OBJECTIVE: An understanding of the etiologic heterogeneity of colorectal cancer (CRC) is critical for improving precision prevention, including individualized screening recommendations and the discovery of novel drug targets and repurposable drug candidates for chemoprevention. Known differences in molecular characteristics and environmental risk factors among tumors arising in different locations of the colorectum suggest partly distinct mechanisms of carcinogenesis. The extent to which the contribution of inherited genetic risk factors for CRC differs by anatomical subsite of the primary tumor has not been examined. DESIGN: To identify new anatomical subsite-specific risk loci, we performed genome-wide association study (GWAS) meta-analyses including data of 48 214 CRC cases and 64 159 controls of European ancestry. We characterised effect heterogeneity at CRC risk loci using multinomial modelling. RESULTS: We identified 13 loci that reached genome-wide significance (p<5×10-8) and that were not reported by previous GWASs for overall CRC risk. Multiple lines of evidence support candidate genes at several of these loci. We detected substantial heterogeneity between anatomical subsites. Just over half (61) of 109 known and new risk variants showed no evidence for heterogeneity. In contrast, 22 variants showed association with distal CRC (including rectal cancer), but no evidence for association or an attenuated association with proximal CRC. For two loci, there was strong evidence for effects confined to proximal colon cancer. CONCLUSION: Genetic architectures of proximal and distal CRC are partly distinct. Studies of risk factors and mechanisms of carcinogenesis, and precision prevention strategies should take into consideration the anatomical subsite of the tumour.

• MeSH
• alely MeSH
• běloši genetika   MeSH
• cékum MeSH
• celogenomová asociační studie MeSH
• colon ascendens MeSH
• colon descendens MeSH
• colon sigmoideum MeSH
• colon transversum MeSH
• dospělí MeSH
• genetická heterogenita * MeSH
• genotyp MeSH
• jednonukleotidový polymorfismus MeSH
• kolon * MeSH
• lidé středního věku MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• mladý dospělý MeSH
• nádory rekta diagnóza   genetika   MeSH
• nádory tračníku diagnóza   genetika   MeSH
• rizikové faktory MeSH
• senioři nad 80 let MeSH
• senioři MeSH
• studie případů a kontrol MeSH
• věk při počátku nemoci MeSH
• věkové rozložení MeSH
• Check Tag
• dospělí MeSH
• lidé středního věku MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• mladý dospělý MeSH
• mužské pohlaví MeSH
• senioři nad 80 let MeSH
• senioři MeSH
• ženské pohlaví MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• metaanalýza MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH
• Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural MeSH