Multiplex Genotyping as a Biomarker for Susceptibility to Carcinogenic Exposure in the FLEHS Biomonitoring Study

Cancer has been suggested to result from interactions between genetic and environmental factors, and certain subgroups in the general population may be at increased risk because of their relatively higher susceptibility to environmental carcinogens. The cur-rent study, part of a large biomonitoring study conducted in Flanders from 2002 to 2006 (The Flanders Environment and Health Survey), aims to determine these susceptible subpopulations based on multiple genotypic differences between individuals. A random selection of 429 adolescents and 361 adults was genotyped for 36 polymorphisms in 23 genes selected because of their known role in carcinogen metabolism, DNA repair, and oxidative stress. In bot