replicate these results is warranted.

Abstract 714: Single cell phenotypic heterogeneity as a prognostic factor in glioblastoma

Background – Glioblastoma Multiforme (GBM) is a highly aggressive and heterogeneous disease in which survival of patients is measured only in months. Pathologic features associated with patient outcome are still incompletely understood. Until recently, phenotypic features of single cells have not been investigated due to technological limitations. However, with the advent of high-content slide scanning coupled with cognitive and scriptable algorithms, researchers are now positioned to identify and quantify single cell features that may provide unique insight on tumor behavior. In this project we sought to identify variations in cellular phenotypes which correlate with time of post diagnostic survival in patients with GBM.

Methods – A total of 157 GBM patients were selected for study on the basis of short (SS) (median K-M survival = 6 months; N=81) or long (LS) (median K-M survival = 33 months, N=76) survival times. Median age was 56 years and all patients underwent current standard of care therapy for GBM (surgery, radiation and temozolomide). Among the 157 cases, 11 were excluded due to poor sample quality (final n=146). For each case, the diagnostic H&E slide was digitally scanned using the ScanScope XT (Aperio, Vista, CA, USA) with a 200x/0.8NA objective lens. Definiens TissueStudio v3.0 (Munich, Germany) was used to identify viable tumor regions. Individual cells were segmented in areas of viable tumor and twenty separate features extracted from each tumor cell (subcellular compartmentalization, nucleus to cytoplasm area ratio, nuclear size and shape, etc). In total, the 20 features were extracted in thousands of single cells for each GBM case. Output was evaluated by Matlab (The MathWorks, Inc,, Natick, MA) using a heatmap approach by first normalizing the scales of each feature to a range of 0-1, and assigning a color from green (0) to red (1) (5 classes) for each cell or compartment (x) and each feature (y).

Results – This study was completed in a series of three stages including training followed by two replication sets. In the training set (N=50), four of the evaluated features associated with the size and shape of the cancer cell nuclei (i.e. width [μm], circularity, ellipticity and hematoxylin intensity), were found to distinguish the SS group (15/25) from the LS group (6/25) based on supervised classification. A similar pattern was observed in replication set 1 (15/24 and 8/28, respectively) and replication set 2 (15/23 and 8/21, respectively). Overall, 66% of cases were correctly classified with respect to survival time on the basis of these cellular features (p=0.0001).

Conclusions – Quantitative image analysis may be useful in the identification of novel prognostic features in GBM with potential for gaining new biological insights on the behavior of these tumors.

Citation Format: Mark C. Lloyd, Melissa H. Madden, L. Burton Nabors, Reid C. Thompson, Jeffrey J. Olson, Steven L. Carroll, James Browning, Tamir Epstein, Robert A. Gatenby, Kathleen M. Egan. Single cell phenotypic heterogeneity as a prognostic factor in glioblastoma. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 104th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2013 Apr 6-10; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2013;73(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 714. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2013-714

Abstract 104: Toenail iron, genetic variation in iron status, and the risk and outcome of glioma

Elevated iron stores can trigger overproduction of reactive oxygen species and induce oxidative DNA damage. To our knowledge, no studies have investigated the association of body iron stores with the risk of glioma. In this investigation, we examined single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) identified as markers of iron status in genome-wide association studies, and also measured iron stores in toenail samples in a clinic-based case-control study conducted at medical centers in the southeastern US. Genotyping was performed in 622 newly diagnosed, nonrecurrent glioma cases (including 341 WHO grade IV glioblastomas (GBM); 146 WHO grade II or III astrocytomas, 94 mixed oligoastrocytomas (MOAs) and oligodendrogliomas, and 41 gliomas with unspecified histology) and 628 healthy controls with no history of brain tumors. Illumina GoldenGate and Taqman OpenArray assays were used to genotype oral DNA samples. A total of 24 SNPs associated with markers of iron status were genotyped. Iron levels in toenail samples were measured in 200 glioma cases and 200 controls using neutron-activation analysis. Logistic regression was used to estimate age and gender-adjusted odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for glioma risk according to examined genotypes and toenail iron levels. Proportional hazards regression was used to estimate age and gender-adjusted hazard ratios (HR) for glioma-related death among 320 patients with GBM or high grade astrocytomas all treated with the current standard of care for high grade glioma (eg. surgery, radiation and temozolomide) (248 deaths; median Kaplan-Meier survival: 15.0 months). We observed no overall association with glioma risk or patient outcome for SNPs in ARSB, BTN1A1, C7ORF10, FLJ43390, GHR, GTSCR1, HFE, HIST1H2BJ, KRT18P33, LRRC16, SCGN, SLC17A1, TOPBP1, and WTAP. Among non-GBM astrocytomas, borderline risk associations were observed for rs236918 in PCSK7 (G&gt;C; minor allele frequency (MAF) = 0.11) (per variant allele OR = 0.50; 95% CI: 0.29 to 0.88; p for trend = 0.01) and with rs1049296 in TF (C&gt;T; MAF = 0.17) (recessive model OR = 3.03; 95% CI: 1.11 to 8.27; p = 0.03). Among oligodendrogliomas/MOAs, risk associations were observed for rs4820268 in TMPRSS6 (A&gt;G; MAF = 0.43) (recessive model OR = 1.91; 95% CI: 1.14 to 3.22; p = 0.01) and rs12216125 in TRIM38 (C&gt;T; MAF = 0.35) (dominant model OR = 1.67; 95% CI: 1.03 to 2.72; p = 0.04). No SNPs were associated with the risk of GBM. One SNP, rs972275 in RSPO3 (G&gt;C; MAF = 0.38), was associated with shorter patient survival (dominant model HR = 1.40; 95% CI: 1.06, 1.87; p=0.02). Increasing levels of toenail iron was associated with a non-significant decrease in glioma risk (OR = 0.88; 95% CI: 0.77 to 1.02; p = 0.08). Iron levels were not associated with survival. To our knowledge this is the first report suggesting that genetically determined variation in iron status may affect glioma risk and patient outcome. Further studies are needed to confirm these results.

