Family history of cancer and risk of lung cancer among nonsmoking Chinese women.
The relationship between family cancer history in first-degree relatives and risk of lung cancer was evaluated among a population-based cohort of 71,392 female nonsmokers in Shanghai, China. A total of 179 newly diagnosed lung cancer patients were identified during 441,410 person-years of follow-up. Lung cancer risk was not elevated among those with a family history of lung cancer. However, risk of lung cancer was increased among subjects who had two or more first-degree relatives with any type of cancers {rate ratio [RR], 1.95 [95% confidence intervals (95% CI), 1.08-3.54] for two relatives with any cancers and RR, 3.17 [95% CI, 1.00-10.03] for three or more relatives with any cancer}. Having a family history of colorectal cancer (RR, 2.38; 95% CI, 1.21-4.70) and having siblings with stomach cancer (RR, 2.16; 95% CI, 1.01-4.65) and pancreatic cancer (RR, 4.19; 95% CI, 1.04-16.95) were also found to be associated with lung cancer risk. This cohort study indicated a moderate association of lung cancer risk with a family cancer history in general, but not with a family history of lung cancer specifically. The associations were stronger when a sibling, rather than a parent, was affected. The apparent link between lung cancer risk and a family history of colorectal, stomach, and pancreas cancers may be worth further investigation.
Zhang
Yawei
Y
School of Epidemiology and Public Health, Yale University, 60 College Street, LEPH 440, New Haven, CT 06520, USA. yawei.zhang@yale.edu
Shu
Xiao-Ou
XO
Gao
Yu-Tang
YT
Ji
Bu-Tian
BT
Yang
Gong
G
Li
Hong Lan
HL
Kilfoy
Briseis
B
Rothman
Nathaniel
N
Zheng
Wei
W
Chow
Wong-Ho
WH
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005192:Family Health; D005260:Female; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000235:genetics*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000235:genetics*; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology