Murielle Colombet

Bio: Murielle Colombet is an academic researcher from International Agency for Research on Cancer. The author has contributed to research in topics: Population & Cancer. The author has an hindex of 10, co-authored 10 publications receiving 4963 citations.

Incidence of childhood renal tumours: An international population‐based study

Abstract: Malignant renal tumours represent 5% of childhood cancers and include types with likely different aetiology: Wilms tumour (WT), rhabdoid renal tumour, kidney sarcomas and renal carcinomas WT is the most common renal tumour in children, previously shown to vary internationally and with ethnicity Using the comprehensive database of the International Incidence of Childhood Cancer study (IICC), we analysed global variations and time trends in incidence of renal tumour types in children (age 0-14 years) and adolescents (age 15-19 years) The results were presented by 14 world regions, and five ethnic groups in the US We included 15 320 renal tumours in children and 800 in adolescents reported to the 163 contributing registries during 2001-2010 In children, age-standardised incidence rate (ASR) of renal tumours was 83 per million (95% confidence interval, CI = 81, 84); it was the highest in North America and Europe (9-10 per million) and the lowest in most Asian regions (4-5 per million) In the US, Blacks had the highest ASR (109 per million, 95% CI = 102, 116) and Asian and Pacific Islanders the lowest (44 per million, 95% CI = 36, 51) In adolescents, age-specific incidence rate of renal tumours was 14 per million (95% CI = 13, 15) WT accounted for over 90% of all renal tumours in each age from 1 to 7 years and the proportion of renal carcinomas increased gradually with age From 1996 to 2010, incidence remained mostly stable for WT (average annual percent change, AAPC = 01) and increased for renal carcinomas in children (AAPC = 37) and adolescents (AAPC = 32) Our findings warrant further monitoring

The burden of Burkitt lymphoma in Africa

Abstract: Burkitt lymphoma (BL) is a relatively common cancer of childhood in tropical Africa, although its precise incidence and continent-wide geographic distribution have not been previously systematically studied. Using the methods employed to produce national estimates of cancer incidence for the “Globocan” series of the International Agency for Research on Cancer, along with detailed information on cancer incidence by histological subtype from cancer registries in Africa, we estimate the numbers and rates of incidence by sex, age group, country and region of Africa. We estimate that the number of new cases that occurred in 2018 to be about 3900, two thirds in males, and 81% in children aged 0–14. On a national basis, the geographic distribution of incidence rates among children in sub-Saharan Africa resembles that of the prevalence of infection with Falciparum malaria. An estimated 81% of cases are associated with infection with Epstein Barr virus (EBV). BL comprises almost 50% of childhood of non-Hodgkin lymphoma in Africa, almost all of which are associated with EBV, with the geographic distribution – at least in sub Saharan Africa - mediated by infection with malaria.

Cancer in Mozambique: Results from two population-based cancer registries

Abstract: Results from two recently established population-based registries in Mozambique are reported: Beira in the central region (2014-2017) and Maputo, the capital city, in the South (2015-2017). The results are compared to those from Maputo (Lourenco Marques at the time) in 1956-1960 (appearing Cancer Incidence in Five Continents Vol 1), and with estimated incidence rates from other regions of Africa. The elevated prevalence of HIV infection (12.6% of adults in 2018) results in high rates for HIV-related cancers, and the greater prevalence in central Mozambique, compared to the south, largely explains the rather higher rates of Kaposi sarcoma (males), non-Hodgkin lymphoma, squamous cell carcinoma of conjunctiva and cervical cancer in Beira than in Maputo. Burkitt lymphoma is the commonest childhood cancer in Beira, with high rates typical of East Africa, while the low rates in Maputo are more typical of Southern Africa. Overall, 44% of cancers in Maputo and 52% in Beira are estimated to be caused by infectious agents. In the last 60 years, cancers more frequent in developed countries, such as breast and prostate, are emerging in Mozambique. The incidence of the former in Maputo has increased fivefold since 1956-1960, that of prostate cancer 2.5-fold, and that of large bowel cancer doubled. The results reported here were used to make national estimates of incidence, mortality and prevalence in Globocan 2018. The two registries were important in providing data to establish priority actions in the National Cancer Control Plan, and are a valuable resource to monitor progress toward its goals.

Global Cancer Statistics 2020: GLOBOCAN Estimates of Incidence and Mortality Worldwide for 36 Cancers in 185 Countries.

Abstract: This article provides an update on the global cancer burden using the GLOBOCAN 2020 estimates of cancer incidence and mortality produced by the International Agency for Research on Cancer. Worldwide, an estimated 19.3 million new cancer cases (18.1 million excluding nonmelanoma skin cancer) and almost 10.0 million cancer deaths (9.9 million excluding nonmelanoma skin cancer) occurred in 2020. Female breast cancer has surpassed lung cancer as the most commonly diagnosed cancer, with an estimated 2.3 million new cases (11.7%), followed by lung (11.4%), colorectal (10.0 %), prostate (7.3%), and stomach (5.6%) cancers. Lung cancer remained the leading cause of cancer death, with an estimated 1.8 million deaths (18%), followed by colorectal (9.4%), liver (8.3%), stomach (7.7%), and female breast (6.9%) cancers. Overall incidence was from 2-fold to 3-fold higher in transitioned versus transitioning countries for both sexes, whereas mortality varied <2-fold for men and little for women. Death rates for female breast and cervical cancers, however, were considerably higher in transitioning versus transitioned countries (15.0 vs 12.8 per 100,000 and 12.4 vs 5.2 per 100,000, respectively). The global cancer burden is expected to be 28.4 million cases in 2040, a 47% rise from 2020, with a larger increase in transitioning (64% to 95%) versus transitioned (32% to 56%) countries due to demographic changes, although this may be further exacerbated by increasing risk factors associated with globalization and a growing economy. Efforts to build a sustainable infrastructure for the dissemination of cancer prevention measures and provision of cancer care in transitioning countries is critical for global cancer control.

Cancer statistics for the year 2020: An overview

Abstract: Our study briefly reviews the data sources and methods used in compiling the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) GLOBOCAN cancer statistics for the year 2020 and summarises the main results. National estimates were calculated based on the best available data on cancer incidence from population-based cancer registries (PBCR) and mortality from the World Health Organization mortality database. Cancer incidence and mortality rates for 2020 by sex and age groups were estimated for 38 cancer sites and 185 countries or territories worldwide. There were an estimated 19.3 million (95% uncertainty interval [UI]: 19.0-19.6 million) new cases of cancer (18.1 million excluding non-melanoma skin cancer) and almost 10.0 million (95% UI: 9.7-10.2 million) deaths from cancer (9.9 million excluding non-melanoma skin cancer) worldwide in 2020. The most commonly diagnosed cancers worldwide were female breast cancer (2.26 million cases), lung (2.21) and prostate cancers (1.41); the most common causes of cancer death were lung (1.79 million deaths), liver (830000) and stomach cancers (769000).

Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma

Abstract: Most head and neck cancers are derived from the mucosal epithelium in the oral cavity, pharynx and larynx and are known collectively as head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). Oral cavity and larynx cancers are generally associated with tobacco consumption, alcohol abuse or both, whereas pharynx cancers are increasingly attributed to infection with human papillomavirus (HPV), primarily HPV-16. Thus, HNSCC can be separated into HPV-negative and HPV-positive HNSCC. Despite evidence of histological progression from cellular atypia through various degrees of dysplasia, ultimately leading to invasive HNSCC, most patients are diagnosed with late-stage HNSCC without a clinically evident antecedent pre-malignant lesion. Traditional staging of HNSCC using the tumour–node–metastasis system has been supplemented by the 2017 AJCC/UICC staging system, which incorporates additional information relevant to HPV-positive disease. Treatment is generally multimodal, consisting of surgery followed by chemoradiotherapy (CRT) for oral cavity cancers and primary CRT for pharynx and larynx cancers. The EGFR monoclonal antibody cetuximab is generally used in combination with radiation in HPV-negative HNSCC where comorbidities prevent the use of cytotoxic chemotherapy. The FDA approved the immune checkpoint inhibitors pembrolizumab and nivolumab for treatment of recurrent or metastatic HNSCC and pembrolizumab as primary treatment for unresectable disease. Elucidation of the molecular genetic landscape of HNSCC over the past decade has revealed new opportunities for therapeutic intervention. Ongoing efforts aim to integrate our understanding of HNSCC biology and immunobiology to identify predictive biomarkers that will enable delivery of the most effective, least-toxic therapies. Head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCCs) originate from the mucosal epithelium in the oral cavity, pharynx and larynx and are commonly associated with viral infection and tobacco use. This Primer provides an overview of the epidemiology, pathogenesis and treatment of HNSCCs of different aetiologies and the effects of the cancer and its treatment on patient quality of life.