Citation Format: Gabriella M. Anic, Reid C. Thompson, L. Burton Nabors, Jeffrey J. Olson, Melissa H. Madden, James E. Browning, John D. Brockman, Peter A. Forsyth, Kathleen M. Egan. Toenail iron, genetic variation in iron status, and the risk and outcome of glioma . [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 104th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2013 Apr 6-10; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2013;73(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 104. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2013-104

Alcohol consumption before and after breast cancer diagnosis: associations with survival from breast cancer, cardiovascular disease, and other causes

PURPOSE

Alcohol intake is associated with increased risk of breast cancer. In contrast, the relation between alcohol consumption and breast cancer survival is less clear.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

We assessed pre- and postdiagnostic alcohol intake in a cohort of 22,890 women with incident invasive breast cancer who were residents of Wisconsin, Massachusetts, or New Hampshire and diagnosed from 198 to 200 at ages 20 to 79 years. All women reported on prediagnostic intake; a subsample of 4,881 reported on postdiagnostic intake.

RESULTS

During a median follow-up of 11.3 years from diagnosis, 7,780 deaths occurred, including 3,484 resulting from breast cancer. Hazard ratios (HR) and 95% CIs were estimated. Based on a quadratic analysis, moderate alcohol consumption before diagnosis was modestly associated with disease-specific survival (compared with nondrinkers, HR = 0.93 [95% CI, 0.85 to 1.02], 0.85 [95% CI, 0.75 to 0.95], 0.88 [95% CI, 0.75 to 1.02], and 0.89 [95% CI, 0.77 to 1.04] for two or more, three to six, seven to nine, and ≥ 10 drinks/wk, respectively). Alcohol consumption after diagnosis was not associated with disease-specific survival (compared with nondrinkers, HR = 0.88 [95% CI, 0.61 to 1.27], 0.80 [95% CI, 0.49 to 1.32], 1.01 [95% CI, 0.55 to 1.87], and 0.83 [95% CI, 0.45 to 1.54] for two or more, three to six, seven to nine, and ≥ 10 drinks/wk, respectively). Results did not vary by beverage type. Women consuming moderate levels of alcohol, either before or after diagnosis, experienced better cardiovascular and overall survival than nondrinkers.

CONCLUSION

Overall alcohol consumption before diagnosis was not associated with disease-specific survival, but we found a suggestion favoring moderate consumption. There was no evidence for an association with postdiagnosis alcohol intake and breast cancer survival. This study, however, does provide support for a benefit of limited alcohol intake for cardiovascular and overall survival in women with breast cancer.

