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Announcing EGRP's 2025 Research Highlights!
Each year, the Epidemiology and Genomics Research Program (EGRP) Research Highlights showcases a selection of research publications supported by grants in the EGRP grant portfolio. EGRP asked NCI grantees with projects supported by current or recently-closed grants (i.e., grants that ended in 2024 or 2025) administered by EGRP to select and submit a research publication resulting from the grant. Submitted articles had to include an acknowledgement of the grant funding and comply with all NIH data sharing policies.
Below are the final selections for EGRP's 2025 Research Highlights, listed in alphabetical order by first author.
Associations of DNA methylation in breast tumour subtypes with parity and breastfeeding in a cohort of 1459 Black women: implications for public health
Ambrosone CB, Yao S, Long MD, et al. Associations of DNA methylation in breast tumour subtypes with parity and breastfeeding in a cohort of 1459 Black women: implications for public health. BMJ Oncol. 2025;4(1):e000675.
Meta-analysis reveals differences in somatic alterations by genetic ancestry across common cancers
Amuzu S, Xie AX, Bai X, et al. Meta-analysis reveals differences in somatic alterations by genetic ancestry across common cancers. Nat Genet. 2025;57(11):2655-2660.
Nativity and healthy lifestyle index in a pooled cohort of female breast cancer survivors from northern California
Aoki RL, Alexeeff SE, Caan BJ, et al. Nativity and healthy lifestyle index in a pooled cohort of female breast cancer survivors from northern California. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 2025;34(7):1188-1198.
Genetic analysis in African ancestry populations reveals genetic contributors to lung cancer susceptibility
Betti MJ, Jaworski J, Zhao S, et al. Genetic analysis in African ancestry populations reveals genetic contributors to lung cancer susceptibility. Am J Hum Genet. 2025;112(9):2102-2114.
Stratifying lung adenocarcinoma risk with multi-ancestry polygenic risk scores in East Asian never-smokers
Blechter B, Wang X, Dai J, et al. Stratifying lung adenocarcinoma risk with multi-ancestry polygenic risk scores in East Asian never-smokers. J Natl Cancer Inst. Published online October 1, 2025.
Using gene-environment interactions to explore pathways for colorectal cancer risk
Bouras E, Yu R, Kim AE, et al. Using gene-environment interactions to explore pathways for colorectal cancer risk. EBioMedicine. 2025;121:105964.
Incidence of and risk factors for cutaneous malignant neoplasms after blood or marrow transplant
Broman KK, Meng Q, Holmqvist A, et al. Incidence of and risk factors for cutaneous malignant neoplasms after blood or marrow transplant. JAMA Dermatol. 2025;161(3):265-273.
Genome-wide association study for lung cancer in 6531 African Americans reveals new susceptibility loci
Byun J, Han Y, Choi J, et al. Genome-wide association study for lung cancer in 6531 African Americans reveals new susceptibility loci. Hum Mol Genet. 2025;34(14):1227-1237.
Unsupervised large language models to identify topics in cancer center patient portal messages
Chang JH, Ashraf-Ganjouei A, Friesner I, et al. Unsupervised large language models to identify topics in cancer center patient portal messages. JCO Clin Cancer Inform. 2025;9:e2500102.
Isoform-level analyses of 6 cancers uncover extensive genetic risk mechanisms undetected at the gene-level
Chang YH, Bresnahan ST, Taylor Head S, et al. Isoform-level analyses of 6 cancers uncover extensive genetic risk mechanisms undetected at the gene-level . Br J Cancer. 2025;133(6):874-885.
Risk of aggressive prostate cancer with successive generations in the US among Latino men
Chen F, Paik A, Sheng X, et al. Risk of aggressive prostate cancer with successive generations in the US among Latino men. J Natl Cancer Inst. 2025;117(8):1699-1706.
