Defining Cancer Subtypes With Distinctive Etiologic Profiles: An Application to the Epidemiology of Melanoma.

ABSTRACT: We showcase a novel analytic strategy to identify sub-types of cancer that possess distinctive causal factors, i.e. sub-types that are "etiologically" distinct. The method involves the integrated analysis of two types of study design: an incident series of cases with double primary cancers with detailed information on tumor characteristics that can be used to define the sub-types; a case-series of incident cases with information on known risk factors that can be used to investigate the specific risk factors that distinguish the sub-types. The methods are applied to a rich melanoma dataset with detailed information on pathologic tumor factors, and comprehensive information on known genetic and environmental risk factors for melanoma. Identification of the optimal sub-typing solution is acco

SUBMITTER: Mauguen A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5460661 | biostudies-literature | 2017

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature