In early April, the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) 115th Annual Meeting took place in San Diego. During this annual meeting, more than 22,000 scientists, clinicians, and healthcare professionals from 78 countries and territories gathered from around the world to immerse themselves in the latest discoveries in cancer research and make connections for potential collaborations.
Our team, led by UCLA graduate Danielle Forman, presented a poster entitled “ALDH2 deficiency and alcohol intake: Opportunity for precision cancer prevention.” This study analyzed data from 380,845 participants in the All of Us Research Program and examined alcohol consumption behavior in individuals by ALDH2 genotype. A genetic variation in ALDH2 is what’s responsible for the facial flushing (aka “Asian glow”) that occurs in some individuals after drinking alcohol. This same genetic variation is associated with increased cancer risk.
