the cancer-free population. Although this attenuated effect could have many explanations (e.g., related to the diagnosis and treatment of a solid tumor leading to a decrease in populations of cells with mosaic alteration), we had a limited capacity to model and control for treatment-effects since many of the studies did not provide any treatment information or only provided incomplete, retrospective ascertainment of the specifics. Although many of the participating studies were prospectively ascertained cohorts, DNA collection often occurred after cancer diagnosis. Additional studies are needed in prospectively ascertained cohorts and longitudinal studies in which multiple DNA samples were collected prior to and after diagnosis in order to explore treatment and disease effects.
