2015 Research In Progress

Cancer and Chronic Disease Risk Factor Prevalence Among Adults in Alberta: Examining Alberta’s Tomorrow Project

Paula Robson, Darren Brenner, Alianu Akawung, Tiffany Haig, Will Rosner, Nathan Solbak, Jennifer Vena, Heather Whelan, Jason Xu, Christine Friedenreich

According to the World Health Organization, close to 30% of cancer deaths are preventable by modifying risk factors associated with lifestyle or behaviour, such as use of tobacco and alcohol, unhealthy diet and physical inactivity. Several organizations have published a series of recommendations and guidelines that provide strategies for cancer risk reduction based on these modifiable behaviours and lifestyle factors. The main focus of all these guidelines includes achieving and maintaining a weight within the normal range, being physically active, consuming low amounts of alcohol (if consumed at all), avoiding exposure to tobacco, consuming diets that are relatively high in fruits and vegetables, and participating in cancer screening programs.

There is a need to have an estimate for prevalence of such modifiable cancer risk factors in Alberta in order to identify priority areas for the development and implementation of cancer and chronic disease risk reduction strategies in Alberta.

Alberta’s Tomorrow Project is a long term study on causes of cancer and has been recruiting adult Albertans between the ages of 35-69 since 2000. The current study will analyze data collected by Alberta’s Tomorrow Project from about 30,000 participants during the years of 2000-2009 on health and lifestyle aspects, and aims to understand the distribution of Albertans’ exposure to these modifiable cancer risk factors. All data to be used in the proposed study have been collected directly from participants using health, diet and physical activity questionnaires. The proposed project will not use any clinical data or health information obtained for clinical purposes.

Targeted Re-sequencing and Fine Mapping of Breast Cancer Susceptibility Loci at Chromosome 4q31.22 – Identified by Genome Wide Association Study

Sambasivarao Damaraju, John Mackey, Anil A Joy, Jennifer Dufour, Russ Greiner

Our lab has previously used samples from Alberta’s Tomorrow Project (ATP) female participants at enrolment to develop prediction models for breast cancer. These models identified a subset of ATP women who may be at risk to develop cancer based on variations in genetic markers. The true test of this prediction model, and the aim of the current study, is to use ATP follow-up data to assess how well the model correctly identified women who have now developed breast (or other) cancer since their enrolment in ATP.