Lower frequency of PNPLA3 polymorphism in West African populations and divergent associations with hepatocellular carcinoma
Chotiprasidhi P, Nartey YA, Sato-Espinoza K, et al. Lower frequency of PNPLA3 polymorphism in West African populations and divergent associations with hepatocellular carcinoma. Gastro Hep Adv. 2025;4(6):100639.
Retrotransposon methylation profiles and survival in Black women with high-grade serous ovarian carcinoma
Colin-Leitzinger C, Lawson-Michod KA, Johnson CE, et al. Retrotransposon methylation profiles and survival in Black women with high-grade serous ovarian carcinoma. Clin Epigenetics. 2025;17(1):134.
Optimizing participant and community engagement in cancer genomic sequencing research
Crossnohere NL, Schuster ALR, Blair CK, et al. Optimizing participant and community engagement in cancer genomic sequencing research. Genet Med. 2025;27(9):101483.
Associations of early-adulthood adiposity with breast parenchymal tissue complexity within premenopausal women
Das Gupta S, Getz K, Hernandez Lopez J, Bennett DL, Toriola AT, Gastounioti A. Associations of early-adulthood adiposity with breast parenchymal tissue complexity within premenopausal women. Breast Cancer Res. 2025;27(1):188.
Exposure to nitrosatable drugs during pregnancy and childhood cancer: A cohort study in Taiwan
Deng C, Hu YH, Sirirungreung A, et al. Exposure to nitrosatable drugs during pregnancy and childhood cancer: A cohort study in Taiwan. Int J Cancer. Published online November 7, 2025.
Risk biomarkers of chronic GVHD in children aged 10 years or younger and children/adults older than 10 years
Ferreira AC, Dutta D, Rowan CM, et al. Risk biomarkers of chronic GVHD in children aged 10 years or younger and children/adults older than 10 years. Blood Adv. 2026;10(1):168-180. Published online September 18, 2025.
Prescription and self-reported use of endocrine therapy among Black hormone receptor-positive breast cancer survivors in the Detroit Research on Cancer Survivors cohort
Fielder AM, Kim S, Ruterbusch JJ, et al. Prescription and self-reported use of endocrine therapy among Black hormone receptor-positive breast cancer survivors in the Detroit Research on Cancer Survivors cohort. Breast Cancer Res Treat. 2025;214(3):303-317.
The Translational Research Program in Cancer Differences across Populations
Figueiredo JC, Redwood D, Li L, et al. The Translational Research Program in Cancer Differences across Populations. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 2025;34(9):1472-1482.
Proton versus photon radiotherapy for patients with oropharyngeal cancer in the USA: a multicentre, randomised, open-label, non-inferiority phase 3 trial
Frank SJ, Busse PM, Lee JJ, et al. Proton versus photon radiotherapy for patients with oropharyngeal cancer in the USA: a multicentre, randomised, open-label, non-inferiority phase 3 trial. Lancet. 2026;407(10524):174-184. Published online December 11, 2025.
BRCA1/2 impact on the development of implant-associated lymphoma in women with breast cancer and textured implants
Ghione P, Mandelker D, Arcila M, et al. BRCA1/2 impact on the development of implant-associated lymphoma in women with breast cancer and textured implants. Blood Adv. 2025;9(17):4436-4443.
Genetic and nongenetic risk factors for breast cancer risk estimation
Guo W, Li JL, McClellan J, et al. Genetic and nongenetic risk factors for breast cancer risk estimation. JAMA Netw Open. 2025;8(4):e255804.
AI-informed computational pathology classifier predicts outcomes across treatment modalities in muscle-invasive urothelial carcinoma
Hammouda K, Tokuyama N, Corredor G, et al. AI-informed computational pathology classifier predicts outcomes across treatment modalities in muscle-invasive urothelial carcinoma. Cancer Lett. 2025;634:218059.
Co-occurrence of congenital anomalies and childhood brain tumors in 22 million live births
Hoang TT, Schraw JM, Shumate C, et al. Co-occurrence of congenital anomalies and childhood brain tumors in 22 million live births. Neuro Oncol. 2025;27(7):1910-1922.
