Associations Between Intakes of Carotenoids and Tocopherols with Risk of Pancreatic Cancer in a Population-Based Case-Control Study.

Objective: Experimental studies suggest that carotenoids and tocopherols modulate pancreatic carcinogenesis because they have antioxidant and other functions. We investigated the associations between intakes of these compounds and the risk of pancreatic cancer in a case-control study conducted in 1994-1998.

Methods: The present analysis included 150 cases of pancreatic cancer recruited from all hospitals in the metropolitan area of the Twin Cities and Mayo Clinic and 459 controls randomly selected from the general population and frequency matched to cases by age, sex, and race.

Associations between intake of calcium, magnesium and phosphorus and risk of pancreatic cancer: a population-based, case-control study in Minnesota.

Experimental studies suggest that abnormal levels of Ca, Mg and phosphorus are implicated in pancreatic carcinogenesis. We investigated the associations between intakes of these minerals and the risk of pancreatic cancer in a case-control study conducted in 1994-1998. Cases of pancreatic cancer (n 150) were recruited from all hospitals in the metropolitan area of the Twin Cities and Mayo Clinic, Minnesota.

Diabetes and kidney cancer risk among post-menopausal women: The Iowa women's health study.

Background: Many studies have reported a positive association between diabetes and kidney cancer. However, it is unclear whether diabetes is a risk factor for kidney cancer independent of other risk factors, such as obesity and hypertension. We comprehensively examined the association of diabetes and its duration with incident kidney cancer in the prospective cohort Iowa Women's Health Study (1986-2011).

Associations between tissue-based CD3+ T-lymphocyte count and colorectal cancer survival in a prospective cohort of older women.

Tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes in colorectal cancer (CRC) predict better survival. However, associations between T-lymphocyte count in histologically normal tissues from patients with CRC and survival remain uncertain. We examined associations of CD3+ T-cells in colorectal tumor and histologically normal tissues with CRC-specific and all-cause mortality in the prospective Iowa Women's Health Study.

Pregnancy outcomes and risk of endometrial cancer: A pooled analysis of individual participant data in the Epidemiology of Endometrial Cancer Consortium.

A full-term pregnancy is associated with reduced endometrial cancer risk; however, whether the effect of additional pregnancies is independent of age at last pregnancy is unknown. The associations between other pregnancy-related factors and endometrial cancer risk are less clear. We pooled individual participant data from 11 cohort and 19 case-control studies participating in the Epidemiology of Endometrial Cancer Consortium (E2C2) including 16 986 women with endometrial cancer and 39 538 control women.

Telomere Maintenance Variants and Survival after Colorectal Cancer: Smoking- and Sex-Specific Associations.

Background: Telomeres play an important role in colorectal cancer prognosis. Variation in telomere maintenance genes may be associated with survival after colorectal cancer diagnosis, but evidence is limited. In addition, possible interactions between telomere maintenance genes and prognostic factors, such as smoking and sex, also remain to be investigated.

Association between MICA polymorphisms, s-MICA levels, and pancreatic cancer risk in a population-based case-control study.

Background: Pancreatic tumor cells may avoid immune surveillance by releasing the transmembrane major histocompatibility complex class I chain-related A (MICA) protein in soluble form (s-MICA). We hypothesized that the presence of the A5.1 polymorphism in the MICA gene, which encodes a truncated MICA protein, is associated with higher s-MICA levels and increased pancreatic cancer risk.

Intake of methyl-related nutrients and risk of pancreatic cancer in a population-based case-control study in Minnesota.

Background/objectives: Folate, vitamin B, vitamin B, and methionine are involved in DNA synthesis and methylation and thus may modulate pancreatic cancer risk. We investigated these associations in a population-based case-control study conducted in 1994-1998.

Subjects/methods: Cases (n = 150) were identified from all hospitals in the metropolitan areas of the Twin Cities and the Mayo Clinic, Minnesota.

