Investigating the impact of multiple risk factors on cancer outcomes

The occurrence of cancer is the result of multiple exposures spanning over the life course, including but not limited to socioeconomic factors, environmental factors, lifestyle, behavioral, and mental factors. Biological variations across individuals, such as genetic, anthropometric, reproductive and hormonal factors, as well as biomarkers, are also important in the pathway leading to different cancer outcomes. Among the mixture of various risk factors, it is important to understand their comparative importance in the initiation and progression of cancer by using the same large-scale cohort. By applying an exposure and outcome wide strategy, we aim to: 1) compare the association of multiple risk factors with cancer incidence and assess their potential interactions; 2) investigate the impact of risk factors across cancer types and populations; 3) explore the potentially different roles of these risk factors in the occurrence and death of specific cancers. This project is expected to last 3 years. Findings from our proposed study will help improve understanding of the complex web of causation in cancer development, identify the priorities in cancer prevention strategies, and provide systematic evidence for the control and management of common cancers, especially among susceptible populations.