EPIC Working Groups - Cancer Working Groups

The Gastric and Oesophageal Cancer Working Group

Worldwide, gastric cancer is the fourth and oesophageal cancer the eighth most frequent cancer, while gastric cancer is the second and oesophageal cancer the sixth most common cause of cancer death. During the first 10 years of the Working Group, its activity has been focused mainly on gastric cancer due to the fact that the number of cases of oesophageal cancer is still relatively low.

A multifactorial and multistep model of gastric cancer is currently accepted, according to which different environmental and genetic factors are involved at different stages in the cancer process. These gene—environment interactions could explain the high variation in gastric cancer incidence observed around the world. Therefore, the major activities within the Working Group involve evaluation of the role of environmental factors, such as Helicobacter pylori infection, dietary and nutrient intake, circulating levels of nutrients and vitamins, alcohol consumption, and smoking, as well as genetic factors involved in the inflammatory response, metabolism of chemical compounds, DNA damage repair, and gene—environment interaction, mainly in relation to iron and vitamin C status and alcohol consumption. Given that the 5-year survival rates for gastric and oesophageal cancer are very low, the identification and control of risk factors represent the most effective way of reducing the burden of these tumours. EPIC is collaborating also with international studies on genome-wide association studies (GWAS) analysis and Epstein-Barr virus.


Selected publications:

  1. Sanikini H, Muller DC, Sophiea M, Rinaldi S, Agudo A, Duell EJ, Weiderpass E, Overvad K, Tjønneland A, Halkjaer J, Boutron-Ruault MC, Carbonnel F, Cervenka I, Boeing H, Kaaks R, Kühn T, Trichopoulou A, Martimianaki G, Karakatsani A, Pala V, Palli D, Mattiello A, Tumino R, Sacerdote C, Skeie G, Rylander C, Chirlaque López MD, Sánchez MJ, Ardanaz E, Regnér S, Stocks T, Bueno-de-Mesquita B, Vermeulen RCH, Aune D, Tong TYN, Kliemann N, Murphy N, Chadeau-Hyam M, Gunter MJ, Cross AJ. Anthropometric and reproductive factors and risk of esophageal and gastric cancer by subtype and subsite: Results from the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) cohort. Int J Cancer. 2020 Feb 15;146(4):929-942. doi: 10.1002/ijc.32386. Epub 2019 May 21. PMID:31050823

  2. Agudo A, Cayssials V, Bonet C, Tjønneland A, Overvad K, Boutron-Ruault MC, Affret A, Fagherazzi G, Katzke V, Schübel R, Trichopoulou A, Karakatsani A, La Vecchia C, Palli D, Grioni S, Tumino R, Ricceri F, Panico S, Bueno-de-Mesquita B, Peeters PH, Weiderpass E, Skeie G, Nøst TH, Lasheras C, Rodríguez-Barranco M, Amiano P, Chirlaque MD, Ardanaz E, Ohlsson B, Dias JA, Nilsson LM, Myte R, Khaw KT, Perez-Cornago A, Gunter M, Huybrechts I, Cross AJ, Tsilidis K, Riboli E, Jakszyn P. Inflammatory potential of the diet and risk of gastric cancer in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) study. Am J Clin Nutr. 2018 Apr 1;107(4):607-616. doi: 10.1093/ajcn/nqy002. PMID: 29635497

  3. Jakszyn P, Fonseca-Nunes A, Lujan-Barroso L, Aranda N, Tous M, Arija V, Cross A, Bueno-de-Mesquita HBA, Weiderpass E, Kühn T, Kaaks R, Sjöberg K, Ohlsson B, Tumino R, Palli D, Ricceri F, Fasanelli F, Krogh V, Mattiello A, Jenab M, Gunter M, Perez-Cornago A, Khaw KT, Tjønneland A, Olsen A, Overvad K, Trichopoulou A, Peppa E, Vasilopoulou E, Boeing H, Sánchez-Cantalejo E, Huerta JM, Dorronsoro M, Barricarte A, Quirós JM, Peeters PH, Agudo A. Hepcidin levels and gastric cancer risk in the EPIC-EurGast study. Int J Cancer. 2017 Sep 1;141(5):945-951. doi: 10.1002/ijc.30797. Epub 2017 Jun 21. PMID: 28543377

