Population-based multicase-control study in common tumors in Spain (MCC-Spain): Rationale and study design = Estudio multicaso-control de base poblacional de tumores comunes en España (MCC-Spain): razón y diseño del estudio

MCC-Spain study group: Maria Teresa Alonso, Pilar Amiano, Cristina Arias, Mikel Azpiri, Yolanda Benavente, Elena Boldo, Aurora Bueno, Mariona Bustamante, Francisco Javier Caballero, Elías Campo, Rafael Cantón, Rocío Capelo, Carme Carmona, Delphine Casabonne, María Dolores Chirlaque, Judith Cirac, Juan Clofent, Enrique Colado, Laura Costas, Marta Crous, Rosa del Campo, Marian Díaz Santos, Trinidad Dierssen-Sotos, María Ederra, Ana Espinosa, Marieta Fernández Cabrera, Ana Fernández Somoano, Fernández-Villa, Tania, Esther García García-Esquinas, Paloma García Martín, Inés Gómez-Acebo, Cristina González Puga, Esther Gràcia, Marcela Guevara Eslava, Elisabet Guinó, José María Huerta, Virginia Lope, Gonzalo López-Abente, Carlos Lopez-Otín, Begona˜ Martinez Argüelles, Sergio Merino Salas, Benito Mirón Pozo, Antonio José Molina de la Torre, Eduardo Moreno, Concepción Moreno Iribas, Nicolás Olea, Gemma Osca Gelis, Laia Paré, Miquel Porta, Montse Puig, Manuel Rivas del Fresno, Claudia Robles, Marta María Rodríguez Suarez, Beatriz Romero, Ana Isabel Sáez Castillo, Maria Sala Serra, Dolores Salas Trejo, Ana Santaballa, Miguel Santibánez, ˜ Ángeles Sierra, Ana Souto, Cristina M Villanueva We present the protocol of a large population-based case-control study of 5 common tumorsin Spain (MCC-Spain) that evaluates environmental exposures and genetic factors.Methods: Between 2008-2013, 10,183 persons aged 20-85 years were enrolled in 23 hospitals and pri-mary care centres in 12 Spanish provinces including 1,115 cases of a new diagnosis of prostate cancer,1,750 of breast cancer, 2,171 of colorectal cancer, 492 of gastro-oesophageal cancer, 554 cases of chroniclymphocytic leukaemia (CLL) and 4,101 population-based controls matched by frequency to cases by age,sex and region of residence. Participation rates ranged from 57% (stomach cancer) to 87% (CLL cases) andfrom 30% to 77% in controls. Participants completed a face-to-face computerized interview on sociode-mographic factors, environmental exposures, occupation, medication, lifestyle, and personal and familymedical history. In addition, participants completed a self-administered food-frequency questionnaireand telephone interviews. Blood samples were collected from 76% of participants while saliva sampleswere collected in CLL cases and participants refusing blood extractions. Clinical information was recordedfor cases and paraffin blocks and/or fresh tumor samples are available in most collaborating hospitals.Genotyping was done through an exome array enriched with genetic markers in specific pathways. Mul-tiple analyses are planned to assess the association of environmental, personal and genetic risk factorsfor each tumor and to identify pleiotropic effects.Discussion: This study, conducted within the Spanish Consortium for Biomedical Research in Epidemiol-ogy & Public Health (CIBERESP), is a unique initiative to evaluate etiological factors for common cancersand will promote cancer research and prevention in Spain