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Cancer Control Research

Abstract

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The causes of childhood cancer have been elusive and epidemiologic research has resulted in few prevention strategies. Recent reports implicating maternal exposures to hazardous air pollutants (HAPs) offer potential for prevention strategies. This potential is especially promising because HAPs have been linked to multiple cancer histotypes in a manner analogous to the links between cigarette smoke and cancer. However, the extent of joint or correlated risks and the overall potential for prevention remain unknown. Recent developments in Bayesian hierarchal modeling offer powerful and novel tools for modeling this potential. The objective of this application is to estimate and model environmental risks among multiple childhood cancers. The central hypothesis is that maternal exposures to HAPs present common risks for multiple childhood cancers. This hypothesis will be tested by two specific aims, which are strongly supported by preliminary analysis of the Texas Childhood Cancer Database and birth records from the Texas Department of State Health Services. Specific Aim 1) For specific childhood cancer histotypes, model the risks attributable to county-level HAPs releases. The products of this aim will be county-level risk estimates that will be modeled as functions of county-level HAPs. The results of this Specific Aim will help target specific locations and suspect HAPs for further investigation. Specific Aim 2) Model the gradients of childhood cancer risk around point-source HAPs release-sites. This specific aim will utilize Bayesian hierarchal modeling and will result in the estimation of risk-gradients around the release-sites. The results of this Specific Aim will help design sampling strategies near point-source HAPs releases for future studies. The approach is innovative, because it capitalizes on recently developed multivariate Bayesian mapping and analytical techniques. The proposed research is significant because the results will estimate the extent that common risk to multiple childhood cancer histotypes can be attributed to releases of HAPs. This study will identify the areas of high risk and the associated HAPs exposures, information essential to elucidate the role of HAPs and to guide further study.