  4. Sanikini H, Dik VK, Siersema PD, Bhoo-Pathy N, Uiterwaal CS, Peeters PH, González CA, Zamora-Ros R, Overvad K, Tjønneland A, Roswall N, Boutron-Ruault MC, Fagherazzi G, Racine A, Kühn T, Katzke V, Boeing H, Trichopoulou A, Trichopoulos D, Lagiou P, Palli D, Grioni S, Vineis P, Tumino R, Panico S, Weiderpass E, Skeie G, Braaten T, Huerta JM, Sánchez-Cantalejo E, Barricarte A, Sonestedt E, Wallstrom P, Nilsson LM, Johansson I, Bradbury KE, Khaw KT, Wareham N, Huybrechts I, Freisling H, Cross AJ, Riboli E, Bueno-de-Mesquita HB. Total, caffeinated and decaffeinated coffee and tea intake and gastric cancer risk: results from the EPIC cohort study. Int J Cancer. 2015 Mar 15;136(6):E720-30. doi: 10.1002/ijc.29223. Epub 2014 Sep 29. PMID: 25236393

  5. Fonseca-Nunes A, Agudo A, Aranda N, Arija V, Cross AJ, Molina E, Sanchez MJ, Bueno-de-Mesquita HB, Siersema P, Weiderpass E, Krogh V, Mattiello A, Tumino R, Saieva C, Naccarati A, Ohlsson B, Sjöberg K, Boutron-Ruault MC, Cadeau C, Fagherazzi G, Boeing H, Steffen A, Kühn T, Katzke V, Tjønneland A, Olsen A, Khaw KT, Wareham N, Key T, Lu Y, Riboli E, Peeters PH, Gavrila D, Dorronsoro M, Quirós JR, Barricarte A, Jenab M, Zamora-Ros R, Freisling H, Trichopoulou A, Lagiou P, Bamia C, Jakszyn P. Body iron status and gastric cancer risk in the EURGAST study. Int J Cancer. 2015 Dec 15;137(12):2904-14. doi: 10.1002/ijc.29669. Epub 2015 Jul 16. PMID: 26135329

  6. Buckland G, Travier N, Huerta JM, Bueno-de-Mesquita HB, Siersema PD, Skeie G, Weiderpass E, Engeset D, Ericson U, Ohlsson B, Agudo A, Romieu I, Ferrari P, Freisling H, Colorado-Yohar S, Li K, Kaaks R, Pala V, Cross AJ, Riboli E, Trichopoulou A, Lagiou P, Bamia C, Boutron-Ruault MC, Fagherazzi G, Dartois L, May AM, Peeters PH, Panico S, Johansson M, Wallner B, Palli D, Key TJ, Khaw KT, Ardanaz E, Overvad K, Tjønneland A, Dorronsoro M, Sánchez MJ, Quirós JR, Naccarati A, Tumino R, Boeing H, Gonzalez CA. Healthy lifestyle index and risk of gastric adenocarcinoma in the EPIC cohort study. Int J Cancer. 2015 Aug 1;137(3):598-606. doi: 10.1002/ijc.29411. Epub 2015 Feb 13. PMID: 25557932

  7. Espinosa-Parrilla Y, Muñoz X, Bonet C, Garcia N, Venceslá A, Yiannakouris N, Naccarati A, Sieri S, Panico S, Huerta JM, Barricarte A, Menéndez V, Sánchez-Cantalejo E, Dorronsoro M, Brennan P, Duarte-Salles T, B As Bueno-de-Mesquita H, Weiderpass E, Lund E, Clavel-Chapelon F, Boutron-Ruault MC, Racine A, Numans ME, Tumino R, Canzian F, Campa D, Sund M, Johansson M, Ohlsson B, Lindkvist B, Overvad K, Tjønneland A, Palli D, Travis RC, Khaw KT, Wareham N, Boeing H, Nesi G, Riboli E, Gonzalez CA, Sala N. Genetic association of gastric cancer with miRNA clusters including the cancer-related genes MIR29, MIR25, MIR93 and MIR106: results from the EPIC-EURGAST study. Int J Cancer. 2014 Nov 1;135(9):2065-76. doi: 10.1002/ijc.28850. Epub 2014 Apr 2. PMID: 24643999

