Determination of Genetic Susceptibility to Lung Cancer in Families from Southern Louisiana

The objective of the Determination of Genetic Susceptibility to Lung Cancer in Families from Southern Louisiana program is to collect clinical, environmental and phenotypic data, and biological specimens from lung cancer patients, their families and frequency matched normal control individuals for use in studies of the genetic epidemiology of lung cancer. The contractor will perform the following program requirements: 1) rapidly identify and contact all lung cancer patients, hereafter called probands, newly diagnosed between October 3, 2011 and October 2, 2016 (assuming all contract option years are exercised) within 27 parishes in southern Louisiana using a rapid ascertainment network and attempt to enroll them into the phase 1 interview portion of the study; 2) perform a brief phase 1 family history interview with these probands to determine how many of their relatives have ever had lung cancer; 3) collect phenotypic and detailed smoking and other environmental exposure data and biologic specimens from selected lung cancer patients (selected because they have a family history of lung cancer that was discovered during the phase 1 interview) and their families to be delivered to the Government (in a de-identified manner) so that the following analyses can be performed: genotyping, genetic linkage analyses, familial-case-control genome-wide and targeted association analyses, genome sequencing analyses, and genotype-phenotype correlation analyses. The contractor will complete enrollment of 10-15 new families with adequate data for use in the linkage study and 320-400 probands with a family history for the association study from among the families ascertained during this contract period; 4) collect phenotypic and environmental exposure data and biologic specimens on approximately 320-400 matched control (unaffected) individuals (frequency matched to the probands on age, smoking exposure levels, area of residence, race/ethnicity) who are biologically unrelated to the lung cancer patients for use in the analyses described above; 5) continue follow-up of previously enrolled lung cancer patients and their families to allow updating of new cancer diagnoses within the families; 6) Provide a Statistical Geneticist to assist NHGRI staff with these types of methodological research, as well as to advise the data collection staff about prioritization of their data collection efforts (to ensure collection of the most powerful families), assist NHGRI staff with analyses of the data as needed, and perform evaluations of various statistical genetic methods needed to analyze this extremely complex trait; 7) verify all reported cases of cancer at any site in original patients and in affected relatives by review of hospital charts, pathologist or physician medical records, or death certificates (if appropriate) and information on histological type whenever available; 8) maintain a database that contains all of the data generated from the study; and 9) provide biologic specimens including whole blood appropriate for DNA extraction, tumor samples and saliva samples to a central repository specified by NHGRI. To accomplish this work, Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval for the protection of human subjects is required from the contractor's organization and the study will also have to be approved by the IRB's of hospitals and universities that participate in the rapid ascertainment network.