Second primary tumors following a diagnosis of meningioma in Sweden, 1958-1997

This study quantifies the risk of second primary tumors following a diagnosis of meningioma. 12,012 meningiomas and 926 second primary cancers were identified (ICD7, path code 461) between 1958 and 1997 using Swedish Cancer Registry data. Standardized incidence ratios (SIRs) and exact 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated. An elevated risk of any second primary cancer diagnosis (SIR = 1.2, 95% CI = 1.1-1.3) was observed. Elevated and statistically significant SIRs were observed for renal cancer (SIR = 1.6), melanoma (SIR = 1.7), thyroid cancer (SIR = 2.6) and brain tumors (SIR = 2.6). A consistent pattern of risk over time supports the evaluation of common risk factor profiles for renal, melanoma and thyroid cancers. Radiation exposures increase the risk of these rare tumors, so quantifying the cumulative and shared effects of environmental and treatment exposures is of further interest.     

Cancer in schizophrenia: is the risk higher or lower?

Studies exploring the relationship between schizophrenia and cancer have shown conflicting results. Our study explores this association in three Jewish-Israeli population groups defined by their continent/place of birth (Israel, Europe-America, and Africa-Asia). The identification of the patients was made through the linkage of the nationwide psychiatric and cancer registries. The incidence of cancer in patients diagnosed with schizophrenia was compared with the incidence in the general population. The results showed that the cancer standardized incidence ratios (SIRs) for all sites were significantly lower among men and women with schizophrenia, 0.86 [95% confidence interval (CI) 0.80-0.93] and 0.91 (95% CI 0.85-0.97), respectively. This reduced overall risk was clearest for those born in Europe-America, both men (SIR 0.85, 95% CI 0.74-0.97) and women (SIR 0.86, 95% CI 0.77-0.94). Among women diagnosed with schizophrenia, the SIR was statistically higher for cancer in the breast among those born in Asia-Africa (1.37, 95% CI 1.12-1.63) and in the corpus uteri among the Israel-born (2.75, 95% CI 1.69-3.81) than among their counterparts in the general population. Lung cancer was significantly higher in men born in Asia-Africa diagnosed with schizophrenia than in the respective comparison population group (1.58, 95% CI 1.13-2.2). Our findings, and those of the literature, justify conducting a multinational study that includes identification of cancer-related risk factors among patients with schizophrenia and their families, and information on the use of psychotropic medications. This effort may clarify an epidemiological puzzle that remains outstanding.     

Cancer Incidence in Patients With Schizophrenia or Bipolar Disorder: A Nationwide Population-Based Study in Taiwan, 1997–2009

Background: Both genetic and environmental factors have been reasoned for cancer development in schizophrenia patients. However, the influence of age of onset and duration of schizophrenia on cancer incidence has rarely been emphasized. Besides, bipolar disorder tends to resemble schizophrenia from the perspective of multiple rare mutations. Comparing pattern and risk of cancers between schizophrenia and bipolar patients is illuminating. Methods: This study used the Taiwan National Health Insurance Database. A total of 71 317 schizophrenia and 20 567 bipolar disorder patients from 1997 to 2009 were enrolled. Both cohorts were followed up for cancer during the same period by record linkage with the cancer certification in Taiwan. Age and gender standardized incidence ratios (SIRs) of overall and site-specific cancers were calculated. Results: The SIR for all cancers was 1.17 for the schizophrenia cohort. Increased cancer risk (SIR: 1.31, 95% CI: 1.17–1.48) was observed in females but not males. For the bipolar disorder cohort, the SIR for all cancers was 1.29, but the excess risk was found in males (SIR: 1.42, 95% CI: 1.14–1.77) and not females. Cancer risk decreases as the duration and age of onset of schizophrenia increases. If schizophrenia is diagnosed before 50, the SIRs for colorectal, breast, cervical, and uterine cancers increase but if diagnosed after 50, the SIRs for all cancers decrease except for breast cancer. In bipolar disorder, the SIRs for all site-specific cancers were insignificant. Conclusions: Among schizophrenia patients, overall cancer risk varies inversely with age at diagnosis and disease duration. Besides, gender-specific cancer risks differ between schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.     

