Grant Details
Grant Number: |
3R01CA040356-15S1 Interpret this number |
Primary Investigator: |
Speizer, Frank |
Organization: |
Brigham And Women'S Hospital |
Project Title: |
A Prospective Study of Diet and Cancer in Women |
Fiscal Year: |
2000 |
Abstract
We propose to continue our ongoing study of diet and cancer conducted in
a cohort of 121,700 U.S. female registered nurses who have been followed
with biennial questionnaires since 1976 and who are currently 47 to 72
years of age. Continued follow-up will permit assessment of lifestyle
changes in this well characterized cohort of middle to older aged US
women. Risk factors include, in addition to diet and post-menopausal
hormones, physical activity, smoking, obesity (including waist to hip
ratio), and reproductive factors.
The dietary aspect of the study was begun in 1980 when the first
semiquantitative food frequency questionnaire (SFFQ) was completed by
approximately 89,000 women. An expanded version of the SFFQ was used in
1984, 1986 and 1990 and will be used in 1994 and 1998 to update diet.
These data will provide exposure information both close in time to the
diagnosis of cancer, which is likely to be important for a number of
nutritional factors postulated to act in the later stages of
carcinogenesis, and remote diet. With diet assessment repeated over 14
years of follow-up, we will examine change in diet in relation to cancer
risk. Specific components of diet will be examined in relation to risk of
breast, colon, lung, ovarian, and endometrial cancers, and melanoma.
This proposed research will greatly strengthen our ability to test a wide
variety of hypotheses relating dietary factors to the incidence of
cancers. After 18 years of follow-up (assuming 90% power and an alpha
error of 0.05) relative risks of 1.4, 1.4, 1.6, and l.16 for extreme
quintiles of nutrient distributions can be detected for cancers of the
breast, colon, lung, and melanoma respectively.
A second major component of the study addresses relations between
postmenopausal hormones and risk of cancer. Specific analyses will
address type of hormone used. The analyses will assess the potential
interaction between alcohol use and hormone replacement therapy on risk of
breast cancer. In addition, risk benefit analyses will address life
expectancy in relation to use of postmenopausal hormones and also moderate
alcohol intake.
Publications
None. See parent grant details.