Publications by authors named "Fiona Bruinsma"

Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) has been associated with germline pathogenic or likely pathogenic (PLP) variants in recognised cancer susceptibility genes. Studies of RCC using gene panel sequencing have been highly variable in terms of study design, genes included, and reported prevalence of PLP variant carriers (4-26%). Studies that restricted their analysis to established RCC predisposition genes identified variants in 1-6% of cases.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Epidemiologic evidence suggests an inverse association between sun exposure and follicular lymphoma risk.

Methods: We conducted an Australian population-based family case-control study based on 666 cases and 459 controls (288 related, 171 unrelated). Participants completed a lifetime residence and work calendar and recalled outdoor hours on weekdays, weekends, and holidays in the warmer and cooler months at ages 10, 20, 30, and 40 years, and clothing types worn in the warmer months.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Objectives: We aimed to examine the relationship between occupational exposure to extremely low-frequency magnetic fields (ELF-MFs) and follicular lymphoma (FL) risk.

Methods: We conducted a family case-control study between 2011 and 2016 in Australia and included 681 cases. Controls were either a family member of cases (related (n=294), unrelated (n=179)) or were unrelated recruited for a similarly designed Australian multiple myeloma study (n=711).

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: While remaining incurable, median overall survival for MM now exceeds 5 years. Yet few studies have investigated how modifiable lifestyle factors influence survival. We investigate whether adiposity, diet, alcohol, or smoking are associated with MM-related fatality.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Birt-Hogg-Dubé (BHD) syndrome is a rare genetic syndrome caused by pathogenic or likely pathogenic germline variants in the gene. Patients with BHD syndrome have an increased risk of fibrofolliculomas, pulmonary cysts, pneumothorax and renal cell carcinoma. There is debate regarding whether colonic polyps should be added to the criteria.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: The association between dietary intake of foods of animal origin and follicular lymphoma (FL) risk and survival is uncertain. In this study, we examined the relationship between dietary intake of dairy foods and fats, meat, fish and seafoods, and the likelihood of FL and survival.

Methods: We conducted a population-based family case-control study in Australia between 2011 and 2016 and included 710 cases, 303 siblings and 186 spouse/partner controls.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Speech and language impairments are central features of CDK13-related disorder. While pathogenic CDK13 variants have been associated with childhood apraxia of speech (CAS), a systematic characterisation of communication has not been conducted. Here we examined speech, language, non-verbal communication skills, social behaviour and health and development in 41 individuals with CDK13-related disorder from 10 countries (male = 22, median-age 7 years 1 month, range 1-25 years; 33 novel).

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • Glioma is a major form of malignant brain cancer, with glioblastoma being particularly deadly, so researchers conducted a genetic study in Australia to explore risk factors by subtype and sex.
  • They analyzed genetic data for over 560 glioma cases and 2,237 controls, focusing on specific genetic variations (SNPs) linked to glioma risk, using logistic regression for their analysis.
  • The study confirmed earlier findings about certain genetic regions related to glioma risk, particularly emphasizing a stronger risk association in females for the 8q24.21 region, suggesting that understanding sex differences could improve prevention and treatment strategies.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Objectives: To compare age-adjusted all-cause and CVD mortality, relative to the general female population, for women registered for fertility treatment who received it and those who did not.

Design: Prospective cohort study; analysis of Monash IVF clinical registries data, 1975-2018, linked with National Death Index mortality data.

Participants: All women who registered for fertility treatment at Monash IVF (Melbourne, Victoria), 1 January 1975 - 1 January 2014, followed until 31 December 2018.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: There is increasing evidence for the relationship between physical activity (PA), sedentary behaviour and mental health. Limited data exists on sex-specific associations. We aimed to identify associations between PA dose and domain and television time with psychological distress, including sex-stratified models.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: The influence of early-life growth pattern and body size on follicular lymphoma (FL) risk and survival is unclear. In this study, we aimed to investigate the association between gestational age, growth during childhood, body size, changes in body shape over time, and FL risk and survival.

