Publications by authors named "Kitahara C"

Background: The 313-variant polygenic risk score (PRS) provides a promising tool for clinical breast cancer risk prediction. However, evaluation of the PRS across different European populations which could influence risk estimation has not been performed.

Methods: We explored the distribution of PRS across European populations using genotype data from 94,072 females without breast cancer diagnosis, of European-ancestry from 21 countries participating in the Breast Cancer Association Consortium (BCAC) and 223,316 females without breast cancer diagnosis from the UK Biobank.

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  • Neonates with symptomatic tetralogy of Fallot (sTOF) often require early surgical intervention, which can involve either staged repair (SR) or primary repair (PR), but both strategies expose them to low-dose ionizing radiation that may raise cancer risk.
  • This study analyzed the cumulative radiation exposure and lifetime attributable risk (LAR) of cancer in sTOF patients who underwent either SR or PR, using data from 242 neonates across multiple centers.
  • Results showed that SR resulted in significantly higher radiation exposure compared to PR and highlighted an increased LAR of cancer, particularly for females, emphasizing the need to consider radiation risk when choosing treatment options for this vulnerable group.*
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Background: Ultraviolet radiation (UVR) exposure is the primary risk factor for melanoma, although the relationship is complex. Compared with radiation from UVB wavelengths, UVA makes up a majority of the surface solar UVR, penetrates the skin more deeply, is the principal range emitted by tanning beds, and is less filtered by sunscreens and window glass. Few studies have examined the relationship between ambient UVA and UVB and melanoma risk.

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This study introduces a refined approach for more accurately estimating radiation doses to alimentary tract organs in nuclear medicine, by utilizing the ICRP pediatric and adult mesh-type reference computational phantoms (MRCPs) that improved the anatomical representation of these organs. Our initial step involved compiling a comprehensive dataset of electron Specific Absorbed Fractions (SAFs) for all source-target pairs of alimentary tract organs in both adult and pediatric phantoms, calculating SAFs for all cases in the present study only except those computed in the previous study for certain pediatric phantom cases. Subsequently, we determined S values for 1,252 radionuclides, facilitating dosimetry applications.

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  • Thyroid cancer is more prevalent in women, particularly those of reproductive age, and a study examined potential links between hormone levels and the risk of developing papillary thyroid cancer during pregnancy.
  • The research involved 605 women diagnosed with papillary thyroid cancer and 1,185 matched controls, analyzing various thyroid and hormone markers from early-pregnancy blood samples.
  • Findings revealed that higher levels of thyroid peroxidase (TPO-Ab) and thyroglobulin antibodies (Tg-Ab) significantly correlated with increased odds of papillary thyroid cancer, while no significant links were found with other hormone levels, suggesting that thyroid autoimmunity in early pregnancy may elevate cancer risk.
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Purpose: To summarize dose trends from 1980 to 2020 for 19,651 U.S. Radiologic Technologists who reported assisting with fluoroscopically guided interventional procedures (FGIPs), overall and by work history characteristics.

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The 313-variant polygenic risk score (PRS) provides a promising tool for breast cancer risk prediction. However, evaluation of the PRS across different European populations which could influence risk estimation has not been performed. Here, we explored the distribution of PRS across European populations using genotype data from 94,072 females without breast cancer, of European-ancestry from 21 countries participating in the Breast Cancer Association Consortium (BCAC) and 225,105 female participants from the UK Biobank.

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Background: A high body mass index (BMI, kg/m) is associated with decreased risk of breast cancer before menopause, but increased risk after menopause. Exactly when this reversal occurs in relation to menopause is unclear. Locating that change point could provide insight into the role of adiposity in breast cancer etiology.

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  • Scientists looked at how certain genes may affect breast cancer in women with African ancestry.
  • They studied 9,241 women with breast cancer and compared them to 10,193 healthy women to find links between the genes and the disease.
  • They found specific gene variations that could increase the risk of breast cancer, especially types of cancer that don't depend on estrogen.
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The escalating incidence of differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC) in pediatric patients and the resultant growing use of radioactive iodine (RAI) reinforce the need to evaluate radiation exposure to normal tissues and radiation-induced health risks in pediatric patients undergoing RAI therapy. In the current study, we calculated absorbed dose coefficients (i.e.

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Despite the excellent disease-specific survival associated with low-risk differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC), its diagnosis and management have been linked to patient concerns about cancer recurrence, treatment-related health risks, and mortality. Lack of information regarding long-term health outcomes can perpetuate these concerns. Therefore, we assessed all-cause and cause-specific mortality in a large cohort of individuals diagnosed with low-risk DTC.

