Integrative Tumor Epidemiology Branch Research Areas
The Integrative Tumor Epidemiology Branch (ITEB) employs molecular pathology, somatic and germline genomics, and epidemiology to identify environmental and germline risk factors for cancer.
Listed below is an overview of the research conducted within the Integrative Tumor Epidemiology Branch (ITEB) by both research approach and malignancy.
Research conducted by ITEB investigators involves:
- Designing, conducting, and analyzing molecular epidemiology studies with tissue collections;
- Characterizing tumors using morphology, histopathology, and immunohistochemistry/in situ hybridization staining and scoring of tissue slides from formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) or fresh frozen (FF) material;
- Molecular profiling of tumors, including genomic analyses conducted at the DCEG Cancer Genomics Research (CGR) Laboratory and external laboratories;
- Designing and utilizing large-scale analytic tools for integrated data analytics of high-dimensional, complex data;
- Using publicly available data from resources such as The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), ENCODE and Genotype-Tissue Expression (GTEx) projects, and the International Cancer Genome Consortium (ICGC);
- Participating and contributing to large national and international consortia.
Major Research by Malignancy
Breast Cancer
Investigators in ITEB seek to elucidate molecular mechanisms underlying breast carcinogenesis and etiologic heterogeneity of breast cancers through integrative molecular epidemiology studies. ITEB researchers are active in the Breast CAncer STratification (BCAST) Project, the Confluence Project, and additionally maintain a large portfolio of breast cancer studies, including:
- Breast Cancer Among Asian Women
Studies of breast tissues, risk factors, clinical data, breast density, blood or saliva for germline DNA to identify distinct molecular alterations in tumors and adjacent benign breast tissues among Asian women and to examine the associations of molecular changes with genetic and environmental risk factors, breast tissue composition and density, and breast cancer subtypes. - Breast Cancer Case-Control Study in Poland
A population-based case-control study of breast cancer in Poland that combines state-of-the art techniques of exposure assessment and collection of biological specimens. - Breast Cancer Detection Demonstration Project Follow-up Study
A follow-up study of women who were participants in the Breast Cancer Detection Demonstration Project. - Breast Radiology Evaluation and Study of Tissues (BREAST) Stamp Project
A study that aims to characterize the radiologic, histologic, and molecular features of dense breast tissue. - Columbia, Missouri Serum Bank Follow-up Study
A study established as part of NCI's Biological Markers Project to identify serum markers for breast cancer. - Ghana Breast Health Study
The Ghana Breast Health Study is a multidisciplinary case-control study of breast cancer in Ghana, West Africa. - Kaiser Permanente Breast Cancer Survivors Cohort
The DCEG Kaiser Permanente Breast Cancer Survivors Cohort was initiated as a transdisciplinary resource to investigate the risk of contralateral breast cancer and cardiovascular disease. - Kenya Breast Cancer Study
A study that utilizes molecular and genomic approaches to investigate breast tumors and the tumor microenvironment among African women. - Outdoor Air Pollution and Terminal Duct Lobular Involution of the Normal Breast
A study investigating the association between exposure to fine particulate matter (PM 2.5) and terminal duct lobular involution (TDLU) of the normal breast. - Terminal Duct Lobular Unit Involution of the Normal Breast
A molecular epidemiologic study of terminal duct lobular units of the normal breast, conducted in collaboration with the Susan G. Komen® Tissue Bank. - Ultrasound Study of the Effects of Tamoxifen on Breast Tissue
A study using ultrasound tomography to define the time course of volumetric breast density changes among women receiving tamoxifen treatment.
Chordoma
ITEB investigators study chordoma in families to 1) identify the mutated or altered genes that cause familial chordoma, and 2) determine whether chordoma-prone families are at increased risk of other cancers. They also explore whether genes associated with familial chordoma play a role in sporadic chordoma, the development of chordoma in those who lack family history of the malignancy.
Investigators have identified germline duplication of the T gene as a major susceptibility mechanism in some chordoma families, and through subsequent analyses have identified multiple common and rare T variants associated with chordoma risk. Studies seeking to identify additional susceptibility genes in chordoma families are ongoing.
Ewing Sarcoma
ITEB investigators are studying inherited genetic variation to identify regions in the genome associated with increased risk of Ewing Sarcoma (EWS). To achieve this aim, they compare the frequency of genotyped genetic variants between EWS cases and ancestry-matched, cancer-free controls.
Read the latest research findings for Ewing Sarcoma.
Hematologic Malignancies
While relatively little is known about the mechanisms that initiate and select for mosaic alterations, ITEB researchers have found evidence suggesting that genetic mosaicism increases cancer risk for hematologic malignancies and select solid tumor subtypes. Ongoing research continues to examine the influence of mosaicism on cancer risk in special exposure populations and various tissue types.
Read the latest research on genetic mosaicism.
LDlink
A suite of web-based applications created by ITEB investigators to easily and efficiently interrogate linkage disequilibrium in populations.
Kidney Cancer
ITEB investigators are conducting studies to characterize renal cell carcinoma uncommon histological subtypes. These studies utilize whole-genome sequencing, deep target sequencing, whole genome methylation, and SNP array analyses.
Lung Cancer
ITEB investigators study the genetic and environmental determinants of lung cancer using an integrative approach that allows them to explore the process that begins with smoking initiation and persistence, continues with lung cancer development, and ends with progression to disseminated disease or response to therapy and survival. Investigators use data from a large population-based case-control study in the Lombardy region of Italy, called the Environment And Genetics in Lung cancer Etiology (EAGLE) study.
Sherlock-Lung, a comprehensive study spearheaded by DCEG investigators, further aims to trace the etiology of lung cancer in never smokers (LCINS). To characterize the genomic landscape of LCINS and to identify exogenous and endogenous processes involved in lung tumorigenesis, researchers are analyzing whole genome sequencing, whole transcriptome, genome-wide methylation, and microbiome data. The molecular landscape will be integrated with histological and radiological features to develop a more refined classification of LCINS and to provide insights into prognosis and treatment strategies.
Melanoma
Converging lines of evidence suggest that melanoma comprises biologically distinct subtypes. DCEG investigators are undertaking tissue-based and genomic studies to provide a comprehensive classification of primary melanomas and the molecular changes associated with metastatic potential.
Melanoma studies focused on specific populations are also underway. These include:
- MelaNostrum Consortium studies of melanoma risk and progression in Mediterranean populations
- studies seeking to identify new genes associated with melanoma susceptibility in melanoma-prone families
Access an integrated transcript and audio-described version of "DCEG's Commitment to Collaboration" video.