Methods: We conducted a population-based family case-control study and included 706 cases and 490 controls.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Multiple myeloma (MM) is the second most common hematological cancer and causes significant mortality and morbidity. Knowledge regarding modifiable risk factors for MM remains limited. This analysis of an Australian population-based case-control family study investigates whether smoking or alcohol consumption is associated with risk of MM and related diseases.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

The association between smoking and alcohol consumption and follicular lymphoma (FL) incidence and clinical outcome is uncertain. We conducted a population-based family case-control study (709 cases: 490 controls) in Australia. We assessed lifetime history of smoking and recent alcohol consumption and followed-up cases (median = 83 months).

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Purpose: High-grade disease accounts for ~ 70% of all glioma, and has a high mortality rate. Few modifiable exposures are known to be related to glioma risk or mortality.

Methods: We examined associations between lifetime physical activity and physical activity at different ages (15-18 years, 19-29 years, 30-39 years, last 10 years) with the risk of glioma diagnosis, using data from a hospital-based family case-control study (495 cases; 371 controls).

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Accumulating evidence suggests a relationship between endometrial cancer and ovarian cancer. Independent genome-wide association studies (GWAS) for endometrial cancer and ovarian cancer have identified 16 and 27 risk regions, respectively, four of which overlap between the two cancers. We aimed to identify joint endometrial and ovarian cancer risk loci by performing a meta-analysis of GWAS summary statistics from these two cancers.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Purpose: Using the Melbourne Collaborative Cohort Study, we examined the associations of occupation, household, transport, and leisure physical activity with pain interference with normal work and muscle pain after activity.

Methods: This cross-sectional analysis included 7655 working and 11,766 nonworking participants. Physical activity was assessed using the long-form International Physical Activity Questionnaire.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Importance: Early menarche and early menopause are associated with increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in midlife, but little is known about the association between reproductive life span and the risk of CVD.

Objective: To investigate the association between the length of reproductive life span and risk of incident CVD events, while also considering the timing of menarche and menopause.

Design, Setting, And Participants: Individual-level data were pooled from 12 studies participating in the International Collaboration for a Life Course Approach to Reproductive Health and Chronic Disease Events consortium.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Study Question: How does the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) vary with type and age of menopause?

Summary Answer: Earlier surgical menopause (e.g. <45 years) poses additional increased risk of incident CVD events, compared to women with natural menopause at the same age, and HRT use reduced the risk of CVD in women with early surgical menopause.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

The rapid pace of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2; COVID-19) pandemic presents challenges to the real-time collection of population-scale data to inform near-term public health needs as well as future investigations. We established the COronavirus Pandemic Epidemiology (COPE) consortium to address this unprecedented crisis on behalf of the epidemiology research community. As a central component of this initiative, we have developed a COVID Symptom Study (previously known as the COVID Symptom Tracker) mobile application as a common data collection tool for epidemiologic cohort studies with active study participants.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Self-reported physical activity is inaccurate, yet few investigators attempt to adjust for measurement error when estimating risks for health outcomes. We estimated what the association between self-reported physical activity and colorectal cancer risk would be if physical activity had been assessed using accelerometry instead.

Methods: We conducted a validation study in which 235 Australian adults completed a telephone-administered International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ), and wore an accelerometer (Actigraph GT3X+) for 7 days.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Early menopause is linked to an increased risk of cardiovascular disease mortality; however, the association between early menopause and incidence and timing of cardiovascular disease is unclear. We aimed to assess the associations between age at natural menopause and incidence and timing of cardiovascular disease.

Methods: We harmonised and pooled individual-level data from 15 observational studies done across five countries and regions (Australia, Scandinavia, the USA, Japan, and the UK) between 1946 and 2013.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) shows a strong genetic link and a consistent male-to-female incidence ratio of 2:1, indicating potential genetic differences in susceptibility based on sex.
  • A study involving genome-wide association analysis found specific genetic markers linked to RCC risk that differ between men and women, confirming known risk loci and uncovering new male-specific ones.
  • The researchers suggest the need for larger studies to better understand the genetic factors contributing to the sex differences observed in RCC susceptibility.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF