GSEC: AN INTERNATIONAL COLLABORATIVE STUDY ON GENETIC SUSCEPTIBILITY TO ENVIRONMENTAL CARCINOGENS

An International Pooled Data Analysis On Metabolic Susceptibility Gene Polymorphisms

Emanuela Taioli, MD, PhD, Principal Investigator

The primary goals of the project are:

• To study the association between genetic polymorphisms and cancer
• To investigate the association and interaction between polymorphisms
• To determine geographic and ethnic prevalence of the polymorphisms
• To create a data base for future studies on metabolic genes and molecular epidemiology of cancer
• To facilitate collaboration between scientists from different countries

Study Design:

This project provides a large sample size that allows the study of the association between each genetic polymorphism and cancer with adequate statistical power. Associations between combinations of various polymorphisms and cancer have been also successfully investigated.

Data contributed from participants are included in the database according to the following process. Each collaborating investigator is asked to provide original data from published and unpublished studies (without personal identifiers) on subjects included in his/her study. Once received, data are entered into a main data set. Quality and logical controls are performed, and Investigators are asked for explanations when necessary. Finally, hard copy of the entered data are sent back to the investigators for confirmation and completion as an additional quality control step.

Collected data are available to all participants. The Advisory Committee solicits proposals for analysis using the data bank from participants. Working groups established by the Advisory Committee according to common interests review and analyze the data, and produce publication(s). A biostatistician is always included in a working group. Authors of publications include all the investigators whose data were used, and any others who participated in data analysis/paper writing.

Additional information about the project has been published in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, and the American Journal of Epidemiology.