SECTION OF ENVIRONMENT (ENV) ENVIRONMENT, INCLUDING LIFESTYLE, ENCOMPASSES MANY MAJOR CAUSES OF HUMAN Section Head CANCER, INCLUDING TOBACCO USE, ALCOHOL DRINKING, OCCUPATIONAL EXPOSURES, Dr Paolo Boffetta ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTANTS AND RADIATION. IARC is well placed to address these important questions because of its ability to coordinate large-scale studies, which take advantage of the heterogeneity of cancer and cancer risk factors across human populations. IARC can also integrate epidemiological and biological techniques and contribute to programmes aimed at reviewing and evaluating the evidence of carcinogenicity of specific agents and interventions. Studies of the effects of ionising radiation are important for elucidating mechanisms of carcinogenesis, and can provide the scientific basis for radiation protection of the general public, patients and occupationally-exposed populations. In particular, uncertainties persist with regard to the health consequences of low doses and low dose rates, and host factors that can modify radiation-related cancer risk. SECTION OF ENVIRONMENT 71 72 biENNIAL REPORT 2008/2009 LIFESTYLE AND CANCER GROUP (LCA) Group Head Students Dr Paolo Boffetta (until October 2009) Michela Agostini (July 2008–September 2008) Dr Kurt Straif (Acting, from November 2009) Paola Bertuccio (August 2009–September 2009) Alexander Demarsh (September 2008–December 2008) Scientists Annah Layman (June 2009–July 2009) Dr Eric Duell (until June 2009) Ersilia Lucenteforte (March 2009–May 2009) Dr Mia Hashibe (until October 2009) Akbar Fazeltabar Malekshah Dr Mazda Jenab (December 2008–January 2009) Dr Maria Leon-Roux Ms Manuela Marron Ms Claire Nicolas (February 2009–July 2009) Staff Ms Debora Lee Oh (July 2008–October 2008) Mrs Christine Bassier (Group Secretary) Ms Ann Olsson Mr Julien Berthiller (Clerk statistics, until March 2008) Ms Sung-Shim lani Park (July 2008–October 2008) Mrs Rim Boudjema (Clerk, until April 2008) Ms Lorenza Scotti (May 2008–August 2008) Mr François Deloche (Equipment Operator) Ms Ding Wang (August 2009–October 2009) Mr Gilles Ferro (Assistant, statistics) Mrs Véronique Luzon (Clerk, statistics) Ms Sylvia Moutinho (Secretary) Visiting scientists Dr Ross Avery (from March 2009 until July 2009) Dr Hongbing Shen (from 1st July 2008 – 28 September 2008) Postdoctoral fellows Dr Lehadh Al-Azzawi (March 2009–April 2009) Dr Silvia Balbo (until February 2008) Dr Sabiha Bouzbid (until October 2008) Dr Shu-Chun Chuang (until 30 September 2009) Dr Elisabeth Couto (until March 2009) Dr Nazir Ahmad Dar (January 2008–March 2008) Dr Valeria Edefonti (April 2008–May 2008) Dr Veronika Fedirko (from October 2009) Dr Ronja Foraita (September 2009–December 2009) Dr Fabrizio Giannandrea (until December 2008) Dr Julia Heck (until December 2008) Dr Farhad Islami Dr Yuan-Chin Lee (until December 2008) Dr Quian Li (from November 2008) Dr Valerie McCormack (from November 2008) Dr He Wang (until September 2009) Dr Janine Wichmann (until January 2008) Dr Nualnong Wongtongkam (until December 2009) LIFESTYLE AND CANCER GROUP 73 RESEARCH IN THE LIFESTYLE AND CANCER GROUP (LCA) COMPLEMENTS THAT IN OTHER SECTIONS ACROSS IARC BY AIMING AT IDENTIFYING THE ENVIRONMENTAL CAUSES OF HUMAN CANCER AND THEIR INTERACTIONS WITH GENETIC FACTORS (BOFFETTA ET AL., 2008A; BOFFETTA ET AL., 2009A). IT ALSO AIMS TO CONTRibUTE TO THE METHODOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENT OF THE FIELD OF MOLECULAR AND GENETIC EPIDEMIOLOGY, AND OF CANCER PREVENTION RESEARCH, IN PARTICULAR IN THE FIELD OF TOBACCO CONTROL. THE FOCUS IS ON CANCERS OF THE LUNG, THE UPPER AERODIGESTIVE TRACT, THE PANCREAS AND THE KIDNEY, AND ON LYMPHOMA. THE PROGRAMME CONSISTS OF MULTICENTRIC INTERNATIONAL STUDIES CARRIED OUT IN COLLABORATING CENTRES, THE COORDINATION OF NETWORKS OF INVESTIGATORS, THE USE OF EXISTING RESOURCES SUCH AS CANCER REGISTRY DATA, AND THE PREPARATION OF THE IARC HANDBOOKS OF TObaccO CONtrOL. Different types of study design are used particular, during 2008–2009 the Group In order to address the conclusions of (case–control, cohort, record linkage), played a key role in coordinating consortia the 2007 WCRF expert report (World and all field studies include a biological of studies of lymphoma (InterLymph), Cancer Research Fund, 2007), which component. During 2008–9 the group lung cancer (ILCCO) and head and neck called for further epidemiologic research completed a series of analyses of risk cancer (INHANCE); important results on the potential association of fruits and factors for cancers of the lung, the upper were reported on the effect of tobacco vegetables with reduced cancer risk, the aerodigestive tract (including the oral and alcohol interactions, marijuana, Group was involved in studies based cavity, pharynx, larynx and esophagus) involuntary smoking, and family history on EPIC to examine the association of and the kidney, the colorectum, the breast of cancer on head and neck cancer in these important food groups with the and of lymphoma, based on large-scale the INHANCE Consortium (Berthiller et risk of colorectal (van Duijnhoven et al., case–control studies coordinated by the al., 2009; Hashibe et al., 2009; Lee et al., 2009) and pancreatic (Vrieling et al., former Gene-Environment Epidemiology 2008; Negri et al., 2009). In addition, the 2009) cancers. In addition, the Group (GEE) Group and conducted in previous group continues to be actively involved led a comprehensive analysis for fruit years in Europe and Latin America. in a consortia of investigators involved and vegetable intake and the risk of all Extensive genotyping of samples in molecular and genetic epidemiology cancers, showing a small but significant collected in these studies has been of pancreatic cancer (PANC4) and reduction in total cancer risk with higher conducted by the GCS and GEP groups. squamous cell carcinoma of the consumption (Boffetta et al., submitted). esophagus (ESC3). Finally, the group The full exploitation of this material will has been collaborating on projects within In an effort to identify future horizons take several years; results reported the Asia Cohort Consortium, comprising for the field of dietary biomarkers, the during 2008–2009 include causes of ongoing and new prospective studies in Group led a comprehensive review of cancer in France ( Boffetta et al., 2009b), Asia and the Pacific region. this topic (Jenab et al., 2009b). The UV radiation exposure and the risk review highlighted a need for discovery of malignant lymphoma and multiple Another important area of research for of new dietary biomarkers, and in view of myeloma ( Boffetta et al., 2008b), various the Group is the field of diet and nutrition this the Group led a large collaborative second primary cancers (Chuang et and their association with various grant application with the objective of al., 2008a; Chuang et al., 2008b;Maule cancers. The Group was successful in identifying metabolomic profiles specific et al., 2008), and risk factors for obtaining pilot funding from the World to different foods, dietary patterns and hypopharyngeal, laryngeal and breast Cancer Research Fund (WCRF) to lifestyle habits. cancers in India ( Chuang et al., 2008a; study the feasibility of establishing a Chuang et al., 2008b; Heck et al., 2008; large-scale study on dietary and lifestyle The Group is leading a comprehensive Mathew et al., 2008; Mathew et al., 2009; factors and the risk of esophageal review and meta-analysis of alcohol Sapkota et al., 2007; Sapkota et al., cancer in Kashmir, India, a high-risk consumption and cancer risk, focused 2008). Results of analyses conducted region lying within the Asian Esophageal primarily on the dose effects of lower in these studies on the effect of genetic Cancer Belt. In addition, the group has intake levels and on cancer sites for variants on the risk of lung and head and been active in the European Prospective which previous reports have been neck cancer are contained in the report Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition inconclusive (Baan et al., 2007; World from the GEP group. (EPIC), a large cohort of over 520 000 Cancer Research Fund, 2007). The first subjects with dietary information and publication from this project shows an The work of the Group in the biological samples. In this respect, the increased risk of pancreatic cancer for epidemiological studies described above group has conducted a study of vitamin consumption of 3 or more drinks per day has been extended to the coordination of D receptor polymorphisms (Jenab et al., (Tramacere et al., submitted). international consortia, with the following 2009a) as well as blood vitamin D levels goals: fast and coordinated replication and risk of colorectal cancer, showing a Another important area of work for of new findings; pooling of data for strong inverse risk association (Jenab et the Group was its support to the analysis for which large populations are al., 2008). establishment of prospective studies needed, typically for gene-environment of cancer in populations in transition. interactions; and setting standards for In addition to the cohort study in the future epidemiological research. In Russian Federation described in the GEP 74 biENNIAL REPORT 2008/2009 group, the prospective study established For the SYNERGY project, ten case– volumes in the IARC series of Handbooks in the Golestan province of Northeastern control studies on lung cancer have of Cancer Prevention on Tobacco Iran, an area with very high incidence of been pooled to study the joint effects Control; specifically, Volume 12 on esophageal cancer, has