Maloney, J. Austin
(2021)
The Contribution of Modifiable and Non-Modifiable Risk Factors for Pancreatic Cancer: A Geospatial Analysis and Literature Review.
Master Essay, University of Pittsburgh.
Abstract
Pancreatic cancer is an important public health issue, due to its silent nature, high mortality rates, and low overall survival rates. Pancreatic cancer is the eleventh most diagnosed cancer in the United States, representing about 3.2% of all new cancer cases in the United States. However, pancreatic cancer is disproportionately deadly, ranking as the fourth most common cause of cancer death in both men and women in the United States. The risk of developing pancreatic cancer is related to various modifiable and non-modifiable risk factors. This review summarizes literature on the associations between the risk of pancreatic cancer and various modifiable and non-modifiable risk factors.
Thirteen articles were retrieved for the evaluation of the effects of modifiable and non-modifiable risk factors on the risk of developing pancreatic cancer. Data on smoking, diabetes, and obesity were correlated with age-adjusted pancreatic cancer incidence rates by county for Pennsylvania and by Allegheny County zip code through EDDIE and the Environmental Public Health Track network.
The literature review found that non-modifiable risk factors, such as BRCA mutations, blood type, pancreatitis, and mutations in tumor suppressor and cell proliferation genes to be associated with a higher risk of developing pancreatic cancer. Modifiable risk factors, such as smoking, alcohol intake, diabetes, and obesity, were also found to be associated with increased risk of pancreatic cancer.
Across counties in Pennsylvania, risk factors such as diabetes, obesity, and smoking were shown to have very weak, negative associations with risk of pancreatic cancer age-adjusted incidence rates. However, when examining age-adjusted, 10-year, pancreatic cancer incidence rates by Allegheny County zip codes, modelled rates of obesity and smoking by zip code were shown to have moderate, positive correlations with rates of pancreatic cancer. The correlation between smoking and age-adjusted incidence rates of pancreatic cancer, and obesity and age-adjusted incidence rates of pancreatic cancer within zip codes of Allegheny County was 0.247 and 0.29, respectively. Through a better understanding of risk factors for pancreatic cancer, we can help reduce the risk of negative health outcomes for a disease with a high mortality rate and significant public health significance.
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Details
| Item Type: |
Other Thesis, Dissertation, or Long Paper
(Master Essay)
|
| Status: |
Unpublished |
| Creators/Authors: |
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| ETD Committee: |
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| Date: |
10 February 2021 |
| Date Type: |
Completion |
| Submission Date: |
4 December 2020 |
| Access Restriction: |
2 year -- Restrict access to University of Pittsburgh for a period of 2 years. |
| Number of Pages: |
51 |
| Institution: |
University of Pittsburgh |
| Schools and Programs: |
School of Public Health > Epidemiology |
| Degree: |
MPH - Master of Public Health |
| Thesis Type: |
Master Essay |
| Refereed: |
Yes |
| Uncontrolled Keywords: |
Pancreatic Cancer |
| Date Deposited: |
10 Mar 2021 17:51 |
| Last Modified: |
10 Mar 2023 06:15 |
| URI: |
http://d-scholarship.pitt.edu/id/eprint/40001 |
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