Cancer incidence among police officers in a U.S. northeast region: 1976-2006

Police officers are exposed to occupational hazards which may put them at increased risk of cancer We examined the incidence of cancer in a cohort of 2234 white-male police officers in Buffalo, New York. The study population was followed for 31 years (1976-2006). The incidence of cancer, ascertained using a population-based tumor registry, was compared with 9 US regions using the Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) program data. Four hundred and six officers (18.2%) developed cancer between 1976 and 2006. The risk of overall cancer among police officers was found to be similar to the general white-male population (standardized incidence ratio [SIR] = 0.94, 95%, confidence interval [CI] = 0.85-1.03). An elevated risk of Hodgkin's lymphoma was observed relative to the general population (SIR = 3.34, 95%, CI = 1.22-7.26). The risk of brain cancer, although only slightly elevated relative to the general population (SIR = 1.61, 95%, CI = 0.73-3.05), was significantly increased with 30 years or more of service (SIR = 2.92, 95%, CI = 1.07-6.36). Incidence ratios were significantly lower than expected for skin and bladder cancer Police officers were at increased risk of Hodgkin's lymphoma overall and of brain cancer after 30 years of service.     

Cancer incidence in multiple sclerosis: a 35-year follow-up

The risk of cancer among multiple sclerosis (MS) patients was evaluated emphasising cancers with a potentially infectious aetiology. Cancer incidence was estimated among incident MS patients in 1964-1993 (n = 1,597) in Finland. The cohort was followed up for cancer incidence through the Finnish Cancer Registry until 1999. A total of 85 cancer cases were diagnosed showing a standardised incidence ratio (SIR) of 1.0 (95% CI 0.8-1.2) for all cancers. The risk (SIR) of haematological tumours was 1.1 and that of central nervous system (CNS) tumours 1.3. The small excess risk of haematological malignancies is consistent with infectious aetiology, whereas the association between MS and CNS tumours may be due to misclassification.     

Cancer incidence in patients with schizophrenia and their first-degree relatives - a meta-analysis

Objective: Controversy concerning cancer incidence in schizophrenia exists because of heterogeneous study findings. Method: A meta‐analysis was performed on standardized incidence ratios (SIR) of cancer in patients with schizophrenia and first‐degree relatives and compared with general population samples. Results: The pooled overall cancer incidence in patients was not significantly increased (SIR = 1.05, CI 0.95–1.15). Lung cancer incidence was slightly increased (SIR = 1.31, CI 1.01–1.71), but was reduced after adjusting for smoking prevalence. The incidence of several cancers unrelated to smoking was reduced in patients. Breast cancer rates were significantly increased in female patients. The pooled overall cancer incidence in siblings (SIR = 0.89, CI 0.84–0.94) and parents (SIR = 0.90, CI 0.88–0.93) was significantly reduced. A meta‐regression detected a significant relationship between cancer risk in the general population and relative risk in patients. Conclusion: The meta‐analysis aided exploration of inconsistent study findings. There is a discrepancy between cancer risk exposure and cancer incidence in schizophrenia consistent with a protective effect.     

Risk for Parkinson's disease among patients with osteoarthritis: A Danish cohort study

It has been suggested that use of nonsteroidal anti‐inflammatory drugs (NSAID) protects against Parkinson's disease, although the results are not consistent. We investigated the risk for Parkinson's disease in patients with osteoarthritis, who are typically intensive users of NSAID. By using the files of the National Danish Hospital Register for the period 1977–2006, we identified a cohort of 134,176 patients with osteoarthritis severe enough to have required subsequent hip or knee implant surgery. The number of first hospital contacts for Parkinson's disease among cohort members in 1986–2007 was compared with that expected from the age‐, gender‐ and period‐specific hospital contact rates of the general Danish population, and standardized incidence ratios (SIRs) and associated 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were derived. Cohort members were also linked to the Danish Cancer Register to estimate the SIRs for colorectal and lung cancer. We observed a slightly increased risk for Parkinson's disease among patients with osteoarthritis and subsequent implant surgery (SIR, 1.07; 95% CI, 0.99–1.16). Decreased SIRs were found for both colorectal cancer (0.92; 95% CI, 0.88–0.97), consistent with a high prevalence of NSAID use among cohort members, and lung cancer (0.77; 95% CI, 0.73–0.80), indicating a lower prevalence of smoking than usual. Our results do not support the hypothesis that patients with prolonged use of NSAID and other analgesics are at reduced risk for Parkinson's disease. A possible lower smoking prevalence among patients with osteoarthritis might explain the slightly increased risk for Parkinson's disease. © 2010 Movement Disorder Society     

