Circulating inflammatory biomarkers, adipokines and breast cancer risk—a case-control study nested within the EPIC cohort

Background Inflammation has been hypothesized to play a role in the development and progression of breast cancer and might differently impact breast cancer risk among pre and postmenopausal women. We performed a nested case-control study to examine whether pre-diagnostic circulating concentrations of adiponectin, leptin, c-reactive protein (CRP), tumour necrosis factor-α, interferon-γ and 6 interleukins were…

Circulating copper and zinc levels and risk of hepatobiliary cancers in Europeans

Background: Copper and zinc are essential micronutrients and cofactors of many enzymatic reactions that may be involved in liver-cancer development. We aimed to assess pre-diagnostic circulating levels of copper, zinc and their ratio (Cu/Zn) in relation to hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), intrahepatic bile duct (IHBD) and gall bladder and biliary tract (GBTC) cancers. Methods: A nested…

Circulating concentrations of vitamin D in relation to pancreatic cancer risk in European populations

Evidence from in vivo, in vitro and ecological studies are suggestive of a protective effect of vitamin D against pancreatic cancer. However, this has not been confirmed by analytical epidemiological studies. We aimed to examine the association between pre-diagnostic circulating vitamin D concentrations and pancreatic cancer incidence in European populations. We conducted a pooled nested…

Circulating bilirubin levels and risk of colorectal cancer: serological and Mendelian randomization analyses

Background Bilirubin, a byproduct of hemoglobin breakdown and purported anti-oxidant, is thought to be cancer preventive. We conducted complementary serological and Mendelian randomization (MR) analyses to investigate whether alterations in circulating levels of bilirubin are associated with risk of colorectal cancer (CRC). We decided a priori to perform analyses separately in men and women based…

Circulating amino acid levels and colorectal cancer risk in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition and UK Biobank cohorts

Background Amino acid metabolism is dysregulated in colorectal cancer patients; however, it is not clear whether pre-diagnostic levels of amino acids are associated with subsequent risk of colorectal cancer. We investigated circulating levels of amino acids in relation to colorectal cancer risk in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) and UK Biobank…

Circadian clock gene variants and their link with chronotype, chrononutrition, sleeping patterns and obesity in the European prospective investigation into cancer and nutrition (EPIC) study

Background & aims The circadian clock is involved in the control of daily rhythms and is related to the individual’s chronotype, i.e., the morningness-eveneningness preference. Knowledge is limited on the relationship between circadian genes, chronotype, sleeping patterns, chronutrition and obesity. The aim was to explore these associations within the EPIC-Spain cohort study. Methods There were…

Cigarette Smoking and Endometrial Cancer Risk: Observational and Mendelian Randomization Analyses

Background: Current epidemiologic evidence indicates that smoking is associated with a lower endometrial cancer risk. However, it is unknown if this association is causal or confounded. To further elucidate the role of smoking in endometrial cancer risk, we conducted complementary observational and Mendelian randomization (MR) analyses. Methods: The observational analyses included 286,415 participants enrolled in…

Childhood chromium exposure and neuropsychological development in children living in two polluted areas in southern Spain

This study aimed to assess the association between exposure to chromium and neuropsychological development among children. A cross-sectional study was conducted with 393 children aged 6–11 years old randomly selected from State-funded schools in two provinces in Southern Spain (Almeria and Huelva), in 2010 and 2012. Chromium levels in urine and hair samples were analyzed…

Childhood and adolescent lymphoma in Spain: incidence and survival trends over 20 years

Lymphoma is the third most common malignancy in children (0–14 years) and the first in adolescents (15–19 years). This population-based study—the largest ever done in Spain—analyses incidence and survival of lymphomas among Spanish children and adolescents. Patients and methods 1664 lymphoma cases (1983–2007) for incidence and 1030 for survival (1991–2005) followed until 31/12/2010, were provided by 11…