Ingested nitrate and nitrite, disinfection by-products, and pancreatic cancer risk in postmenopausal women.

Nitrate and nitrite are precursors of N-nitroso compounds (NOC), probable human carcinogens that cause pancreatic tumors in animals. Disinfection by-products (DBP) exposures have also been linked with digestive system cancers, but few studies have evaluated relationships with pancreatic cancer. We investigated the association of pancreatic cancer with these drinking water contaminants and dietary nitrate/nitrite in a cohort of postmenopausal women in Iowa (1986-2011).

Soluble MICA is elevated in pancreatic cancer: Results from a population based case-control study.

Pancreatic cancer is diagnosed at a late stage and has one of the highest cancer mortality rates in the United States, creating an urgent need for novel early detection tools. A candidate biomarker for use in early detection is the soluble MHC class I-related chain A (s-MICA) ligand, which pancreatic tumors shed to escape immune detection. The objective of this study was to define the association between s-MICA levels and pancreatic cancer, in a population-based case-control study.

Association between Alcohol Consumption, Folate Intake, and Risk of Pancreatic Cancer: A Case-Control Study.

Pancreatic cancer is one of the most fatal common cancers affecting both men and women, representing about 3% of all new cancer cases in the United States. In this study, we aimed to investigate the association of pancreatic cancer risk with alcohol consumption as well as folate intake. We performed a case-control study of 384 patients diagnosed with pancreatic cancer from May 2004 to December 2009 and 983 primary care healthy controls in a largely white population (>96%).

Sun Exposure and Protection Behaviors among Long-term Melanoma Survivors and Population Controls.

Melanoma is considered a generally preventable cancer, with excessive ultraviolet radiation (UVR) exposure being a strong causal factor. UVR exposure following a melanoma diagnosis can be modified to reduce risk of second primary melanomas. The goal of this study was to compare measures of UVR exposure and protection behaviors between long-term melanoma survivors and controls.

Comparison of quality of life among long-term melanoma survivors and non-melanoma controls: a cross-sectional study.

Purpose: Little is known about specific concerns facing long-term melanoma survivors. The goal of this study was to compare quality of life (QOL) and mental health between long-term melanoma survivors and population controls.

Methods: Participants from a previously conducted case-control study of risk factors for melanoma were recruited for a cross-sectional survey.

Pooled analysis of active cigarette smoking and invasive breast cancer risk in 14 cohort studies.

Background: The 2014 US Surgeon General's report noted research gaps necessary to determine a causal relationship between active cigarette smoking and invasive breast cancer risk, including the role of alcohol consumption, timing of exposure, modification by menopausal status and heterogeneity by oestrogen receptor (ER) status.

Methods: To address these issues, we pooled data from 14 cohort studies contributing 934 681 participants (36 060 invasive breast cancer cases). Cox proportional hazard regression models were used to calculate multivariable-adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs).

Cytotoxic T Cells and Granzyme B Associated with Improved Colorectal Cancer Survival in a Prospective Cohort of Older Women.

Host immune response may predict the course of colorectal cancer. We examined the survival of 468 colorectal cancer patients associated with two tumor-infiltrating immune biomarkers, the number of cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs), and the activated CTLs, as reflected by the number of cells expressing granzyme B (GZMB) in the prospective Iowa Women's Health Study. Using paraffin-embedded tissue samples, we constructed and immunostained tumor microarrays with CD8 (for CTL) and GZMB antibodies.

Nitrate from Drinking Water and Diet and Bladder Cancer Among Postmenopausal Women in Iowa.

Background: Nitrate is a drinking water contaminant arising from agricultural sources, and it is a precursor in the endogenous formation of N-nitroso compounds (NOC), which are possible bladder carcinogens.

Objectives: We investigated the ingestion of nitrate and nitrite from drinking water and diet and bladder cancer risk in women.

Methods: We identified incident bladder cancers among a cohort of 34,708 postmenopausal women in Iowa (1986-2010).

