# Etiology of glioma and glioblastoma

> **NIH NIH F30** · HARVARD MEDICAL SCHOOL · 2020 · $48,410

## Abstract

Project Summary/Abstract
The etiology of glioma, a rare, aggressive neoplasm that arises from the glial tissues of the
brain, remains one of the least understood of human malignancies. Although incidence is
relatively low, outcomes after diagnosis of glioma remain poor, especially for glioblastoma, the
most lethal subtype. Although early identification of cases and rapid treatment is desirable, its
low incidence makes population screening unfeasible. As a result, much research has focused
on identifying risk factors for glioma that would allow for prevention efforts and risk stratification.
Unfortunately, few environmental and behavioral risk factors for malignant brain tumors have
been identified. Identification of novel risk factors has proved difficult for many reasons,
including the rarity of glioma, its high mortality rate, and cognitive changes associated with
these tumors that preclude accurate recall of exposure history by patients. Currently, exposure
to ionizing radiation is the only confirmed, modifiable risk factor for these tumors. We propose to
study three large, independent cohorts, the Nurses’ Health Study, Nurses’ Health Study II, and
the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study, which together have followed more than 200,000
American adults since their establishment in 1976, 1989, and 1986, respectively. Together, 682
cases of glioma have been documented in these studies, with prospective follow-up via biennial
questionnaires on dietary, behavioral, and environmental exposures. This project will evaluate
three primary exposures: coffee and tea intake, use of aspirin and other non-steroidal anti-
inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), and use of statins, and subsequent risk of glioma. Each of these
has pronounced antioxidant/anti-inflammatory properties, and have shown promise in other
cancer sites. We believe that this work has strong potential to lead to identification of novel
predictors of glioma risk, thereby refining our understanding of the etiology of these tumors,
improving our ability to prevent their occurrence, and reducing the overall impact of glioma.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9962142
- **Project number:** 5F30CA235791-02
- **Recipient organization:** HARVARD MEDICAL SCHOOL
- **Principal Investigator:** David James Cote
- **Activity code:** F30 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $48,410
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2019-07-01 → 2021-05-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9962142

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9962142, Etiology of glioma and glioblastoma (5F30CA235791-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-06-04 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9962142. Licensed CC0.

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