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  • The study analyzed data from over 1 million women across various regions to explore the relationship between reproductive and hormonal factors and the risk of differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC).
  • Findings indicated that certain factors, such as younger age at menarche and menopause, use of hormone therapy, and previous surgeries like hysterectomy, were associated with an increased risk of DTC, while long-term oral contraceptive use and being post-menopausal were linked to a lower risk.
  • The researchers caution that the associations identified are relatively weak and recommend further studies to clarify the effects of sex steroid hormones on DTC risk.
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Purpose: There is strong evidence that leisure-time physical activity is protective against postmenopausal breast cancer risk but the association with premenopausal breast cancer is less clear. The purpose of this study was to examine the association of physical activity with the risk of developing premenopausal breast cancer.

Methods: We pooled individual-level data on self-reported leisure-time physical activity across 19 cohort studies comprising 547,601 premenopausal women, with 10,231 incident cases of breast cancer.

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Purpose: The physical properties of protons lower doses to surrounding normal tissues compared with photons, potentially reducing acute and long-term adverse effects, including subsequent cancers. The magnitude of benefit is uncertain, however, and currently based largely on modeling studies. Despite the paucity of directly comparative data, the number of proton centers and patients are expanding exponentially.

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Human exposure to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) occurs globally through contaminated food, dust, and drinking water. Studies of PFAS and thyroid cancer have been limited. We conducted a nested case-control study of prediagnostic serum levels of 19 PFAS and papillary thyroid cancer (400 cases, 400 controls) in the Finnish Maternity Cohort (pregnancies 1986-2010; follow-up through 2016), individually matched on sample year and age.

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Background: Most patients diagnosed with thyroid cancer have low-risk disease, but some have a higher risk for persistent or recurrent disease and even death from thyroid cancer. Few studies have evaluated potential anthropometric, lifestyle, or dietary risk factors for advanced or aggressive types of thyroid cancer.

Methods: Using data from a large US cohort study, we examined associations for high-risk thyroid cancer (HRTC) and, separately, low-risk thyroid cancer (LRTC) in relation to anthropometric factors, diet, smoking, and alcohol consumption.

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  • A genome-wide study explored gene-environment interactions (G×E) to identify variants that could impact breast cancer risk, analyzing data from around 72,285 breast cancer cases and 80,354 controls.
  • Researchers found two specific SNP-risk factor pairs that showed a significant association with breast cancer risk, including variations related to adult height and age at menarche.
  • Overall, the study concluded that G×E interactions contribute minimally to the heritability of breast cancer and don't significantly enhance risk prediction for the disease.
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  • Polygenic risk scores (PRSs), derived from genome-wide association studies (GWASs), can enhance breast cancer risk evaluation but are primarily based on European populations.
  • This study analyzed the effectiveness of European-based PRS models in identifying breast cancer risk among Ashkenazi Jewish women in Israel using data from two cohorts.
  • Results indicated that these PRS models successfully identified Ashkenazi Jewish women at high risk for breast cancer, suggesting they could improve risk assessment in this group.
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  • The study examined the relationship between sex steroid hormones and liver cancer incidence, noting that men have higher rates than women, possibly due to androgens increasing risk and estrogens decreasing it.
  • Researchers analyzed hormone levels in 275 men who developed liver cancer and 768 who did not, using advanced laboratory techniques to quantify hormone concentrations and assess their association with cancer risk.
  • Results showed that elevated levels of androgens and certain estrogen metabolites were linked to an increased risk of liver cancer, while higher levels of DHEA were associated with a decreased risk, suggesting a complex interplay between these hormones in influencing liver cancer susceptibility.
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Background: Thyroid cancer incidence has increased worldwide. Obesity trends may play a role, but the underlying biological pathways are not well-characterized. Therefore, we examined associations of excess adiposity and obesity-related metabolic conditions with thyroid cancer incidence.

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  • The study aims to identify new genetic variants that increase the risk of bladder cancer using data from 32 studies involving 13,790 patients and 343,502 control subjects of European descent.
  • Researchers discovered multiple novel susceptibility loci and enhanced signals in known regions, achieving a total of 24 significant markers linked to bladder cancer risk.
  • The findings indicate that the risk is further influenced by factors such as sex and smoking status, with a polygenic risk score showing a significant difference in lifetime risk for bladder cancer based on genetic predisposition.
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  • The study evaluates the risks of radiation exposure from radioactive iodine (RAI) treatment in thyroid cancer patients, emphasizing the need for accurate organ dose estimation for assessing health risks.
  • It specifically calculates absorbed dose coefficients for patients treated with either recombinant human TSH (rhTSH) or thyroid hormone withdrawal (THW), showing that rhTSH patients have lower doses.
  • The results highlight significant differences in dose estimates between thyroid cancer patients and general population models, providing crucial data for medical professionals to minimize unnecessary radiation exposure.
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. It is critical to monitor the radiation dose delivered to patients undergoing radiography and fluoroscopy to prevent both acute and potential long-term adverse health effects. Accurate estimation of organ doses is essential to ensuring that radiation dose is maintained As Low As Reasonably Achievable.

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