Incidence of cancer among persons with schizophrenia and their relatives

BACKGROUND: It has repeatedly been reported that the risk for cancer in patients with schizophrenia is different from that of the general population, specifically a lower risk for lung cancer despite increased smoking. Confirmation of these associations could lead to hypotheses on shared risk or protective factors, either genetic or environmental. METHODS: From Finland's National Hospital Discharge and Disability Pension registers, Helsinki, we identified a cohort of 26 996 individuals born between 1940 and 1969 and treated for schizophrenia between 1969 and 1991. They were followed up for cancer from 1971 to 1996 by record linkage with the Finnish Cancer Registry, yielding 446 653 person-years at risk, and standardized incidence ratios (SIRs) were calculated. Likewise, 39 131 parents and 52 976 siblings of the patients with schizophrenia were followed up to explore familial genetic hypotheses on deviations in cancer risk. RESULTS: In patients with schizophrenia, an increased overall cancer risk was found (724 cases observed vs 619 expected; SIR, 1.17; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.09-1.25). Half of the excess cases were attributable to lung cancer (SIR, 2.17; 95% CI, 1.78-2.60), and the strongest relative increase in risk was in pharyngeal cancer (SIR, 2.60; 95% CI, 1.25-4.77). Cancer incidence in siblings (SIR, 0.89; 95% CI, 0.83-0.94) and parents (SIR, 0.91; 95% CI, 0.89-0.93) was consistently lower than that in the general population. CONCLUSION: Although specific lifestyle factors, particularly tobacco smoking and alcohol consumption, probably account for the increased cancer risk in patients with schizophrenia, the decreased risk in relatives would be compatible with a postulated genetic risk factor for schizophrenia offering selective advantage to unaffected relatives.     

Cancer incidence among persons with fragile X syndrome in Finland: a population-based study

Background   Fragile X syndrome is a common inheritable cause of intellectual disability (ID) and is characterised by a large number of CGG repeats at the gene FMR1 located on the X-chromosome. It has been reported that this genetic mechanism may protect against malignant transformations.
Methods   We extracted from the Finnish registry on persons with ID a cohort of 302 persons with a fragile X diagnosis during 1982–1986. Follow-up for cancer incidence was performed in the Finnish Cancer Registry until the end of the year 2005.
Results   There were 11 reported cancers during the mean follow-up of 21.4 years per person. The expected number of cancers based on the average Finnish population was 13.8 and no statistically significant protective effect was detected [standardised incidence ratios (SIR) 0.80, confidence interval (CI) 95% 0.40–1.4]. An increased risk for lip cancer was found (SIR 23, CI 95% 2.8–85).
Conclusions   Confirmation of hypotheses about the mechanisms linking FXS and cancer needs further research.     

Multiple sclerosis and cancer in Norway A retrospective cohort study

Introduction – During the extended course of multiple sclerosis (MS) there are ample opportunities for the patients to develop other illnesses including cancer, a potential long-term complication of the immunosuppressive drug treatment in MS. Material and methods – A retrospective cohort study was done to estimate the relative risk of cancer in a population of MS-patients from three Norwegian counties by record linkage with the Cancer Registry of Norway. The cohort comprised 1271 MS-patients, 530 men and 741 women, identified in five longitudinal population-based incidence studies. The reporting of cancer cases has been compulsory in Norway since 1952. Results – We found 73 cancer cases (standardized incidence ratio (SIR) = 0.86, 95% CI 0.68–1.09). Mean follow-up time was 18.4 years. A significant excess of breast cancers was observed (SIR = 1.70, 95% CI 1.05–2.60). A non-significant excess of cancer in the urinary tract was observed. No significantly increased risk in hematologic and lymphatic malignancies or malignant brain tumors was observed. The incidence of cancer of the digestive organs was significantly lower than expected (SIR = 0.51, 95% CI 0.24–0.93). Conclusion – Overall, the study indicates that an MS-patient is not at any unusual risk for subsequent development of cancer compared to the normal population.     

Risk for cancer in a cohort of patients hospitalized for schizophrenia in Denmark, 1969-1993

We investigated the cancer risk of patients hospitalized for schizophrenia in a nationwide cohort study. All 22766 adults admitted for schizophrenia, ICD-8 295, in Denmark between 1969 and 1993 were followed up for cancer through 1995. The incidence of site-specific cancers was compared with national incidence rates, adjusted for sex, age and calendar time. The risk for cancer was increased for both men and women during the first year of follow-up. When the first year of follow-up was excluded, the risk for all tobacco-associated cancers and for prostate and rectal cancers was reduced for male patients with schizophrenia. The standardized incidence ratio (SIR) of lung cancer was marginally reduced (SIR, 0.86; 95% CI: 0.65, 1.02) for male patients with schizophrenia; this was due, however, to a reduction in risk for older patients. An increased risk for breast cancer found for female patients with schizophrenia (SIR, 1.20; 95% CI: 1.05, 1.38) should be interpreted with caution, given the high proportion of nulliparous women with schizophrenia in Denmark. The data might support reduced risks for prostate and rectal cancer among male patients with schizophrenia, whereas a changing smoking pattern might explain the reduced risk for tobacco-related cancers.     

