DF/HCC Program Affiliation

Leader, Cancer Epidemiology Program
Member, Gynecologic Cancer Program
Member, Breast Cancer Program

DF/HCC Associations

Institutional Representative for HSPH, Membership Committee
Member, Center Scientific Council

Research Abstract

Dr. Hankinson's research interests include the relationships between hormones (endogenous and exogenous) and subsequent risk of breast, endometrial and ovarian cancers and the use of biomarkers in epidemiologic research. Our research group follows two large cohorts of women, the Nurses' Health Study (121,700 women) and the Nurses' Health Study II (116,000 women). In 1989, we collected blood samples from a subset of women in the NHSI and we are now collecting blood and urine samples (timed according to their menstrual cycle) from women in the NHSII. Using these archived samples, we are evaluating the relationships between plasma and urinary hormone levels and breast cancer risk. In addition, we are evaluating a wide range of other plasma and genetic markers as predictors of cancer risk in women (e.g., plasma antioxidant, vitamin D, and IGF-I levels in relation to breast and colon cancers). Using questionnaire data from these cohorts, our research group is also evaluating lifestyle factors, such as exogenous hormone use and dietary intake, in relation to subsequent risk of breast, ovarian and endometrial cancers.

Publications

• Hunter DJ, Kraft P, Jacobs KB, Cox DG, Yeager M, Hankinson SE, Wacholder S, Wang Z, Welch R, Hutchinson A, Wang J, Yu K, Chatterjee N, Orr N, Willett WC, Colditz GA, Ziegler RG, Berg CD, Buys SS, McCarty CA, Feigelson HS, Calle EE, Thun MJ, Hayes RB, Tuck. A genome-wide association study identifies alleles in FGFR2 associated with risk of sporadic postmenopausal breast cancer. Nat Genet 2007 May 27;
  PMID: 17529973
• Gates MA, Tworoger SS, Hecht JL, De Vivo I, Rosner B, Hankinson SE. A prospective study of dietary flavonoid intake and incidence of epithelial ovarian cancer. Int J Cancer 2007 Apr 30;
  PMID: 17471564
• Cox DG, Deer D, Guo Q, Tworoger SS, Hankinson SE, Hunter DJ, De Vivo I. The p53 Arg72Pro and MDM2 -309 polymorphisms and risk of breast cancer in the nurses' health studies. Cancer Causes Control 2007 Mar 27;
  PMID: 17387621
• Haiman CA, Dossus L, Setiawan VW, Stram DO, Dunning AM, Thomas G, Thun MJ, Albanes D, Altshuler D, Ardanaz E, Boeing H, Buring J, Burtt N, Calle EE, Chanock S, Clavel-Chapelon F, Colditz GA, Cox DG, Feigelson HS, Hankinson SE, Hayes RB, Henderson BE, Hirs. Genetic variation at the CYP19A1 locus predicts circulating estrogen levels but not breast cancer risk in postmenopausal women. Cancer Res 2007 Mar 1; 67(5):1893-7
  PMID: 17325027
• Tamimi RM, Cox DG, Kraft P, Pollak MN, Haiman CA, Cheng I, Freedman ML, Hankinson SE, Hunter DJ, Colditz GA. Common genetic variation in IGF1, IGFBP-1, and IGFBP-3 in relation to mammographic density: a cross-sectional study. Breast Cancer Res 2007; 9(1):R18
  PMID: 17300730
• Cox DG, Blanché H, Pearce CL, Calle EE, Colditz GA, Pike MC, Albanes D, Allen NE, Amiano P, Berglund G, Boeing H, Buring J, Burtt N, Canzian F, Chanock S, Clavel-Chapelon F, Feigelson HS, Freedman M, Haiman CA, Hankinson SE, Henderson BE, Hoover R, Hunter. A comprehensive analysis of the androgen receptor gene and risk of breast cancer: results from the National Cancer Institute Breast and Prostate Cancer Cohort Consortium (BPC3). Breast Cancer Res 2006; 8(5):R54
  PMID: 16987421
• Tamimi RM, Hankinson SE, Chen WY, Rosner B, Colditz GA. Combined estrogen and testosterone use and risk of breast cancer in postmenopausal women. Arch Intern Med 2006 Jul 24; 166(14):1483-9
