Family history assessment

In the patient-completed questionnaires information on family history of cancer, comorbid conditions, certain exposures, life-style habits and physical characteristics was gathered (21). Information was requested on family size and selected medical history in blood-related relatives, including Barrett’s esophagus, Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, colon polyps, esophageal cancer, stomach cancer, colon or rectal cancer, liver cancer, pancreatic cancer, breast cancer, uterine/cervical cancer, prostate cancer, and/or other cancers. Participants were asked to indicate if their relatives had been diagnosed with various medical conditions and to give the age they were first diagnosed. Options were given for “none of the above conditions” and “I don’t know this family member’s medical history”. Subjects were asked about their mother, father, maternal and paternal grandparents, siblings, and children. For each affected relative, age at diagnosis could be indicated in the following categories: 24 or younger, 25–49, 50–74, and 75+. The investigators did not attempt to validate the reported cancer cases in family members.