Development of a Biologic Specimen Bank for the Study of Early Markers of Lung Cancer Among Tin Miners in Yunnan, China

April 18, 2024 updated by: National Cancer Institute (NCI)

The overall goal of this project is to identify strategies to reduce lung cancer incidence and mortality. Using a high-risk occupational cohort, our specific objectives are 1) to establish a biologic specimen bank and data bank that can be used for the validation and refinement of potential early markers of lung cancer, and 2) to establish a cohort for the study of environmental (including dietary) and genetic risk factors for lung cancer.

Lung cancer is the leading cause of death from malignant neoplasms in the United States and in many countries around the world. Potential strategies to reduce the incidence and mortality of lung cancer include new methods of early detection and identification and alteration of etiologic factors.

The Yunnan Tin Corporation (YTC), located in Yunnan Province in southern China, is a large, nonferrous-metals industry, formed in 1883 and nationalized after the establishment of the People's Republic in 1949. It is involved principally in the production of tin from the mines around the city of Gejiu. The tin miners at YTC have extremely high rates of lung cancer. Among those at high risk, defined as miners 40+ years old with 10+ years of underground mining and/or smelting experience, more than one percent per year develop lung cancer. These extraordinary lung cancer rates result from combined exposure to radon, arsenic, and tobacco smoking in the form of cigarettes and/or bamboo water pipe.

The study population for the development of a biologic specimen bank for the study of early markers of lung cancer is all YTC miners considered to be at high risk for lung cancer based on their occupation exposure (40+ years old with 10+ years of underground or smelting experience). Currently numbering over 7,000, this high-risk group has been the target for the annual lung cancer screening program at the YTC for the past 20+ years. For each high-risk miner, sputum samples are collected annually, read for cytologic interpretation, and stored in Saccomanno's solution for future early marker research. Screening chest x-rays are also obtained. Subjects are followed annually to determine if any have developed lung cancer. Diagnostic workup of suspicious cases includes an additional sputum sample and histology specimen(s), which are used for diagnostic purposes and also retained for future research.

Additional biologic specimens have also been obtained on screenees for etiologic research, including a one-time collection of whole blood, urine, and toenail clippings. Finger stick bloods and buccal smears for DNA will also be sought....

Study Overview

Status

Active, not recruiting

Conditions

Detailed Description

The overall goal of this project is to identify strategies to reduce lung cancer incidence and mortality. Using a high-risk occupational cohort, our specific objectives are 1) to establish a biologic specimen bank and data bank that can be used for the validation and refinement of potential early markers of lung cancer, and 2) to establish a cohort for the study of environmental (including dietary) and genetic risk factors for lung cancer.

Lung cancer is the leading cause of death from malignant neoplasms in the United States and in many countries around the world. Potential strategies to reduce the incidence and mortality of lung cancer include new methods of early detection and identification and alteration of etiologic factors.

The Yunnan Tin Corporation (YTC), located in Yunnan Province in southern China, is a large, nonferrous-metals industry, formed in 1883 and nationalized after the establishment of the People's Republic in 1949. It is involved principally in the production of tin from the mines around the city of Gejiu. The tin miners at YTC have extremely high rates of lung cancer. Among those at high risk, defined as miners 40+ years old with 10+ years of underground mining and/or smelting experience, more than one percent per year develop lung cancer. These extraordinary lung cancer rates result from combined exposure to radon, arsenic, and tobacco smoking in the form of cigarettes and/or bamboo water pipe.

The study population for the development of a biologic specimen bank for the study of early markers of lung cancer is all YTC miners considered to be at high risk for lung cancer based on their occupation exposure (40+ years old with 10+ years of underground or smelting experience). Currently numbering over 7,000, this high-risk group has been the target for the annual lung cancer screening program at the YTC for the past 20+ years. For each high-risk miner, sputum samples are collected annually, read for cytologic interpretation, and stored in Saccomanno's solution for future early marker research. Screening chest x-rays are also obtained. Subjects are followed annually to determine if any have developed lung cancer. Diagnostic workup of suspicious cases includes an additional sputum sample and histology specimen(s), which are used for diagnostic purposes and also retained for future research.

Additional biologic specimens have also been obtained on screenees for etiologic research, including a one-time collection of whole blood, urine, and toenail clippings. Finger stick bloods and buccal smears for DNA will also be sought.

Study Type

Observational

Enrollment (Actual)

9759

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

      • Beijing, China, 100021
        • Cancer Institute of the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study

40 years to 100 years (Adult, Older Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Sampling Method

Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

The Yunnan Tin Corporation (YTC), located in Yunnan Province in southern China, is a large, nonferrousmetals industry, formed in 1883 and nationalized after the establishment of the People's Republic in 1949. It is involved principally in the production of tin from the mines around the city of Gejiu. The tin miners at YTC have extremely high rates of lung cancer. Among those at high risk, defined as miners 40+ years old with 10+ years of underground mining and/or smelting experience, more than one percent per year develop lung cancer. These extraordinary lung cancer rates result from combined exposure to radon, arsenic, and tobacco smoking in the form of cigarettes and/or bamboo water pipe. The study population for the development of a biologic specimen bank for the study of early markers of lung cancer@@@is all YTC miners considered to be at high risk for lung cancer based on their occupation exposure (40+ years old with 10+ years of underground or smelting experience).

Description

  • INCLUSION CRITERIA:

Study participants will be taken from those participating in the annual lung cancer screening examinations conducted by the Labor Protection Institute of the YTC.

Current or retired workers between the ages of 40 and 74.

A history of 10 or more years of underground mining and/or smelting experience.

No proven, active malignancy or serious illness that would interfere with sputum specimen collection.

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Observational Models: Cohort
  • Time Perspectives: Prospective

Cohorts and Interventions

Group / Cohort
Tin Miners in China at risk of lung cancer

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Identification, validation and refinement of potential early markers of lung cancer
Time Frame: 12/31/2040
Examining sputum microbiome
12/31/2040

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Investigators

  • Principal Investigator: Christian Abnet, Ph.D., National Cancer Institute (NCI)

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

April 30, 1992

Primary Completion (Estimated)

December 31, 2040

Study Completion (Estimated)

December 31, 2040

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

June 19, 2006

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

June 19, 2006

First Posted (Estimated)

June 21, 2006

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Estimated)

April 19, 2024

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

April 18, 2024

Last Verified

November 28, 2023

More Information

Terms related to this study

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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