Cancer in parents of persons with schizophrenia: is there a genetic protection?

A reduced risk for cancer has been noted among persons with schizophrenia as well as their first degree relatives. One explanation for these findings suggests that genes associated with schizophrenia confer reduced cancer susceptibility. Given the well documented genetic factor in schizophrenia it could thus be expected that cancer incidence rates should be lower in persons with schizophrenia with a known family history of schizophrenia compared to persons with sporadic schizophrenia, as well as their first degree relatives. This study investigated the risk for cancer among the biological parents of persons with schizophrenia accounting for the familial aggregation. Linkage was conducted between national population, psychiatric and cancer databases. Standardized incidence rates for all cancer sites were calculated by comparing the parents' rates with those of the general population. In addition, the association between familial aggregation of schizophrenia and risk for cancer was calculated among the parents. A reduced cancer risk was found among the parents compared to the general population (SIR 0.8, 95% CI 0.8-0.9). However, no evidence of decreased risk was associated with familial schizophrenia. Thus, no association between familial aggregation and cancer incidents was found with regard to most cancer sites. Moreover, a small, but not statistically significant increased risk of colon cancer was associated with familial aggregation scores among the parents (OR 1.2, 95% CI 1.0-1.5). These findings undermine the support to the genetic explanation for the reduced risk for cancer in schizophrenia among patients and their biological parents.     

Familial aggregation of Parkinson's disease in a multiethnic community‐based case‐control study

To assess the familial aggregation of Parkinson's disease (PD), we compared the cumulative incidence of PD among first‐degree relatives of PD cases and controls. We identified newly diagnosed patients with PD (n = 573) during 1994 to 1995 within Kaiser Permanente Medical Care Program of Northern California and recruited 496 cases (87%) for the case‐control study. Of 720 eligible controls matched by birth year and sex to cases, 541 (75%) agreed to participate. Information on family history of PD and other neurodegenerative diseases was obtained by in‐person structured interview. We used the reconstructed cohort approach that provides a better estimate of the risk. The cumulative incidence of PD was significantly higher among relatives of PD patients compared with relatives of controls (2.0 vs. 0.7%; relative risk (RR) = 3.4, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.9–5.9; P = 0.0001). The degree of familial aggregation was higher among first‐degree relatives of Hispanic PD cases compared with Hispanic controls (3.7% vs. 0.4%; RR = 8.5, 95% CI 1.0–68.9) than it was among non‐Hispanic Caucasian cases and controls (2.0% vs. 0.8%; RR = 2.7, 95% CI 1.5–5.1; P = 0.02). The familial aggregation of PD was stronger among the siblings of PD cases (RR = 5.4, 95% CI 1.8–16.0) than among parents (RR = 2.7, 95% CI 1.3–5.2). The incidence and familial aggregation of PD is highest among Hispanics, warranting further studies of genetic and environmental risk factors in the Hispanic population. © 2010 Movement Disorder Society     

Cancer incidence in persons with Down syndrome in Israel

The purpose of this study was to assess the incidence rates of leukaemia and other malignancies in persons with Down syndrome in Israel. The target population consisted of all persons with Down syndrome in the period of 1948-1995 and the study population was divided into two subgroups: (1) Persons born in Israel between 1979-95 (registry group) and (2) Persons currently or past-institutionalised, born before 1979 (institution group). The study population was linked to the Cancer Registry and cases that had been diagnosed through December 1995 were subsequently identified. The observed incidence rates were compared to expected rates in the general population. Standardised Incidence Ratios (SIR) and 95% confidence intervals were computed for each disease category. Analyses of results were performed separately for each subgroup of our study population. In the registry group seven cancer cases were observed as compared to 1.5 expected (SIR = 4.67 95% CI 1.9-9.6), all of which were leukaemia cases. For the institution group a total of 17 cancer cases were observed compared to 12.8 expected. These included four cases of leukaemia (SIR = 6.90 95% CI 1.9-17.7). An excess of gastric cancer in males, based on two cases (SIR = 11.9 95% CI 1.3-42.9) was also observed. The significant excess of leukaemia in the Down syndrome population in Israel is in accordance with other international studies. The excess of gastric cancer in males with Down syndrome, which has not been reported before, should be further explored.     

