Pediatric neurological cancer incidence and trends in the United States, 2000–2018

Cancer Causes & Control - To characterize the epidemiological trends and sociodemographic variation of pediatric and adolescent neurological cancers by histological subtypes over time in the...     

A systematic survey of breast cancer incidence in the département of Rhône,France

A systematic survey of all centres of diagnosis and care of breast cancer patients in the Rhône “département” of France was carried out to evaluate, for the year 1985, the incidence rate of breast cancer in an urban, industrialised part of France not covered by a cancer registry. Two hundred and fifty seven institutions or individuals were involved, covering the public and private sectors in the Rhône département, but also in neighbouring cities and elsewhere in France, which also enabled a search to be carried out for cases diagnosed or treated outside the département. Altogether, over this 1-year period, 801 new cases were identified (791 women and 10 men). This study demonstrated a high incidence of female breast cancer (80.5 new cases per 100 000 woman-years, standardised to the world population) which was particularly marked among women aged 40–60. This incidence is higher than that described by the cancer registry of the neighbouring département of Isère, but is close to the incidence found in Geneva. Results also concur with the relatively high mortality rate from breast cancer observed in the Rhône département.     

Underestimation of pancreatic cancer in the national cancer registry – Reconsidering the incidence and survival rates

BackgroundIn the Netherlands, like in many other European countries, pancreatic cancer mortality was found to be systematically higher than the incidence. This suggests that there is an underestimation of the reported incidence of pancreatic cancer.AimWe aimed to study the incidence of pancreatic cancer in the Rotterdam area and to compare this with the national level.MethodsThis study is embedded in the Rotterdam Study (RS), an ongoing population-based prospective cohort study of people aged 45 years and above, enrolled between 1989 till 2006. Details on incident pancreatic cancer cases were available until 2013. Age-specific incidence rates were calculated and compared with data available in the Netherlands Cancer Registry.ResultsAt baseline 14,922 participants were at risk of developing pancreatic cancer. Median follow-up time was 16.4 person years per person. In total, 113 participants developed pancreatic cancer. Rates increased with age with an incidence rate of 109.9 (95% confidence interval [CI]; 85.7–138.8) per 100,000 person years for people older than 75. This is higher than the currently reported 55.9–89.2 per 100,000 person year. Of the 113 cases identified in the RS, only 67.3% was reported as pancreatic cancer in the Netherlands Cancer Registry. Cases that were not registered were significantly older and had significantly poorer survival.ConclusionThe incidence of pancreatic cancer, as registered by the Netherlands Cancer Registry, is an underestimation. Patients, not registered by the cancer registry, have a significantly poorer survival. Consequently, we probably overestimate the already poor survival of pancreatic cancer.     

A comparison of cancer screening practices in cancer survivors and in the general population: the Korean national health and nutrition examination survey (KNHANES) 2001–2007

Objective  

This study aimed to describe cancer screening rates for second primary cancer among cancer survivors in Korea, and to compare these rates with those of two control groups: individuals without a history of cancer but with other chronic diseases, and individuals without a history of cancer and without other chronic diseases.     

Distinct breast cancer incidence and prognostic patterns in the NCI’s SEER program: suggesting a possible link between etiology and outcome

Background. Breast cancer is a heterogeneous and chronic disease with relapses and death occurring 25 years or more after primary diagnosis. Standard tumor characteristics are used to predict initial relapse or death, but their ability to estimate long-term patterns of failure may be limited. Methods. To further evaluate the significance of standard tumor features, we compared incidence and prognostic patterns in the National Cancer Institutes (NCIs) large-scale population-based Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) program for high-risk versus low-risk breast cancers, i.e., size >2.0 versus 2.0 cm, lymph node positive versus negative, high versus low histologic grade, and hormone receptor negative versus positive expression, respectively. Data were stratified by age 50 years to approximate menopause. Results. High-risk versus low-risk breast cancers demonstrated two very different incidence and prognostic patterns. Age-specific incidence rates among women with high-risk tumors increased until age 50 years then flattened, whereas rates among women with low-risk tumors increased continuously with aging. Hazard rates for breast cancer death spiked sharply two years following primary breast cancer diagnosis among women with high-risk but not with low-risk tumors. Paradoxically, hazard function crossed over 6–8 years following breast cancer diagnosis, with hazard rates lower for high-risk than for low-risk breast cancers. Conclusion. Distinct incidence and prognostic patterns among high-risk and low-risk breast cancers suggest a possible link between breast cancer etiology and outcome. These epidemiologic results appear to complement emerging molecular genetic techniques, showing distinct genotypes for high-risk and low-risk breast cancer phenotypes.     