Breast cancer susceptibility loci in association with age at menarche, age at natural menopause and the reproductive lifespan

Purpose: Genome wide association studies have identified common single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with breast cancer risk. Many of these SNPs have an unknown biologic significance. Hormonal risk factors may mediate the relationships between these loci and breast cancer risk. We explored the relation between breast cancer susceptibility loci and menstrual factors using data from two population-based studies. Methods: In the first dataset, composed of 1328 women ages 20–74 years without a breast cancer diagnosis who participated in an established population-based study conducted in three U.S. states, we used linear regression to assess the associations between 13 previously-identified breast cancer loci with age at menarche, age at natural menopause and the reproductive lifespan. The reproductive lifespan is defined as the time between age at menarche and age at natural menopause, excluding time for pregnancy, oral contraceptive use and lactation. A polygenic risk score created as the sum of the number of risk allele copies in the SNPs was also evaluated for an association with menstrual traits. Significant results were then evaluated in the second dataset comprised of 1353 women ages 43–86 years recruited as part of a cohort study based in Beaver Dam, WI. Results: Polygenic score and 13 loci were not associated with either age at menarche or reproductive lifespan. Two SNPs were associated with age at natural menopause; each increase in the number of copies of the minor allele (A) of rs17468277 (CASP8) was associated with a 1.12 year decrease in age at natural menopause (p = 0.02). The minor allele (G) of SNP rs10941679 (5p12) (p = 0.01) was associated with a 1.01 year increase in age at natural menopause, although these results were not replicated in the follow-up study (p = 0.14 and 0.98, respectively). Conclusions: We did not find evidence to support the hypothesis that breast cancer susceptibility loci are related to menstrual factors.

SWI/SNF gene variants and glioma risk and outcome

BACKGROUND

The human SWItch/Sucrose Non-Fermentable (SWI/SNF) chromatin remodeling complex plays essential roles in a variety of cellular processes and has been implicated in human cancer. However, the role of germline genetic variants in this complex in relation to cancer risk is not well studied.

METHODS

We assessed the association of 16 variants in the catalytic subunits (SMARCA2 and SMARCA4) of the SWI/SNF complex with the risk of glioma subtypes (lower grade astrocytoma, oligodendroglioma and glioblastoma [GBM]) and with mortality from high-grade tumors (GBM) in a multicenter US case-control study that included 561 cases and 574 controls. Associations were estimated with odds ratios (OR, for risk) or hazards ratios (HR, for mortality) with 95% confidence intervals (CI). False discovery rate (FDR-q) was used to control for multiple testing in risk associations.

RESULTS

None of the investigated SNPs was associated with overall glioma risk. However, analyses according to histological subtypes revealed a statistically significant increased risk of oligodendroglioma in association with SMARCA2 rs2296212 (OR = 4.05, 95% CI = 1.11-14.80, P = 0.030, q = 0.08) and rs4741651 (OR = 4.68, 95% CI = 1.43-15.30, P = 0.011, q = 0.08) and SMARCA4 rs11672232 (OR = 1.90, 95% CI = 1.01-3.58, P = 0.048, q = 0.08) and rs12232780 (OR = 2.14, 95% CI = 1.06-4.33, P = 0.035, q = 0.08). No significant risk associations were observed for GBM or lower grade astrocytoma. Suggestive associations with GBM mortality were not validated in the Cancer Genome Atlas.

CONCLUSION

Our findings suggest that genetic variants in SMARCA2 and SMARCA4 influence the risk of oligodendroglioma. Further research is warranted on the SWI/SNF complex genes and epigenetic mechanisms more generally in the development of glioma in adults.

Comparison of 6q25 breast cancer hits from Asian and European Genome Wide Association Studies in the Breast Cancer Association Consortium (BCAC)

The 6q25.1 locus was first identified via a genome-wide association study (GWAS) in Chinese women and marked by single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) rs2046210, approximately 180 Kb upstream of ESR1. There have been conflicting reports about the association of this locus with breast cancer in Europeans, and a GWAS in Europeans identified a different SNP, tagged here by rs12662670. We examined the associations of both SNPs in up to 61,689 cases and 58,822 controls from forty-four studies collaborating in the Breast Cancer Association Consortium, of which four studies were of Asian and 39 of European descent. Logistic regression was used to estimate odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI). Case-only analyses were used to compare SNP effects in Estrogen Receptor positive (ER+) versus negative (ER-) tumours. Models including both SNPs were fitted to investigate whether the SNP effects were independent. Both SNPs are significantly associated with breast cancer risk in both ethnic groups. Per-allele ORs are higher in Asian than in European studies [rs2046210: OR (A/G) = 1.36 (95% CI 1.26-1.48), p = 7.6 × 10(-14) in Asians and 1.09 (95% CI 1.07-1.11), p = 6.8 × 10(-18) in Europeans. rs12662670: OR (G/T) = 1.29 (95% CI 1.19-1.41), p = 1.2 × 10(-9) in Asians and 1.12 (95% CI 1.08-1.17), p = 3.8 × 10(-9) in Europeans]. SNP rs2046210 is associated with a significantly greater risk of ER- than ER+ tumours in Europeans [OR (ER-) = 1.20 (95% CI 1.15-1.25), p = 1.8 × 10(-17) versus OR (ER+) = 1.07 (95% CI 1.04-1.1), p = 1.3 × 10(-7), p(heterogeneity) = 5.1 × 10(-6)]. In these Asian studies, by contrast, there is no clear evidence of a differential association by tumour receptor status. Each SNP is associated with risk after adjustment for the other SNP. These results suggest the presence of two variants at 6q25.1 each independently associated with breast cancer risk in Asians and in Europeans. Of these two, the one tagged by rs2046210 is associated with a greater risk of ER- tumours.