Genome-wide association study of prostate-specific antigen levels in 392,522 men identifies new loci and improves prediction across ancestry groups
Hoffmann TJ, Graff RE, Madduri RK, et al. Genome-wide association study of prostate-specific antigen levels in 392,522 men identifies new loci and improves prediction across ancestry groups. Nat Genet. 2025;57(2):334-344.
Functional evaluation and clinical classification of BRCA2 variants
Huang H, Hu C, Na J, et al. Functional evaluation and clinical classification of BRCA2 variants. Nature. 2025;638(8050):528-537.
Pre-surgery gut microbial diversity and abundance are associated with post-surgery onset of cachexia in colorectal cancer patients: the ColoCare Study
Ilozumba MN, Gomez MF, Lin T, et al. Pre-surgery gut microbial diversity and abundance are associated with post-surgery onset of cachexia in colorectal cancer patients: the ColoCare Study. Cancer Causes Control. 2025;36(12):1795-1812.
Genome-wide association study of childhood B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia reveals novel African ancestry-specific susceptibility loci
Im C, Raduski AR, Mills LJ, et al. Genome-wide association study of childhood B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia reveals novel African ancestry-specific susceptibility loci. Nat Commun. 2025;16(1):8974.
Refining breast cancer genetic risk and biology through multi-ancestry fine-mapping analyses of 192 risk regions
Jia G, Chen Z, Ping J, et al. Refining breast cancer genetic risk and biology through multi-ancestry fine-mapping analyses of 192 risk regions. Nat Genet. 2025;57(1):80-87.
Automated breast density assessment for full-field digital mammography and digital breast tomosynthesis
Jiang S, Bennett DL, Chen S, Toriola AT, Colditz GA Automated breast density assessment for full-field digital mammography and digital breast tomosynthesis. Cancer Prev Res (Phila). 2025;18(1):23-29.
Physical activity during adolescence and early adulthood and breast cancer risk before age 40 years
Kehm RD, Genkinger JM, Knight JA, et al. Physical activity during adolescence and early adulthood and breast cancer risk before age 40 years. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 2025;34(1):108-116.
Robust collection and processing for label-free single voxel proteomics
Kitata RB, Velickovic M, Xu Z, et al. Robust collection and processing for label-free single voxel proteomics. Nat Commun. 2025;16(1):547.
Enhancing prediction of cancer therapy-related cardiomyopathy from surveillance echocardiograms: a Children's Oncology Group study
Leger KJ, Stratton KL, Sachdeva R, et al. Enhancing prediction of cancer therapy-related cardiomyopathy from surveillance echocardiograms: a Children's Oncology Group study. JACC Adv. 2025;4(12 Pt 2):102363.
Large-scale integration of omics and electronic health records to identify potential risk protein biomarkers and therapeutic drugs for cancer prevention
Li Q, Song Q, Chen Z, et al. Large-scale integration of omics and electronic health records to identify potential risk protein biomarkers and therapeutic drugs for cancer prevention. Am J Hum Genet. 2026;113(1):41-56. Published online December 2, 2025.
Recruiting diverse prostate cancer survivors in health outcomes research: lessons learned from survey and biospecimen collection
Li X, Chen Z, Hu B, et al. Recruiting diverse prostate cancer survivors in health outcomes research: lessons learned from survey and biospecimen collection. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 2025;34(12):2194-2200.
Tracing the evolution of single-cell 3D genomes in Kras-driven cancers
Liu M, Jin S, Agabiti SS, et al. Tracing the evolution of single-cell 3D genomes in Kras-driven cancers. Nat Genet. 2025;57(12):3075-3087.
Integrating multi-omics data to uncover prostate tissue DNA methylation biomarkers and target genes for prostate cancer risk
Liu S, Zhu J, Green D, et al. Integrating multi-omics data to uncover prostate tissue DNA methylation biomarkers and target genes for prostate cancer risk. Mol Carcinog. 2025;64(1):83-90.
