Publications by authors named "Lacey James"
Case-control studies of sun exposure and ultraviolet radiation (UVR) have consistently reported inverse associations with non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) risk, but prospective studies have yielded mixed results. Few studies have explored these exposures in relation to multiple myeloma (MM) risk. To further evaluate these associations with NHL and MM risk and identify etiologically relevant exposure timing, we pooled data on 566,693 individuals from 6 United States (U.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: 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.
Purpose: To determine the relationship between germline pathogenic variants (PV) in cancer predisposition genes and the risk of ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS).
Experimental Design: Germline PV frequencies in breast cancer predisposition genes (ATM, BARD1, BRCA1, BRCA2, CDH1, CHEK2, PALB2, RAD51C, and RAD51D) were compared between DCIS cases and unaffected controls and between DCIS and invasive ductal breast cancer (IDC) cases from a clinical testing cohort (n = 9,887), a population-based cohort (n = 3,876), and the UK Biobank (n = 2,421). The risk of contralateral breast cancer (CBC) for DCIS cases with PV was estimated in the population-based cohort.
Background: Inorganic arsenic in drinking water (wAs) is linked to atherosclerosis and cardiovascular disease. However, risk is uncertain at lower levels present in US community water supplies (CWS), currently regulated at the federal maximum contaminant level of .
Objectives: We evaluated the relationship between long-term wAs exposure from CWS and cardiovascular disease in the California Teachers Study cohort.
Article Synopsis
- Pathogenic variants (PVs) in certain genes like BRCA1 and BRCA2 increase breast cancer risk, but it's unclear how risk varies based on the type and location of these variants.
- This study analyzed breast cancer risks associated with different PV types and locations using data from 12 US studies and clinical cohorts involving over 64,000 women.
- Results showed that women with specific exon PTVs had higher breast cancer risks, lower rates of ER-negative breast cancer, and were diagnosed at younger ages compared to those with other variants, with these patterns observed across multiple cohorts.
Introduction: Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are persistent environmental contaminants that have been linked to a number of health outcomes, including those related to immune dysfunction. However, there are limited numbers of epidemiological-based studies that directly examine the association between PFAS exposure and immune responses.
Methods: In this cross-sectional study nested in the California Teachers Study cohort, we measured nine PFAS analytes in serum.
Article Synopsis
- Clinical genetic testing helps find cancer risks by identifying gene changes, but some of these changes are confusing because we don't know what they mean (called VUS).
- Researchers studied a huge number of breast cancer patients and healthy people to understand these confusing gene changes better.
- They found that their method of analyzing data closely matches what other experts say about which gene changes are harmless or harmful, giving more information about 785 unclear changes.
Development of a Breast Cancer Risk Prediction Model Integrating Monogenic, Polygenic, and Epidemiologic Risk.
Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev
November 2024
Article Synopsis
- - The study aimed to enhance breast cancer risk modeling by integrating pathogenic variants (PVs) in specific genes, a polygenic risk score (PRS), and an epidemiologic risk score (ERS) using data from over 23,000 breast cancer cases and controls.
- - The results showed that postmenopausal women with no PVs but high ERS had a 4.4-fold increase in breast cancer risk, while some CHEK2 PV carriers had a predicted lifetime risk below 20%, indicating potential over-screening in certain groups.
- - The findings suggest that combining these risk factors can improve risk assessment and possibly lead to more tailored screening and prevention strategies for breast cancer.
Background: Pollutants including metals/metalloids, nitrate, disinfection byproducts, and volatile organic compounds contaminate federally regulated community water systems (CWS) and unregulated domestic wells across the United States. Exposures and associated health effects, particularly at levels below regulatory limits, are understudied.
Objective: We described drinking water sources and exposures for the California Teachers Study (CTS), a prospective cohort of female California teachers and administrators.
Article Synopsis
- Scientists looked at the timing of when girls start their periods (called menarche) and how it can affect their health later in life.
- They studied about 800,000 women and found over a thousand genetic signals that influence when menstruation starts.
- Some women have a much higher chance of starting their periods too early or too late based on their genetic makeup, suggesting that genes play a big role in this process!
Background And Aims: Tea and coffee are widely consumed beverages worldwide. We evaluated their association with biliary tract cancer (BTC) incidence.
Approach And Results: We pooled data from 15 studies in the Biliary Tract Cancers Pooling Project to evaluate associations between tea and coffee consumption and biliary tract cancer development.
Background: The incidence rates of endometrial cancer are increasing, which may partly be explained by the rising prevalence of obesity, an established risk factor for endometrial cancer. Hypertension, another component of metabolic syndrome, is also increasing in prevalence, and emerging evidence suggests that it may be associated with the development of certain cancers. The role of hypertension independent of other components of metabolic syndrome in the etiology of endometrial cancer remains unclear.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEnvironmental epidemiologic studies using geospatial data often estimate exposure at a participant's residence upon enrollment, but mobility during the exposure period can lead to misclassification. We aimed to mitigate this issue by constructing residential histories for participants in the California Teachers Study through follow-up (1995-2018). Address records have been collected from the US Postal Service, LexisNexis, Experian, and California Cancer Registry.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe 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.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjective: To assess differences in psychosocial and mental health outcomes between older lesbian and bisexual women compared to heterosexual women.
Design: Cross sectional study.
Setting: The study was carried out in the California Teachers Study, a prospective cohort study.
Article Synopsis
- 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.
Hairy cell leukemia (HCL), similar to its variant HCLv, is a B-cell malignancy associated with decreased humoral immunity. We prospectively monitored the largest cohort of patients with HCL/HCLv to date (n = 503) for COVID-19 by symptoms, antibody, and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and/or antigen positivity. Fifty percent (253 of 503) of the patients with HCL/HCLv (238 HCL and 15 HCLv) had evidence of COVID-19, with 210 (83%) testing positive by PCR or rapid-antigen test.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFArticle Synopsis
- A study analyzed data from 7,207 endometrial cancer cases and 22,027 controls to investigate the impact of night shift work and sleep duration on endometrial cancer risk among postmenopausal women.
- The findings indicated a non-significant inverse relationship between night shift work and endometrial cancer, meaning it did not appear to increase risk significantly.
- Additionally, the duration of sleep (short or long) did not correlate with an increased risk of endometrial cancer, although an inverse association was noted specifically for obese women.
Article Synopsis
- 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.
Pubertal timing varies considerably and has been associated with a range of health outcomes in later life. To elucidate the underlying biological mechanisms, we performed multi-ancestry genetic analyses in ~800,000 women, identifying 1,080 independent signals associated with age at menarche. Collectively these loci explained 11% of the trait variance in an independent sample, with women at the top and bottom 1% of polygenic risk exhibiting a ~11 and ~14-fold higher risk of delayed and precocious pubertal development, respectively.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFArticle Synopsis
- 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.
ENIGMA CHEK2gether Project: A Comprehensive Study Identifies Functionally Impaired CHEK2 Germline Missense Variants Associated with Increased Breast Cancer Risk.
Clin Cancer Res
August 2023
Purpose: Germline pathogenic variants in CHEK2 confer moderately elevated breast cancer risk (odds ratio, OR ∼ 2.5), qualifying carriers for enhanced breast cancer screening. Besides pathogenic variants, dozens of missense CHEK2 variants of uncertain significance (VUS) have been identified, hampering the clinical utility of germline genetic testing (GGT).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Adult obesity is a strong risk factor for endometrial cancer (EC); however, associations of early life obesity with EC are inconclusive. We evaluated associations of young adulthood (18-21 years) and adulthood (at enrolment) body mass index (BMI) and weight change with EC risk in the Epidemiology of Endometrial Cancer Consortium (E2C2).
Methods: We pooled data from nine case-control and 11 cohort studies in E2C2.
Background: Low-frequency variants play an important role in breast cancer (BC) susceptibility. Gene-based methods can increase power by combining multiple variants in the same gene and help identify target genes.
Methods: We evaluated the potential of gene-based aggregation in the Breast Cancer Association Consortium cohorts including 83,471 cases and 59,199 controls.