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@ARTICLE{FernandezCuesta:303020,
author = {L. Fernandez-Cuesta and C. Voegele and B. Hemon and K.
Alcala and D. Aune and S. Caini and E. Casalone and A. J.
Cross and P. Ferrari and N. Girard and V. Katzke$^*$ and R.
S. van Leeuwaarde and G. Matullo and B. Melin and G. Murphy
and V. Viallon and T. Walter and M. J. Gunter and A. Trama
and N. Alcala and M. Foll},
title = {{T}he {E}uropean {P}rospective {I}nvestigation into
{C}ancer and {N}utrition {C}ohort ({EPIC}): a gateway to
rare cancer epidemiological research.},
journal = {ESMO Rare Cancers},
volume = {2},
address = {-},
publisher = {Elsevier},
reportid = {DKFZ-2025-01467},
pages = {100014},
year = {2025},
note = {ESMO Rare Cancers (ESMO Rare Cancers) = 3050-4619 (import
from CrossRef, PubMed, , Journals: inrepo02.dkfz.de)},
abstract = {The intrinsic limitations of studying rare cancers poses
challenges to undertaking studies with adequate statistical
power. Therefore, efforts are needed to exploit available,
high-quality resources. The European Prospective
Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) is a
large-scale longitudinal cohort with great potential for
rare cancer research.We have used the EPIC data, which
includes lifestyle, diet, and health information, on ∼520
000 participants recruited across Europe. Rare cancers were
identified according to the RARE CAncer REgistry network
(RARECAREnet) classification, which includes incidence-based
categorization and detailed morphological and site-specific
information.An interactive R Shiny web application was
developed to explore EPIC data interactively, available at
https://epic-rare-cancers-explorer.opendata.iarc.who.int.
Among the EPIC participants, 11 450 incident cases of rare
cancers were identified, with data currently available for
8851 of them, encompassing a wide range of cancer sites and
morphologies. Sex ratios and incidence rates align with
previously reported statistics. The R Shiny web application
was designed for preliminary data analysis and hypothesis
generation, aiding researchers in assessing the feasibility
and potential of epidemiological studies. Taking head and
neck cancers as a use case, we confirmed the strong
association of these tumors with tobacco and alcohol
consumption, proving the suitability of EPIC for identifying
risk factors for rare cancers. However, it is important to
note that, as with all observational studies, the
associations reported in this article do not establish
causality.The development of the EPIC rare cancers database,
accompanied by the development of an interactive web
application, represents a significant step forward in rare
cancer research embedded within a large-scale
population-based cohort. It is therefore vital to promote
awareness of this resource within the research community.},
keywords = {EPIC (Other) / R Shiny (Other) / cancer epidemiology
(Other) / database (Other) / head and neck (Other) / rare
cancers (Other)},
cin = {C020},
cid = {I:(DE-He78)C020-20160331},
pnm = {313 - Krebsrisikofaktoren und Prävention (POF4-313)},
pid = {G:(DE-HGF)POF4-313},
typ = {PUB:(DE-HGF)16},
pubmed = {pmid:40661340},
pmc = {pmc:PMC12257713},
doi = {10.1016/j.esmorc.2025.100014},
url = {https://inrepo02.dkfz.de/record/303020},
}