FLIPI24: A modern prognostic model and clinical trial enrichment tool for newly diagnosed follicular lymphoma
Maurer MJ, Prochazka VK, El-Galaly TC, et al. FLIPI24: A modern prognostic model and clinical trial enrichment tool for newly diagnosed follicular lymphoma. J Clin Oncol. 2026;44(2):117-128. Published online on Dec 2, 2025.
Breast cancer overall survival, annual risks of death, and survival gap apportionment in sub-Saharan Africa (ABC-DO): 7-year follow-up of a prospective cohort study
Mo T, Joffe M, Cubasch H, et al. Breast cancer overall survival, annual risks of death, and survival gap apportionment in sub-Saharan Africa (ABC-DO): 7-year follow-up of a prospective cohort study. Lancet Glob Health. 2025;13(10):e1681-e1690.
Quantitative analysis of T cell subsets in a population of Black women with invasive breast cancer
Omilian AR, Mendicino L, George A, et al. Quantitative analysis of T cell subsets in a population of Black women with invasive breast cancer. NPJ Breast Cancer. 2025;11(1):64.
The impact of reproductive factors on breast tumor and normal-adjacent tissue immune profile from menarche to menopause
Peng C, Liu Y, Heng YJ, et al. The impact of reproductive factors on breast tumor and normal-adjacent tissue immune profile from menarche to menopause. Carcinogenesis. 2025;46(2):bgaf028.
Steroid hormone metabolites and mammographic breast density in premenopausal women
Pourali G, Matthew KA, Jeon MS, et al. Steroid hormone metabolites and mammographic breast density in premenopausal women. Br J Cancer. 2026;134(2):225-236. Published online November 3, 2025.
Development of a rapid automated point-of-care test for hepatitis C viral RNA on the DASH® Rapid PCR System
Reed JL, Butzler MA, Hawkins CA, et al. Development of a rapid automated point-of-care test for hepatitis C viral RNA on the DASH® Rapid PCR System. J Infect Dis. Published online December 10, 2025.
Specifications of the ACMG/AMP variant curation guidelines for the analysis of germline PALB2 sequence variants
Richardson ME, Bishop MFH, Holdren MA, et al. Specifications of the ACMG/AMP variant curation guidelines for the analysis of germline PALB2 sequence variants. Am J Hum Genet. 2025;112(10):2266-2280.
An individualized prediction model for early-stage classic Hodgkin's lymphoma
Rodday AM, Evens AM, Maurer MJ, et al. An individualized prediction model for early-stage classic Hodgkin's lymphoma. NEJM Evid. 2025;4(9):EVIDoa2500115.
Building research infrastructure to advance precision medicine in colorectal cancer
Schmit SL, Loroña NC, Sobieski D, et al. Building research infrastructure to advance precision medicine in colorectal cancer. JNCI Cancer Spectr. 2025;9(3):pkaf027.
Regular use of pharmaceutical opioids and subsequent risk of cancer: a prospective cohort study and Mendelian randomization analysis
Sheikh M, Domingues A, Alcala K, et al. Regular use of pharmaceutical opioids and subsequent risk of cancer: a prospective cohort study and Mendelian randomization analysis. EClinicalMedicine. 2025;89:103439.
Established cancer predisposition genes in single and multiple cancer diagnoses
Shevach JW, Xu J, Snyder N, et al. Established cancer predisposition genes in single and multiple cancer diagnoses. JAMA Oncol. 2025;11(10):1222-1230.
Interactions between genetic and epidemiological factors influencing mammographic density
Suger AH, Chen H, Haas CB, et al. Interactions between genetic and epidemiological factors influencing mammographic density. Am J Epidemiol. Published online March 27, 2025.