Familial risks of hospitalization for Parkinson’s disease in first-degree relatives: a nationwide follow-up study from Sweden

The aim of this study was to estimate familial risks of Parkinson’s disease (PD) in first-degree relatives of probands with PD compared with first-degree relatives of control probands. Standardized incidence ratios (SIRs) of PD were estimated in the total Swedish population for the period January 1, 1987 to December 31, 2001. SIRs were calculated by age, sex, occupation, geographic region, family size, and type of related proband on the basis of first hospital diagnoses of PD during the study period. Results showed that during the study period, there were 65 cases of first-degree relatives who were hospitalized for PD out of the total 13,276 events (first hospital diagnoses of PD) between 1987 and 2001. Age-specific analyses of familial PD revealed that there was no apparent difference in SIRs by age category. Overall, significant SIRs for PD in first-degree relatives were 3.1 (95% CI 2.1-4.3) for men and 4.0 (95% CI 2.8-5.7) for women. When the related PD proband was a sibling, the SIR was significantly higher (8.7) than when the related proband was a parent (SIR=2.9, p=0.01) or a child (SIR=3.6, p=0.04). For spouses, no increased risks were found. In conclusion, the findings of the present study suggest that genetic factors are important in early- (age ≤50 years) and later (age >50 years) onset PD, and that shared environmental factors during childhood or recessive effects may partly be important for familial aggregation of the disease.     

Prevalence of intracranial large artery stenosis and occlusion in patients with acute ischaemic stroke or TIA

Intracranial large artery stenosis and occlusion disease has been considered to be the cause of 8–10 % of ischaemic strokes in North America, and 30–50 % of strokes and more than 50 % of transient ischaemic attacks in Chinese population. So far we do not know the real prevalence of intracranial disease (ID) and the distribution of its risk factors in European population. We aimed to determine the prevalence and risk factors of ID in a European stroke population with computed tomography angiography (CTA). A retrospective study of consecutive ischaemic patients at the Stroke Unit of Utrecht, The Netherlands, from September 2006 to August 2008 was conducted. We assessed the presence of occlusion and/or stenosis of intracranial Internal Carotid Artery (ICA) and Middle Cerebral Artery on post-contrast 30-mm reconstruction axial CTA images. We analyzed the proportion of patients with ID, and the association of ID with risk factors and stroke subtype. In 220 patients (187 with stroke, 33 with TIA; mean age was 65 years, 57.3 % were male), intracranial stenosis was found in 6.4 % (95 % CI 3.9–10.4), intracranial occlusion in 34.5 % (95 % CI 28.6–41.0), and both occlusion and stenosis in 2.3 % (95 % CI 1.0–5.2). Multivariate analysis showed that the variables independently associated with ID were: extracranial ICA atherosclerosis (OR, 24.64; 95 % CI 6.30–96.38) and stroke subtypes TACS–PACS (OR, 7.61; 95 % CI 3.31–17.49). In conclusion, prevalence of intracranial stenosis in our study may well be consistent with previous observations in European and non-European population. ID may have been an underestimated condition in ischaemic Caucasian population.     

Impact of psychiatric disorders on Parkinson's disease

OBJECTIVES : To analyze whether hospitalization for a psychiatric disorder predicts Parkinson's disease (PD) in men and women in different age groups after accounting for socioeconomic status and geographical region. METHODS : Data from the MigMed database were used to identify all people in Sweden hospitalized for psychiatric disorder and PD during the study period (1987 to 2001). Standardized incidence ratios (SIRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) for PD were calculated among those with and without hospitalization for psychiatric disorder. RESULTS : There were 1876 cases of PD among those with psychiatric disorder during the study period. The risk of developing PD was strongest among those under age 50; the SIR was 11.56 (95% CI 9.15-14.41). The risk was attenuated with increasing age in both men and women. There were similar risk patterns in all subtypes of psychiatric disorders in PD patients. The overall risk of PD among people with psychiatric disorders was higher for women than men. CONCLUSIONS : A psychiatric disorder is an appreciable risk factor for the development of PD, particularly in people under age 50. The association between PD and psychiatric disorders should be taken into account by clinicians and health care providers.