Highlights of This Issue

Abstract

A region on chromosome 8q24 was previously identified as a prostate cancer risk locus. One allele within this region (the Broad11934905 A risk allele) is only present in people with African ancestry. Whitman and colleagues analyzed the association of six 8q24 SNPs (including the Broad11934905 A risk allele) with prostate cancer progression in 114 African-American prostate cancer patients. The authors found that patients carrying the Broad11934905 A risk allele were more likely to have higher pathologic stage tumors. In addition, the Broad11934905 A risk allele was associated with shorter time to biochemical recurrence. This is the first study to reveal prognostic potential of an SNP within the 8q24 region in African-American prostate cancer patients.The association of different dietary patterns with laryngeal cancer incidence was evaluated by Edefonti and colleagues in a case-control study of Italian hospital patients. Study participants completed food frequency questionnaires and, a posteriori dietary patterns were identified through principal component factor analysis using a set of 28 major nutrients. The authors identified a major dietary pattern (vitamins and fiber) that was inversely associated with laryngeal cancer. In contrast, both the animal products and the animal unsaturated fatty acids dietary patterns were directly associated with laryngeal cancer. These findings suggest that a diet rich in animal products, and animal fats may play a role in laryngeal cancer development.A recent study showing an inverse association between routine aspirin use and Hodgkin lymphoma risk suggested that aspirin may protect against Hodgkin lymphoma development. Chang and colleagues further explored this association by conducting a population-based case-control study in Northern Denmark, using prospectively collected data. The study involved 478 Hodgkin lymphoma cases identified in nationwide healthcare databases. The use of aspirin and other NSAIDs was ascertained by linkage to a population-based prescription database. The authors report evidence of a protective effect of low-dose aspirin, but not other NSAIDs against Hodgkin lymphoma development. Thus, routine aspirin use remains a theoretically promising means of reducing Hodgkin lymphoma risk.Pediatric cancer survivors are at increased risk of morbidity and mortality from cardiovascular disease compared with the general population. Meacham and colleagues utilized the large Childhood Cancer Survivor Study cohort to determine the association of cardiovascular disease risk factors with various cancer therapeutic modalities. The authors found that pediatric cancer survivors were more likely to take medications for hypertension, dyslipidemia, and diabetes. Radiation therapy, especially radiation exposure of the torso, was more highly associated with the development of cardiovascular disease risk factors. These findings reinforce the importance of vigilant healthcare maintenance for pediatric cancer survivors.