Genome-wide association study of urinary cadmium levels in current smokers from the Multiethnic Cohort Study
Sullivan SM, Murphy SE, Stram DO, et al. Genome-wide association study of urinary cadmium levels in current smokers from the Multiethnic Cohort Study. Hum Mol Genet. 2025;34(7):611-616.
T-cell subset features and distributions evolve across the colorectal precancer-cancer spectrum
Takashima Y, Dias Costa A, Akimoto N, et al. T-cell subset features and distributions evolve across the colorectal precancer-cancer spectrum. Cancer Immunol Res. 2026;14(1):46-59. Published online November 12, 2025.
Characterization of additive gene-environment interactions for colorectal cancer risk
Thomas CE, Lin Y, Kim M, et al. Characterization of additive gene-environment interactions for colorectal cancer risk. Epidemiology. 2025;36(1):126-138.
Genomic analysis reveals racial and age-related differences in the somatic landscape of breast cancer and the association with socioeconomic factors
Van Alsten SC, Love MI, Calhoun BC, et al. Genomic analysis reveals racial and age-related differences in the somatic landscape of breast cancer and the association with socioeconomic factors. Cancer Res. 2025;85(7):1327-1340.
Breast, colorectal, and pancreatic cancer mortality with pathogenic variants in ATM, CHEK2, or PALB2
Veenstra CM, Abrahamse P, Hamilton AS, et al. Breast, colorectal, and pancreatic cancer mortality with pathogenic variants in ATM, CHEK2, or PALB2. J Clin Oncol. 2025;43(13):1587-1596.
Proteomic aging clocks and the risk of mortality among long-term cancer survivors
Wang S, Rao Z, Blaes AH, et al. Proteomic aging clocks and the risk of mortality among long-term cancer survivors. J Natl Cancer Inst. 2026;118(1):102-112. Published online October 1, 2025.
Accounting for endoscopic screening in colorectal cancer risk models
Wei EK, Wu K, Colditz GA, et al. Accounting for endoscopic screening in colorectal cancer risk models. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 2025;34(11):2049-2057.
Substandard anticancer medications in clinical care settings and private pharmacies in sub-Saharan Africa: a systematic pharmaceutical investigation
Wilfinger MJ, Doohan J, Okorigwe E, et al. Substandard anticancer medications in clinical care settings and private pharmacies in sub-Saharan Africa: a systematic pharmaceutical investigation. Lancet Glob Health. 2025;13(7):e1250-e1257.
Epigenetic age acceleration, telomere length, and neurocognitive function in long-term survivors of childhood cancer
Williams AM, Phillips NS, Dong Q, et al. Epigenetic age acceleration, telomere length, and neurocognitive function in long-term survivors of childhood cancer. Nat Commun. 2025;16(1):10655.
Associations of stem cell markers with lobular involution in benign breast tissue
Yaghjyan L, Tamimi RM, Baker GM, Heng YJ. Associations of stem cell markers with lobular involution in benign breast tissue. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 2025;34(8):1314-1321.
Plant-based diets and mortality in Black and low-income Americans: findings from a large prospective cohort study
Yuan F, Wen W, Shu XO, et al. Plant-based diets and mortality in Black and low-income Americans: findings from a large prospective cohort study. Am J Clin Nutr. 2025;121(6):1346-1353.
Calibrated dietary patterns and cancer risk in the Women's Health Initiative cohorts
Zhang X, Vasan S, Zheng C, et al. Calibrated dietary patterns and cancer risk in the Women's Health Initiative cohorts. Am J Epidemiol. Published online December 2, 2025.
A prediction model for metachronous colorectal cancer: development and validation
Zhang Y, Karahalios A, Win AK, et al. A prediction model for metachronous colorectal cancer: development and validation. J Natl Cancer Inst. 2025;117(10):2082-2088.
Proteome-wide association study of prostate cancer risk across populations
Zhong H, Zhu J, Liu S, et al. Proteome-wide association study of prostate cancer risk across populations. Nat Commun. Published online December 6, 2025.