  PMID: 16864758
• Eliassen AH, Colditz GA, Rosner B, Willett WC, Hankinson SE. Adult weight change and risk of postmenopausal breast cancer. JAMA 2006 Jul 12; 296(2):193-201
  PMID: 16835425
• Han J, Tranah GJ, Hankinson SE, Samson LD, Hunter DJ. Polymorphisms in O6-methylguanine DNA methyltransferase and breast cancer risk. Pharmacogenet Genomics 2006 Jul; 16(7):469-474
  PMID: 16788379
• Schernhammer ES, Holly JM, Hunter DJ, Pollak MN, Hankinson SE. Insulin-like growth factor-I, its binding proteins (IGFBP-1 and IGFBP-3), and growth hormone and breast cancer risk in The Nurses Health Study II. Endocr Relat Cancer 2006 Jun; 13(2):583-92
  PMID: 16728584
• Tworoger SS, Missmer SA, Eliassen AH, Spiegelman D, Folkerd E, Dowsett M, Barbieri RL, Hankinson SE. The association of plasma DHEA and DHEA sulfate with breast cancer risk in predominantly premenopausal women. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2006 May; 15(5):967-71
  PMID: 16702378
• Eliassen AH, Missmer SA, Tworoger SS, Hankinson SE. Endogenous steroid hormone concentrations and risk of breast cancer: does the association vary by a woman's predicted breast cancer risk? J Clin Oncol 2006 Apr 20; 24(12):1823-30
  PMID: 16567770
• Tworoger SS, Hankinson SE. Prolactin and breast cancer risk. Cancer Lett 2006 Mar 9;
  PMID: 16530327
• Tworoger SS, Sluss P, Hankinson SE. Association between plasma prolactin concentrations and risk of breast cancer among predominately premenopausal women. Cancer Res 2006 Feb 15; 66(4):2476-82
  PMID: 16489055
• Feigelson HS, Cox DG, Cann HM, Wacholder S, Kaaks R, Henderson BE, Albanes D, Altshuler D, Berglund G, Berrino F, Bingham S, Buring JE, Burtt NP, Calle EE, Chanock SJ, Clavel-Chapelon F, Colditz G, Diver WR, Freedman ML, Haiman CA, Hankinson SE, Hayes RB,. Haplotype analysis of the HSD17B1 gene and risk of breast cancer: a comprehensive approach to multicenter analyses of prospective cohort studies. Cancer Res 2006 Feb 15; 66(4):2468-75
  PMID: 16489054
• Huggins GS, Wong JY, Hankinson SE, De Vivo I. GATA5 activation of the progesterone receptor gene promoter in breast cancer cells is influenced by the +331G/A polymorphism. Cancer Res 2006 Feb 1; 66(3):1384-90
  PMID: 16452193
• Beattie MS, Costantino JP, Cummings SR, Wickerham DL, Vogel VG, Dowsett M, Folkerd EJ, Willett WC, Wolmark N, Hankinson SE. Endogenous sex hormones, breast cancer risk, and tamoxifen response: an ancillary study in the NSABP Breast Cancer Prevention Trial (P-1). J Natl Cancer Inst 2006 Jan 18; 98(2):110-5
  PMID: 16418513
• Schernhammer ES, Kroenke CH, Laden F, Hankinson SE. Night work and risk of breast cancer. Epidemiology 2006 Jan; 17(1):108-11
  PMID: 16357603
• Eliassen AH, Colditz GA, Rosner B, Hankinson SE. Tubal sterilization in relation to breast cancer risk. Int J Cancer 2006 Apr 15; 118(8):2026-30
  PMID: 16284955
• Hankinson SE, Willett WC, Michaud DS, Manson JE, Colditz GA, Longcope C, Rosner B, Speizer FE. Plasma prolactin levels and subsequent risk of breast cancer in postmenopausal women. J Natl Cancer Inst 1999 Apr 7; 91(7):629-34
  PMID: 10203283
• Hankinson SE, Willett WC, Manson JE, Colditz GA, Hunter DJ, Spiegelman D, Barbieri RL, Speizer FE. Plasma sex steroid hormone levels and risk of breast cancer in postmenopausal women. J Natl Cancer Inst 1998 Sep 2; 90(17):1292-9
  PMID: 9731736
• Hankinson SE, Willett WC, Colditz GA, Hunter DJ, Michaud DS, Deroo B, Rosner B, Speizer FE, Pollak M. Circulating concentrations of insulin-like growth factor-I and risk of breast cancer. Lancet 1998 May 9; 351(9113):1393-6
  PMID: 9593409