Association between a 15q25 gene variant, smoking quantity and tobacco-related cancers among 17 000 individuals
Abstract
We performed a detailed analysis of one 15q single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) with smoking behaviour and cancer risk in a total of 17 300 subjects from five LC studies and four upper aerodigestive tract (UADT) cancer studies. Subjects with one minor allele smoked on average 0.3 cigarettes per day (CPD) more, whereas subjects with the homozygous minor AA genotype smoked on average 1.2 CPD more than subjects with a GG genotype.
The variant was associated with heavy smoking. Furthermore, we found an association between the variant allele and an earlier age of LC onset.The association was also noted in UADT cancers.This study confirms the strong association between 15q gene variants and LC and shows an independent association with smoking quantity, as well as an association with UADT cancers.