Socioeconomic status and lung cancer: unraveling the contribution of genetic admixture.
OBJECTIVE
We examined the relationship between genetic ancestry, socioeconomic status (SES), and lung cancer among African Americans and Latinos.


METHODS
We evaluated SES and genetic ancestry in a Northern California lung cancer case-control study (1998-2003) of African Americans and Latinos. Lung cancer case and control participants were frequency matched on age, gender, and race/ethnicity. We assessed case-control differences in individual admixture proportions using the 2-sample t test and analysis of covariance. Logistic regression models examined associations among genetic ancestry, socioeconomic characteristics, and lung cancer.


RESULTS
Decreased Amerindian ancestry was associated with higher education among Latino control participants and greater African ancestry was associated with decreased education among African lung cancer case participants. Education was associated with lung cancer among both Latinos and African Americans, independent of smoking, ancestry, age, and gender. Genetic ancestry was not associated with lung cancer among African Americans.


CONCLUSIONS
Findings suggest that socioeconomic factors may have a greater impact than genetic ancestry on lung cancer among African Americans. The genetic heterogeneity and recent dynamic migration and acculturation of Latinos complicate recruitment; thus, epidemiological analyses and findings should be interpreted cautiously.
At the time of the study, Melinda C. Aldrich was with the Division of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley. Steve Selvin is with the Division of Biostatistics, School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley. Margaret R. Wrensch, Helen M. Hansen, and John K. Wiencke are with the Department of Neurologic Surgery, University of California, San Francisco. Jennette D. Sison was with the Department of Neurologic Surgery, University of California, San Francisco. Charles P. Quesenberry Jr, is with the Division of Research, Kaiser Permanente, Oakland, CA. Michael F. Seldin is with the Departments of Biological Chemistry and Medicine, University of California, Davis. Lisa F. Barcellos and Patricia A. Buffler are with the Division of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley.
Melinda C
MC
Aldrich
Steve
S
Selvin
Margaret R
MR
Wrensch
Jennette D
JD
Sison
Helen M
HM
Hansen
Charles P
CP
Quesenberry
Michael F
MF
Seldin
Lisa F
LF
Barcellos
Patricia A
PA
Buffler
John K
JK
Wiencke
D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American; D000368:Aged; D002140:California; D016001:Confidence Intervals; D005260:Female; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease / Q000235:genetics*; D060005:Genotyping Techniques; D006630:Hispanic or Latino; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000208:ethnology / Q000235:genetics*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016017:Odds Ratio; D012907:Smoking; D012923:Social Class