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The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA |
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The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA |
Temitope Keku, PhD, Center for Gastrointestinal Biology & Disease, University of North Carolina, CB # 7555, UNC, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, 919-966-5828, tokeku@med.unc.edu, Robert Millikan, DVM, PhD, Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, University of North Carolina, CB # 7400, UNC, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, and Robert Sandler, MD, MPH, Center for Gastrointestinal Biology and Disease, University of North Carolina, CB # 7555, UNC, Chapel Hill, NC 27599.
Epidemiologic studies consistently observe an approximate two-fold increased risk of colorectal cancer in persons having one or more first-degree relatives with the disease (Potter, 1993). The aggregation of colorectal cancer in families may be due one or more causal explanations: segregation of major genes; (Adenomatous Polyposis Coli, (APC), mismatch DNA repair genes including hMSH2, hMLH1), aggregation of minor genes; (N-actyltransferases 1 and 2 (NAT1, NAT2) and methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR), polymorphisms in DNA repair genes), aggregation of environmental factors, and interactions between minor genes and environmental factors, as well as non-causal explanations:(chance and bias). Using data from the North Carolina Colon Study (NCCCS), a case-control study of colon cancer among African Americans and whites in 33 counties of North Carolina, we examined the relationship between family history, individual level risk factors (diet, other environmental risk factors, NAT1, NAT2, MTHFR and UGT1A7genotypes and their joint interactions) and group level risk factors (screening behavior, access to care and socioeconomic status). We observed that participants with a higher frequency of at-risk genotypes and low frequency of protective genotypes had a family history of colon cancer. The prevalence of some environmental risk factors was higher in subjects with a family history of colon cancer. These results suggest that family history of colon cancer may be a useful proxy for higher prevalence of at-risk genotypes and environmental factors.
Learning Objectives:
Keywords: Cancer,
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.