Department of Surgery
Malmö University Hospital
Lund University
Malmö, Sweden
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Biobank Research Unit
Umeå University, Sweden
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Malmö: The Malmö Diet and Cancer Study recruited a total of 28 098 participants in 1991–1996 and became an associated member of EPIC in 1993. Men aged 46–73 years and women aged 45–73 years were invited to participate in the study. Information on diet was obtained through a modified diet history methodology. Lifestyle, socioeconomic, and medical history information was obtained using a self-administered questionnaire. Measurements of height, weight, blood pressure, and body composition (through a bioimpedance methodology) were assessed at a physical examination. A versatile biobank with erythrocytes, granulocytes, and cryopreserved live lymphocytes was created. DNA extraction was performed for all participants. All former participants were sent a slightly modified questionnaire 5 years after the baseline examination, and about 22 000 individuals returned completed questionnaires. As part of the baseline examination, about 6000 men and women took part in additional investigations directed towards identifying risk factors for cardiovascular disease.
Umeå: Since 1985, all inhabitants of Västerbotten County in northern Sweden are invited to a health examination at age 40, 50, and 60 years. At the same time, they are asked to participate in the Västerbotten Intervention Project (VIP), a prospective cohort study. As of August 2013, VIP included 95 033 participants and 129 308 sampling occasions; many people had participated two or more times at 10-year intervals. Participants recruited in 1992–1996 (12 431 men and 13 294 women) are included in EPIC, although some EPIC studies have used the entire VIP cohort.
At recruitment, each participant donates a fasting blood sample, with plasma (three 1.5 mL heparin tubes and three 1.5 mL EDTA tubes), buffy coat (two 500 µL tubes), and erythrocyte (two 1.5 mL tubes) fractions stored at −80 °C, and completes extensive diet and lifestyle questionnaires. At cancer diagnosis or surgery, tumour tissue is obtained from a large part of the cohort, and frozen.
Malmö: Follow-up aimed at identifying new cancer cases and deaths is based on national and local registries. By the end of 2016, 14 190 incident cancer events had been diagnosed and more than 9827 former participants had died in the Malmö Diet and Cancer Study.
Umeå: Follow-up aimed at identifying new cancer cases, other diseases, and deaths is based on essentially complete national and local registries. By the end of 2012, 2994 incident cancer events and 2230 deaths had occurred among the VIP/EPIC participants recruited in 1992–1996.
Financial support is provided by: