DCEG News Updates
The latest news and research findings from the Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics.
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Genetic Architecture Study of 14 Cancers Describes Contribution of Common Variants
Montserrat García-Closas and colleagues at Johns Hopkins University and multiple consortia for 14 cancers showed that the utility of polygenic risk scores can vary widely depending on cancer type.
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Resources from Radiation Epidemiology & Dosimetry Course Now Available
Video recordings and slides from the 2019 Radiation Epidemiology and Dosimetry Course are available online. The course covers the fundamentals of the health effects of radiation exposure, including methods of exposure assessment, and key findings from the latest studies of medical, occupational, and environmental radiation exposures.
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2020 Virtual AACR Annual Meeting Features DCEG Research
Investigators and fellows presented their research and engaged virtually at the annual scientific meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR).
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Artificial Intelligence Dual-Stain Approach Improved Accuracy, Efficiency of Cervical Cancer Screening
Nicolas Wentzensen and colleagues developed a computer algorithm to improve the accuracy and efficiency of cervical cancer screening compared with cytology, the current standard for follow-up of women who test positive with primary HPV screening. The new approach has clear implications for clinical care.
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Robert Hoover Retires Leaving a Legacy of Cancer Epidemiology Research
In June 2020, Dr. Robert Hoover, Director of the Epidemiology and Biostatistics program, retired from the Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics after a remarkable 48 years of service to the National Cancer Institute.
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Nondaily and Low-Intensity Smoking Associated with Increased Risk of Death
Maki Inoue-Choi and collaborators found that nondaily smoking increases risk of death from any cause, compared to both former smokers and never smokers.
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GWAS of Breast Cancer Subtypes Improves Understanding of Genetic Risk
Montserrat Garcia-Closas and colleagues report findings from a new genome-wide association study (GWAS) for breast cancer identifying 32 novel susceptibility loci. Importantly, this study reveals genetic risk for breast cancer subtypes and expands the potential for the development of subtype-specific polygenic risk scores.
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HPV 35 Infection and Associated Cervical Precancer More Common Among Women of African Ancestry
Maisa Pinheiro, Julia Gage, and Lisa Mirabello in the Clinical Genetics Branch find African American women have more HPV 35 infections and HPV 35-associated cervical precancers than women of other races/ethnicities. Genomic analysis also revealed an association with the HPV 35 A2 sublineage and precancer/cancer in women of African ancestry. The highly-effective HPV vaccine covers seven oncogenic HPV types, but does not currently include HPV 35, therefore results from this study warrant further investigation on whether the addition of HPV 35 could provide better protection against cervical precancer for women in Africa or of African ancestry.
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HPV Genotype Natural History and Implications for Cervical Cancer Screening
In a study of 11,573 HPV-positive women, Maria Demarco, Ph.D., M.P.H., et al., found HPV type and persistence are the major predictors of progression to cervical precancer. At a minimum, HPV16 is clinically important, and dividing the other HPV types into three risk-groups is worth considering. These findings were published in the journal EClinicalMedicine on April 24, 2020.
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Meredith Shiels Receives WSA Mentoring and Leadership Award
Meredith Shiels was selected as the 2020 DCEG recipient of the Women Scientist Advisor’s Mentoring and Leadership Award, which recognizes investigators for exceptional dedication, leadership, and tireless efforts to promote and nurture NCI women scientists at all stages of their careers.
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2020 Virtual Spring Town Hall Meeting
In May 2020, Director Stephen Chanock welcomed staff to the Spring Town Hall meeting to talk about new developments in the Division, and to recognize accomplishments over the past six months.
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Applying DCEG Expertise to Study the Global Pandemic
Genomic studies, serology assay valuation, descriptive epidemiology studies, and other activities of DCEG investigators and staff in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Mia Gaudet Joins DCEG as Senior Scientist of the Connect Study
Mia M. Gaudet, Ph.D., joined DCEG as the senior scientist for the Connect for Cancer Prevention Cohort in the Epidemiology and Biostatistics Program. Dr. Gaudet will oversee cohort management and activities as well as serve as the study’s chair in the DCEG Steering Committee.
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Circulating Progesterone May Increase Breast Cancer Risk
Britton Trabert and collaborators find an association between circulating progesterone and increased breast cancer risk among postmenopausal women.
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Genome-Wide Association Meta-Analysis Identifies Potential Cutaneous Melanoma Risk Loci
A new study identified 85 genomic loci associated with cutaneous melanoma risk using an integrative approach based on genome-wide association studies and transcriptome association approaches. These findings were published in Nature Genetics on April 27, 2020.
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Erikka Loftfield Selected as Earl Stadtman Investigator
Erikka Loftfield was selected as an Earl Stadtman tenure-track investigator in the Metabolic Epidemiology Branch (MEB) in April 2020. Dr. Loftfield will develop an integrative research program investigating the interplay between diet, metabolism, the microbiome and genetics to advance current understanding of the relationship between diet and cancer.
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Megan Clarke Selected as Earl Stadtman Investigator in the Clinical Genetics Branch
Dr. Clarke combines molecular, clinical, and population-based approaches to address etiology, prevention, and early detection of anogenital and endometrial cancers, yielding results that inform natural history and clinical management. She has designed and implemented several new studies that will establish long-term resources to address novel questions related to disease natural history and risk factors in racially diverse and underserved populations.
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Gastrointestinal Cancers Global Burden Expected to Rise
Katherine McGlynn and Christian Abnet in the Metabolic Epidemiology Branch, in collaboration with the International Agency for Research on Cancer, examined the global burden of the five major types of gastrointestinal cancer, which include those of the stomach, liver, esophagus, pancreas, and colorectum.
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Higher Daily Step Count Linked with Lower All-Cause Mortality
Pedro Saint-Maurice, Ph.D., Charles Matthews, Ph.D., and collaborators find taking more steps daily improves life expectancy.
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Leveraging Genetics to Study African Ancestry in the Americas
Meredith Yeager, in the Cancer Genomics Research Laboratory, in collaboration with researchers in the Federal University of Minas Gerais, Brazil, conducted a genetic study to determine how different African groups contributed to the genetic structure of Caribbean, as well as, North, Central, and South American populations.