  8. Agudo A, Bonet C, Sala N, Muñoz X, Aranda N, Fonseca-Nunes A, Clavel-Chapelon F, Boutron-Ruault MC, Vineis P, Panico S, Palli D, Tumino R, Grioni S, Quirós JR, Molina E, Navarro C, Barricarte A, Chamosa S, Allen NE, Khaw KT, Bueno-de-Mesquita HB, Siersema PD, Numans ME, Trichopoulou A, Lagiou P, Trichopoulos D, Kaaks R, Canzian F, Boeing H, Meidtner K, Johansson M, Sund M, Manjer J, Overvad K, Tjonneland A, Lund E, Weiderpass E, Jenab M, Fedirko V, Offerhaus GJ, Riboli E, González CA, Jakszyn P. Hemochromatosis (HFE) gene mutations and risk of gastric cancer in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) study. Carcinogenesis. 2013 Jun;34(6):1244-50. doi: 10.1093/carcin/bgt045. Epub 2013 Feb 6. PMID: 23389292

  9. Zamora-Ros R, Agudo A, Luján-Barroso L, Romieu I, Ferrari P, Knaze V, Bueno-de-Mesquita HB, Leenders M, Travis RC, Navarro C, Sánchez-Cantalejo E, Slimani N, Scalbert A, Fedirko V, Hjartåker A, Engeset D, Skeie G, Boeing H, Förster J, Li K, Teucher B, Agnoli C, Tumino R, Mattiello A, Saieva C, Johansson I, Stenling R, Redondo ML, Wallström P, Ericson U, Khaw KT, Mulligan AA, Trichopoulou A, Dilis V, Katsoulis M, Peeters PH, Igali L, Tjønneland A, Halkjær J, Touillaud M, Perquier F, Fagherazzi G, Amiano P, Ardanaz E, Bredsdorff L, Overvad K, Ricceri F, Riboli E, González CA. Dietary flavonoid and lignan intake and gastric adenocarcinoma risk in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) study. Am J Clin Nutr. 2012 Dec;96(6):1398-408. doi: 10.3945/ajcn.112.037358. Epub 2012 Oct 17. PMID: 23076618

  10. Jakszyn P, Agudo A, Lujan-Barroso L, Bueno-de-Mesquita HB, Jenab M, Navarro C, Palli D, Boeing H, Manjer J, Numans ME, Igali L, Boutron-Ruault MC, Clavel-Chapelon F, Morois S, Grioni S, Panico c, Tumino R, Sacerdote C, Quirós JR, Molina-Montes E, Huerta Castaño JM, Barricarte A, Amiano P, Khaw KT, Wareham N, Allen NE, Key TJ, Jeurnink SM, Peeters PH, Bamia C, Valanou E, Trichopoulou A, Kaaks R, Lukanova A, Bergmann MM, Lindkvist B, Stenling R, Johansson I, Dahm CC, Overvad K, Olsen A, Tjonneland A, Skeie G, Broderstad AR, Lund E, Michaud DS, Mouw T, Riboli E, González CA. Dietary intake of heme iron and risk of gastric cancer in the European prospective investigation into cancer and nutrition study. Int J Cancer. 2012 Jun 1;130(11):2654-63. doi: 10.1002/ijc.26263. Epub 2011 Aug 24. PMID: 21717452

Contact details/Working Group leader

Dr Antonio Agudo
Unit of Nutrition, Environment and Cancer
Cancer Epidemiology Research Program
Catalan Institute of Oncology
Barcelona, Spain