Selected Articles from This Issue

Leukemogens emitted from upstream oil and natural gas (O&G) development could increase childhood acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL) risk. This population-based case–control study, by McKenzie and colleagues, advances understanding of associations between O&G development and childhood ALL by accounting for temporal and spatial variation in O&G well site activity. Findings show children with ALL are more likely to reside within 13 km of an O&G well site compared to children without ALL. Children living within 5 km bear the greatest risk. These findings suggest that current O&G regulations may be insufficient in protecting children from leukemia risk.A genetic variant in aldehyde dehydrogenase 2 (ALDH2, rs671) impairs acetaldehyde metabolism, increasing cancer risk when combined with alcohol consumption. However, alcohol consumption patterns among individuals with ALDH2 deficiency in the United States were largely unknown. Forman and colleagues examined the prevalence of ALDH2 deficiency and associated alcohol consumption patterns in a large, diverse US cohort from the All of Us Research Program. ALDH2 deficiency was most prevalent among Asian Americans (23.5%). Interestingly, 59.4% of individuals with ALDH2 deficiency reported consuming alcohol in the past year, and of these, 42.5% reported binge drinking. These findings highlight a significant opportunity for precision cancer prevention, particularly among Asian Americans, by addressing this unique genetic risk factor and its interaction with alcohol consumption.High-grade serous ovarian cancers (HGSC) comprise four distinct molecular subtypes based on tumor gene expression patterns, but little is known about risk factors and etiology of these subtypes. Collin and colleagues pooled data from 11 case–control studies to examine associations between epidemiologic factors and HGSC subtypes among 2,070 cases and 16,633 controls from the Ovarian Tumor Tissue Analysis Consortium. The authors observed distinct patterns of associations across the subtypes by epidemiologic and modifiable factors. The different patterns of associations may provide key information and elucidate mechanisms regarding the etiology of the four subtypes.Cancer prognosis in people living with HIV (PWH) may be influenced by the presence of a distinct tumor microenvironment (TME) resulting from long‐term immunosuppression. Coghill and colleagues stained 292 tissues, including 51 from PWH and cancer, for 22 immune markers. Staining was compared between the PWH and cancer patients without HIV diagnosed with the same cancer type; cancer types evaluated included lung, breast, and prostate. HIV-associated differences in immune marker positivity were observed for 13 marker and cancer type combinations, including an elevated frequency of PDL1‐positive cells. Findings are consistent with the authors' hypothesis of an altered TME for cancers developing in PWH.