A Case-Control Study of Prostate Cancer in the Greater Baltimore Area: An Epidemiological Study of Genetic Risk Factors for Prostate Cancer in African-American and Caucasian Males
We are conducting an epidemiological prostate cancer case-control study in Baltimore,
Maryland. Participants will be African American and Caucasian males who reside in Baltimore
city and surrounding areas. The study is ongoing and will recruit 1000 prostate cancer cases
and 1000 population-based controls. The cases are recruited at two Baltimore hospitals, the
Veterans Affairs Medical Center and the University of Maryland Center. Cases will have
pathologically confirmed prostate cancer. The population-based controls are identified
through the Maryland Department of Motor Vehicle Database, and are frequency-matched by age
and race to cases. Enrollment of controls started concurrently with case accrual. The first
12 months of the study constituted a pilot study, during which we evaluated the recruitment
procedures. The study involves the administration of two questionnaires and collection of
blood from all study subjects. The two questionnaires consist of a main questionnaire and a
supplemental questionnaire. The questionnaires evaluate family cancer history, tobacco use,
medication, occupational history, socioeconomic status and risk factors for prostate cancer.
Fresh-frozen tumor specimens will be obtained from cancer patients if available. The study
is supported by an epidemiological infrastructure that has been developed by our resource
contractor at the University of Maryland for a lung cancer case-control study. This lung
cancer study is ongoing, and the controls that are recruited for the prostate cancer study
are joint controls with the lung cancer study. Hence, population-based male controls
recruited by our contractor have double eligibility for the concurrent lung and prostate
cancer studies. To achieve an age and race matching of cases and controls in the prostate
study, we will over-sample male controls in the lung study.
We will test the primary hypothesis that genes and environmental exposures, including
infections and medical history, and interactions between those exposures and genetic factors
modify prostate cancer susceptibility. As the secondary goal, we will study gene expression
profiles of prostate tumors to identify changes in tumor biology that are associated with
exposure to genetic and environmental risk factors. It is a focus of this research to
identify mechanisms in tumor biology that may cause the aggressive nature of prostate cancer
in African American men.
Observational
N/A
Stefan Ambs, Ph.D.
Principal Investigator
National Cancer Institute (NCI)
United States: Federal Government
999905021
NCT00342771
October 2004
Name | Location |
---|---|
University of Maryland Medical Center | Baltimore, Maryland 21201-1595 |
Baltimore Veterans Affairs Medical Center | Baltimore, Maryland |