Trial Information

Case-Control Study of Renal Cell Cancer Among Caucasians and African Americans in the United States

Incidence rates of renal cell cancer have increased rapidly in the U.S. and other countries.
In particular, rates among African Americans have risen more sharply than any other cancer
site. We propose to conduct a population-based case-control study of renal cell cancer two
areas of the U.S. with a high proportion of African American residents: Detroit, Michigan
(Wayne State University), and Chicago, Illinois (University of Illinois at Chicago).
Westat, Inc. is the coordinating center. Participants are being recruited over a period of
four years. A total of 2,100 cases (1,400 Caucasian Americans and 700 African Americans)
and 2,800 controls (1,400 each of Caucasian and African Americans) will be recruited.
In-person interviews are conducted with cases and controls to elicit information on
demographic background and history of exposures. A 40 ml blood sample and a buccal cell
sample are collected from cases and controls for genetic analyses. Tumor tissue blocks will
be collected from as many cases as possible for assays of tumor mutations. Diagnostic
slides will be collected for standardized reclassification of tumors into clear cell,
papillary, and other histologic subtypes. Medical records for all cases will be reviewed
for presenting symptoms, tumor stage, size and grade, and methods leading to diagnosis of
renal cell cancer. Telephone interviews are conducted with the nest-of-kin of eligible
cases who died before we could interview them. Permission is being sought from the
next-of-kin to assess the case's medical records and obtain tumor tissue samples.