Community Awareness, Resources and Education (CARE II) Project: Project 1

Community Awareness, Resources and Education (CARE II) Project: Project 1

The study hypothesis is that the increased incidence of cervical cancer observed in Appalachian women over their non-Appalachian counterparts is due in part to inherited and somatic alterations of key components of the Transforming Growth Factor β (TGFβ) signaling pathway.

This project is a case control study that is designed to determine prevalence of inherited polymorphic and somatically acquired variants of key TGF-ß pathway components in a large cohort of Appalachian invasive cervical cancer (ICC) patients compared to healthy Appalachian women. It will be determined whether these genetic alterations contribute individually or in combination with other known environmental (Human Papillomavirus, Epstein-Barr Virus), behavioral (smoking), and social (stress, social networks) risk factors, to the increased susceptibility of Appalachian women to ICC development. Women will be recruited from several clinics and physician practices in West Virginia, Charleston and Appalachia Ohio and Kentucky. Participants will be women residing in these area who are 18 years and older, not pregnant, speak English, not cognitively impaired and able to provide informed consent. There will be three distinct types of women recruited into the study; 1. ARM 1 - previously treated for invasive cervical cancer; 2. ARM 2 - newly diagnosed with invasive cervical cancer; and 3. healthy controls - without a diagnosis of cervical cancer.

Inclusion Criteria:

• 18 years and older
• Patients previously or newly diagnosed with invasive cervical cancer
• healthy women without a diagnosis of any type of cancer
• English speaking
• Able to provide informed consent, biological and questionnaire data.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Pregnant women