Biology - Anatomy homework

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Project Methods

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Project Methods

RQ: What is the relationship between tobacco consumption, as measured by packs smoked per day, and the risk of pancreatic cancer?

Dependent variable: Pancreatic cancer

Independent variable(s): Tobacco consumption (packs smoked per day)

Null Hypothesis: There is no association between tobacco consumption and the risk of pancreatic cancer.

Alternate Hypothesis: There is an association between tobacco consumption and the risk of pancreatic cancer.

Statistical Tests: Logistic Regression and Independent T-test

Public health significance:

Pancreatic cancer is a primary public health concern, with an estimated 11% 5-year survival rate as of 2024. This approximation translates to about 64,050 new reported cases in the United States by 2024. Tobacco use is a major modifiable risk factor; smokers have a 2- to 3-times increased risk of developing pancreatic cancer compared with non-smokers. Understanding this relationship is essential for appropriately tailoring prevention strategies.

Methods

Study sample

The study's sample included 280 participants from ages 18 to 64, including individuals with and without pancreatic cancer. This diverse sample allows comparisons between cases and controls across various age groups.

Data collection

Data were collected through medical record reviews, cancer registry queries, and self-administered questionnaires. Medical records and cancer registries were used to obtain diagnostic confirmation and clinical characteristics of pancreatic cancer cases. Questionnaires collected self-reported information on demographics, behavioral risk factors such as tobacco use (measured as packs smoked per day), and validation of cancer threats.

Primary variables

The dependent variable was pancreatic cancer (yes or no). The independent variable was tobacco consumption (packs smoked per day). Demographic factors and other potential risk factors, including age, sex, race, BMI, alcohol use, and exercise habits, are additional control variables to control for confounding.

Statistical analyses

Statistical analyses will begin with descriptive statistics to characterize the study population. For continuous variables (age, tobacco consumption), means and standard deviations will be calculated. For categorical variables (gender, pancreatic cancer), frequencies and percentages will be reported. Two primary analyses will be conducted. All statistical metrics will be synthesized using SPSS software under p < .05 significance level. An independent t-test will compare the mean tobacco consumption between pancreatic cancer cases and controls to determine if a significant difference exists between these groups.

Conversely, logistic regression will analyze the connection between the risks of pancreatic cancer posed by tobacco utilization while controlling for potential confounding variables like age, gender, and other risk factors. Pancreatic cancer is the dependent variable, while tobacco consumption is the primary independent variable and covariate, providing adjusted odds ratios and quantifying the association between tobacco consumption and pancreatic cancer risk. The analysis will explore a dose-response relationship by categorizing tobacco consumption into levels (e.g., non-smokers, light, moderate, and heavy smokers) and examining the trend in pancreatic cancer risk across these categories.

References

American Cancer Society. (2024). Cancer Facts & Figures 2024. Www.cancer.org. https://www.cancer.org/research/cancer-facts-statistics/all-cancer-facts-figures/2024-cancer-facts-figures.html

Hu, J.-X., Zhao, C.-F., Chen, W.-B., Liu, Q.-C., Li, Q.-W., Lin, Y.-Y., & Gao, F. (2021). Pancreatic cancer: A review of epidemiology, trend, and risk factors. World Journal of Gastroenterology, 27(27), 4298–4321. https://doi.org/10.3748/wjg.v27.i27.4298

Molina-Montes, E., Van Hoogstraten, L., Gomez-Rubio, P., Löhr, M., Sharp, L., Molero, X., Márquez, M., Michalski, C. W., Farré, A., Perea, J., O’Rorke, M., Greenhalf, W., Ilzarbe, L., Tardon, A., Gress, T. M., Barberà, V. M., Crnogorac-Jurcevic, T., Muñoz-Bellvis, L., Domínguez-Muñoz, E., & Balsells, J. (2020). Pancreatic Cancer Risk in Relation to Lifetime Smoking Patterns, Tobacco Type, and Dose–Response Relationships. Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, 29(5), 1009–1018. https://doi.org/10.1158/1055-9965.EPI-19-1027

Weissman, S., Takakura, K., Eibl, G., Pandol, S. J., & Saruta, M. (2020). The Diverse Involvement of Cigarette Smoking in Pancreatic Cancer Development and Prognosis. Pancreas, 49(5), 612–620. https://doi.org/10.1097/MPA.0000000000001550