Breast diseases, including benign breast conditions and breast cancer, are common and heterogeneous disorders influenced by genetic susceptibility, hormonal and reproductive factors, metabolic status, lifestyle behaviors, and environmental exposures. Despite advances in screening and management, challenges remain in early risk identification, disease stratification, and understanding how these factors interact over time to influence disease development and progression.
This project will use the UK Biobank’s large-scale phenotypic, imaging, multi-omics, and longitudinal data to investigate the determinants of breast diseases in the general population. By integrating genetic, proteomic, and metabolomic data with detailed information on lifestyle, reproductive history, anthropometry, and environmental exposures, the study aims to characterize disease heterogeneity and identify modifiable risk factors and relevant biomarkers.
The objectives are to: (1) describe the epidemiology and subtypes of breast diseases; (2) evaluate associations between biological, lifestyle, and environmental factors and disease risk and progression; and (3) develop interpretable and generalizable risk prediction and stratification models using longitudinal data.
The scientific rationale is that breast diseases result from cumulative and interacting influences that cannot be captured by single-factor analyses. The scale and standardized design of the UK Biobank enable robust population-based analyses of these complex pathways, supporting improved risk stratification and individualized prevention strategies.
