Mendelian randomization studies of cancer risk: a literature review.

摘要: In this paper, we summarize prior studies that have used Mendelian randomization (MR) methods to study the effects of exposures, lifestyle factors, physical traits, and/or biomarkers on cancer risk in humans. Many such factors been associated with observational studies, and MR approach can be provide evidence as whether these associations represent causal relationships. require a factor interest known genetic determinants proxies for (i.e., “instrumental variables” or IVs), obtain an effect estimate that, under certain assumptions, is not prone bias caused by unobserved confounding reverse causality. This review seeks describe how contributed our understanding causation. We searched published literature identified 76 October 31, 2017. Risk commonly studied included alcohol consumption, vitamin D, anthropometric telomere length, lipid glycemic markers inflammation. showing compelling association at least one type include consumption (for head/neck colorectal), adult body mass index (increases multiple cancers, but decreases breast), height breast, colorectal, lung; esophageal), length lung adenocarcinoma, melanoma, renal cell carcinoma, glioma, B-cell lymphoma subtypes, chronic lymphocytic leukemia, neuroblastoma), hormonal (affects sex steroid-sensitive cancers). highlights index, height, exposures likely contribute also need specific types, ideally heterogeneous across types. As consortia-based genome-wide increase sample size analytical continue become more sophisticated, will increasingly powerful tool