Aspirin use and the incidence of breast, colon, ovarian, and pancreatic cancers in elderly women in the Iowa Women's Health Study.

Purpose: Few studies have evaluated the chemopreventive effect of aspirin on the cancer risk in elderly women. We examined associations between frequency, dose, and duration of aspirin use with incidence of 719 aspirin-sensitive cancers (cancers of colon, pancreas, breast, and ovaries) in the Iowa Women's Health Study (IWHS), a prospective cohort of women over 70 years old.

Methods: Aspirin frequency, dose, and duration were self-reported in the 2004 IWHS questionnaire.

Disposition of the Dietary Mutagen 2-Amino-3,8-dimethylimidazo[4,5-f]quinoxaline in Healthy and Pancreatic Cancer Compromised Humans.

Pancreatic cancer is the fourth leading cause of cancer death in the U.S. Once diagnosed, prognosis is poor with a 5-year survival rate of less than 5%.

Tumor eosinophil infiltration and improved survival of colorectal cancer patients: Iowa Women's Health Study.

The role of the innate immune response in colorectal cancer is understudied. We examined the survival of colorectal cancer patients in relation to eosinophils, innate immune cells, infiltrating the tumor. Tissue microarrays were constructed from paraffin-embedded tumor tissues collected between 1986 and 2002 from 441 post-menopausal women diagnosed with colorectal cancer in the Iowa Women's Health Study.

Role of survivor bias in pancreatic cancer case-control studies.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of survivor bias on pancreatic cancer case-control studies.

Methods: The authors constructed five case-loss scenarios based on the Iowa Women's Health Study cohort to reflect how case recruitment in population-based studies varies by case survival time. Risk factors for disease incidence included smoking, body mass index (BMI), waist circumference, diabetes, and alcohol consumption.

Personalizing Aspirin Use for Targeted Breast Cancer Chemoprevention in Postmenopausal Women.

Objective: To evaluate the association of aspirin and other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs with the incidence of postmenopausal breast cancer for risk subgroups defined by selected nonmodifiable or difficult to modify breast cancer risk factors in order to better understand the potential risk-benefit ratio for targeted chemoprevention.

Patients And Methods: Postmenopausal women with no history of cancer on July 1, 1992 (N=26,580), were prospectively followed up through December 31, 2005, for breast cancer incidence (N=1581). Risk subgroups were defined on the basis of family history of breast cancer, age at menarche, age at menopause, parity/age at first live birth, personal history of benign breast disease, and body mass index.

Intake of vitamins A, C, and E and folate and the risk of ovarian cancer in a pooled analysis of 10 cohort studies.

Purpose: Vitamins A, C, and E and folate have anticarcinogenic properties and thus might protect against cancer. Few known modifiable risk factors for ovarian cancer exist. We examined the associations between dietary and total (food and supplemental) vitamin intake and the risk of invasive epithelial ovarian cancer.

Risk factors for pancreatitis in older women: the Iowa Women's Health Study.

Purpose: Pancreatitis-an inflammation of pancreas-is a severe and costly disease. Although many risk factors for pancreatitis are known, many pancreatitis cases, especially in elderly women, are of unknown etiology.

Methods: Risk factors for acute pancreatitis (AP) and chronic pancreatitis (CP) were assessed in a prospective cohort (n = 36,436 women, aged ≥ 65 years).

Associations between Environmental Exposures and Incident Colorectal Cancer by ESR2 Protein Expression Level in a Population-Based Cohort of Older Women.

Background: Cigarette smoking (smoking), hormone therapy (MHT), and folate intake (folate) are each thought to influence colorectal cancer risk, but the underlying molecular mechanisms remain incompletely defined. Expression of estrogen receptor β (ESR2) has been associated with colorectal cancer stage and survival.

Methods: In this prospective cohort study, we examined smoking, MHT, and folate-associated colorectal cancer risks by ESR2 protein expression level among participants in the Iowa Women's Health Study (IWHS).