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Molecular epidemiology, and possible real-world applications in breast cancer

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  • The way to the next generation molecular diagnostics
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Abstract

Gene-environment interaction, a key idea in molecular epidemiology, has enabled the development of personalized medicine. This concept includes personalized prevention. While genome-wide association studies have identified a number of genetic susceptibility loci in breast cancer risk, however, the application of this knowledge to practical prevention is still underway. Here, we briefly review the history of molecular epidemiology and its progress in breast cancer epidemiology. We then introduce our experience with the trial combination of GWAS-identified loci and well-established lifestyle and reproductive risk factors in the risk prediction of breast cancer. Finally, we report our exploration of the cumulative risk of breast cancer based on this risk prediction model as a potential tool for individual risk communication, including genetic risk factors and gene-environment interaction with obesity.

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Acknowledgments

The authors appreciate the efforts of the many contributors to the HERPACC study. This study was supported by Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research on Priority Areas and Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (A) and (C) from the Ministry of Education, Science, Sports, Culture and Technology of Japan; by a Grant-in-Aid for the Third Term Comprehensive 10-year Strategy for Cancer Control from the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare of Japan; and by research grant from Takeda Science Foundation. These grantors were not involved in the study design, subject enrollment, study analysis or interpretation, or submission of the manuscript for this study.

Conflict of interest

Authors declare no conflict of interest.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Epidemiology and Prevention, Aichi Cancer Center Research Institute, 1-1 Kanokoden, Chikusa-ku, Nagoya, 464-8681, Japan

    Hidemi Ito & Keitaro Matsuo

  2. Department of Preventive Medicine, Kyushu University Faculty of Medical Sciences, 3-1-1 Maidashi, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka, 812-8582, Japan

    Keitaro Matsuo

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  1. Hidemi Ito
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  2. Keitaro Matsuo
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Correspondence to Keitaro Matsuo.

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Ito, H., Matsuo, K. Molecular epidemiology, and possible real-world applications in breast cancer. Breast Cancer 23, 33–38 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12282-015-0609-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12282-015-0609-8

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