Grant Number:	5R01CA108934-04 Interpret this number
Primary Investigator:	Bunin, Greta
Organization:	Children'S Hosp Of Philadelphia
Project Title:	Control Selection Methods for Childhood Cancer Studies
Fiscal Year:	2009

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The investigators propose to determine the feasibility and validity of using birth certificate controls in studies of childhood cancer. Most U.S. studies of childhood cancer have used ROD controls, but concerns about bias have increased as response rates have declined. A major drawback of ROD controls is that possible selection bias cannot be assessed, as no information is available on non-respondents. Controls identified through birth certificates are an appealing alternative on theoretical and practical grounds; they come from the same base population as the cases and a substantial amount of information is available on non-participants. However, the feasibility and validity have not been evaluated comprehensively or nationwide. Birth certificates will be randomly selected in three age groups and four race/ethnicity groups, and will be distributed among five geographic regions according to the proportion of the US population of the race/ethnicity group residing in that region. The investigators will locate, contact, and interview 450 mothers in each race/ethnicity group, evenly divided among the age groups. The nationwide sample of 1,800 will consist of 600 in each age group and 450 in each race/ethnicity group. The investigators will evaluate response rates overall and by age group, and race/ethnicity. Validity will be assessed by comparing the interviewed controls to all U.S. births using data from birth certificates. The proposal is timed to coincide with the continuing development of the Childhood Cancer Research Network (CCRN), which will provide large, nearly population-based series of cases. The results of the proposed study will provide much needed data to inform the choice of control group. With the CCRN and the results of the proposed study, epidemiologists will be able to design and execute state-of-the-art studies of childhood cancer. The results of the proposed research will also apply to studies of autism, asthma, and other pediatric conditions. Relevance: In a case-control study of childhood cancer, cases, who are children with a specific type of cancer, are compared to controls, children without cancer. The proposed study will evaluate whether controls identified through birth certificates are a feasible and valid control group. A feasible and valid control group is needed to ensure that studies of childhood cancer are scientifically valid and therefore, will provide results that can eventually lead to prevention of these cancers.




Purification and characterization of a high-mobility-group-like DNA-binding protein that stimulates rRNA synthesis in vitro.
Authors: Yang-Yen H.F. , Rothblum L.I. .
Source: Molecular and cellular biology, 1988 Aug; 8(8), p. 3406-14.
PMID: 3211145
Related Citations

Additional RNA polymerase I initiation site within the nontranscribed spacer region of the rat rRNA gene.
Authors: Cassidy B.G. , Yang-Yen H.F. , Rothblum L.I. .
Source: Molecular and cellular biology, 1987 Jul; 7(7), p. 2388-96.
PMID: 3614195
Related Citations

Isolation, fractionation and reconstitution of a nuclear extract capable of transcribing ribosomal DNA.
Authors: Haglund R.E. , Rothblum L.I. .
Source: Molecular and cellular biochemistry, 1987 Jan; 73(1), p. 11-20.
PMID: 3807897
Related Citations

Transcriptional role for the nontranscribed spacer of rat ribosomal DNA.
Authors: Cassidy B.G. , Yang-Yen H.F. , Rothblum L.I. .
Source: Molecular and cellular biology, 1986 Aug; 6(8), p. 2766-73.
PMID: 3023948
Related Citations

Characterization of rat ribosomal DNA II. identification of the highly repetitive DNA in the 3' non-transcribed spacer.
Authors: Yang-Yen H.F. , Subrahmanyam C.S. , Cassidy B. , Rothblum L.I. .
Source: Journal of molecular biology, 1985-08-05; 184(3), p. 389-98.
PMID: 3862875
Related Citations

Amplified DNA of the Novikoff hepatoma nucleolus is arranged in a 7.3-kilobase tandem repeat.
Authors: Parker D.L. , Mroczka D.L. , Rothblum L.I. .
Source: Biochemistry, 1985-07-16; 24(15), p. 4229-33.
PMID: 2996594
Related Citations

Nucleotide sequence of 7 S RNA. Homology to Alu DNA and La 4.5 S RNA.
Authors: Li W.Y. , Reddy R. , Henning D. , Epstein P. , Busch H. .
Source: The Journal of biological chemistry, 1982-05-10; 257(9), p. 5136-42.
PMID: 6802847
Related Citations