A multistage genetic association study identifies breast cancer risk loci at 10q25 and 16q24

BACKGROUND

Heritable risk for breast cancer includes an increasing number of common, low effect risk variants. We conducted a multistage genetic association study in a series of independent epidemiologic breast cancer study populations to identify novel breast cancer risk variants.

METHODS

We tested 1,162 SNPs of greatest nominal significance from stage I of the Cancer Genetic Markers of Susceptibility breast cancer study (CGEMS; 1,145 cases, 1,142 controls) for evidence of replicated association with breast cancer in the Nashville Breast Cohort (NBC; 599 cases, 1,161 controls), the Collaborative Breast Cancer Study (CBCS; 1,552 cases, 1,185 controls), and BioVU Breast Cancer Study (BioVU; 1,172 cases, 1,172 controls).

RESULTS

Among these SNPs, a series of validated breast cancer risk variants yielded expected associations in the study populations. In addition, we observed two previously unreported loci that were significantly associated with breast cancer risk in the CGEMS, NBC, and CBCS study populations and had a consistent, although not statistically significant, risk effect in the BioVU study population. These were rs1626678 at 10q25.3 near ENO4 and KIAA1598 (meta-analysis age-adjusted OR = 1.13 [1.07-1.20], P = 5.6 × 10(-5)), and rs8046508 at 16q23.1 in the eighth intron of WWOX (meta-analysis age-adjusted OR = 1.20 [1.10-1.31], P = 3.5 × 10(-5)).

CONCLUSIONS

Our data supports the association of two novel loci, at 10q25.3 and 16q23.1, with risk of breast cancer.

IMPACT

The expanding compendium of known breast cancer genetic risk variants holds increasing power for clinical risk prediction models of breast cancer, improving upon the Gail model.

An exploratory analysis of common genetic variants in the vitamin D pathway including genome-wide associated variants in relation to glioma risk and outcome

PURPOSE

Experimental and epidemiological evidence shows a beneficial role of vitamin D in cancer. In vitro evidence is consistent with a similar protective function in glioma; however, no study has yet examined the potential role of vitamin D in glioma.

METHODS

We evaluated the association between common genetic variants in the vitamin D pathway and glioma risk and patient outcome in 622 newly diagnosed glioma cases and 628 healthy controls enrolled in a clinic-based case-control study. Subjects were genotyped for 7 candidate and tagging single nucleotide polymorphisms in the vitamin D receptor and 8 additional variants in NADSYN1, GC, CYP24A1, CYP2R1, and C10ORF88 linked in genome-wide association studies to serum concentrations of vitamin D. Unconditional logistic regression was used to estimate age- and gender-adjusted odds ratios and 95 % confidence intervals for glioma risk according to vitamin D genotypes. Proportional hazards regression was used to estimate hazard ratios for glioma-related death among 320 patients diagnosed with high-grade tumors. P values were uncorrected for multiple comparisons.

RESULTS

Risk of astrocytic tumors was associated with variant alleles in rs3829251 (NADSYN1), rs10741657 (CYP2R1), rs2228570 (Fok1, VDR), and rs731236 (Taq1, VDR). No risk associations were found among oligodendroglial tumors. Survival associations were observed according to variant status for rs1544410 (Bsm1, VDR) and rs6013897 (CYP24A1).

CONCLUSION

This exploratory analysis provides limited evidence of a role for genetic variation in vitamin D pathway genes with glioma risk and survival.

Rare TP53 genetic variant associated with glioma risk and outcome

Validation of a recent finding linking a rare variant in TP53 to the risk of glioma, the most common primary brain tumour, is reported here. This study genotyped the single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) rs78378222 in 566 glioma cases and 603 controls. The variant 'C' allele (with an allelic frequency of 1.1% in controls) was associated with a 3.5-fold excess in glioma risk (odds ratio 3.54; p=0.0001). Variant carriers had significantly improved survival (hazard ratio 0.52; p=0.009) when compared to non-carriers. The rs78378222 SNP is the first confirmed rare susceptibility variant in glioma. Results may shed light on the aetiology and progression of these tumours.