Prostate cancer: Trends in incidence,survival and mortality in the Netherlands, 1989–2006

BackgroundProstate cancer occurrence and stage distribution changed dramatically during the end of the 20th century. This study aimed to quantify and explain trends in incidence, stage distribution, survival and mortality in the Netherlands between 1989 and 2006.MethodsPopulation-based data from the nationwide Netherlands Cancer Registry and Causes of Death Registry were used. Annual incidence and mortality rates were calculated and age-adjusted to the European Standard Population. Trends in rates were evaluated by age, clinical stage and differentiation grade.Results120,965 men were newly diagnosed with prostate cancer between 1989 and 2006. Age-adjusted incidence rates increased from 63 to 104 per 100,000 person-years in this period. Two periods of increasing incidence rates could be distinguished with increases predominantly in cT2-tumours between 1989 and 1995 and predominantly in cT1c-tumours since 2001. cT4/N+/M+-tumour incidence rates decreased from 23 in 1993 to 18 in 2006. The trend towards earlier detection was accompanied by a lower mean age at diagnosis (from 74 in 1989 to 70 in 2006), increased frequency of treatment with curative intent and improved 5-year relative survival. Mortality rates decreased from 34 in 1996 to 26 in 2007.ConclusionsThe increase of prostate cancer incidence in the early 1990s was probably caused by increased prostate cancer awareness combined with diagnostic improvements (transrectal ultrasound, (thin) needle biopsies), but not PSA testing. The subsequent peak since 2001 is probably attributable to PSA testing. The decline in prostate cancer mortality from 1996 onwards may be the consequence of increased detection of cT2-tumours between 1989 and 1995. Unfortunately, data on the use of PSA tests and other prostate cancer diagnostics to support these conclusions are lacking.     

Recent declines in cancer incidence: related to the Great Recession?

Purpose

In recent years, cancer case counts in the U.S. underwent a large, rapid decline—an unexpected change given population growth for older persons at highest cancer risk. As these declines coincided with the Great Recession, we examined whether they were related to economic conditions.

Methods

Using California Cancer Registry data from California’s 30 most populous counties, we analyzed trends in cancer incidence during pre-recession (1996–2007) and recession/recovery (2008–2012) periods for all cancers combined and the ten most common sites. We evaluated the recession’s association with rates using a multifactorial index that measured recession impact, and modeled associations between case counts and county-level unemployment rates using Poisson regression.

Results

Yearly cancer incidence rate declines were greater during the recession/recovery (3.3% among males, 1.4% among females) than before (0.7 and 0.5%, respectively), particularly for prostate, lung, and colorectal cancers. Lower case counts, especially for prostate and liver cancer among males and breast cancer, melanoma, and ovarian cancer among females, were associated with higher unemployment rates, irrespective of time period, but independent of secular effects. The associations for melanoma translated up to a 3.6% decrease in cases with each 1% increase in unemployment. Incidence declines were not greater in counties with higher recession impact index.

Conclusions

Although recent declines in incidence of certain cancers are not differentially impacted by economic conditions related to the Great Recession relative to pre-recession conditions, the large recent absolute declines in the case counts of some cancer may be attributable to the large declines in unemployment in the recessionary period. This may occur through decreased engagement in preventive health behaviors, particularly for clinically less urgent cancers. Continued monitoring of trends is important to detect any rises in incidence rates as deferred diagnoses come to clinical attention.

     

Oropharyngeal cancer incidence and mortality in Scotland: are rates still increasing?

Oropharyngeal cancer incidence and mortality rates increased in Scotland between the early seventies and late eighties. Although these increases appeared to be cohort based, they were at that time confined to younger age groups. The aim of this study was to examine recent time trends in the incidence and mortality of oropharyngeal cancers in Scotland to determine whether previous increases in incidence and mortality had continued. Oropharyngeal cancer mortality rates in Scotland between 1950 and 1998 were analysed using data from the World Health Organisation Mortality Database. Incidence trends were analysed using cancer registration data for Scotland for the period 1965-1997. Between 1989 and 1996, incidence rates for oropharyngeal cancers have risen dramatically in males (18-23.6 per 100,000) and females (7.3-8.5 per 100,000) aged 35-64 years, while age-standardised mortality rates appear to have stabilised. Although oropharyngeal cancer incidence rates continue to rise alarmingly, these increases are not necessarily translated into higher mortality rates as had been suggested by results from earlier studies.     

A birth cohort analysis of the incidence of ascending and descending colon cancer in the United States, 1973–2008

Objectives

There is evidence indicating that the trends in colorectal cancer (CRC) incidence rates in the United States differ according to CRC subsites, including for ascending cancer which has shown a different pattern from the overall trends. We investigated the time trends for ascending and descending colon cancer in the United States by race and gender to identify the specific components that may account for the incidence trends.

Methods

Using data from the National Cancer Institute’s Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results program for 1973–2008, we conducted age–period–cohort modeling to evaluate birth cohort patterns and evaluate age–period–cohort effects on incidence trends of colon cancer over time.

Results

A clear birth cohort pattern was observed for both ascending and descending colon cancer, and the incidence rates of ascending colon cancer in the more recent birth cohorts were higher compared to earlier cohorts particularly for black males and females. This increase was most obvious in the younger age groups and appeared to accelerate, especially for black females. For descending colon cancer, the study suggested an increase in the birth cohort slope in the later birth cohorts for all gender and race groups, after a period of decline in earlier birth cohorts.

Conclusion

The increase in incidence rates of both ascending and descending colon cancer in more recent birth cohorts for blacks suggests the need for targeted public health strategies to increase CRC screening. Further, additional etiological studies are warranted to evaluate factors responsible for the observed trends in more recent birth cohorts, including differences by subsites, race, and/or gender.