Cancer Epidemiology Unit

About: Cancer Epidemiology Unit is a based out in . It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Cancer. The organization has 669 authors who have published 1725 publications receiving 93979 citations.

Combined effect of tobacco smoking and alcohol drinking in the risk of head and neck cancers: a re-analysis of case-control studies using bi-dimensional spline models.

Abstract: The synergistic effect of tobacco smoking and alcohol consumption on the risk of head and neck cancers has been mainly investigated as a cross-product of categorical exposure, thus leading to loss of information. We propose a bi-dimensional logistic spline model to investigate the interacting dose–response relationship of two continuous exposures (i.e., ethanol intake and tobacco smoking) on the risk of head and neck cancers, representing results through three-dimensional graphs. This model was applied to a pool of hospital-based case–control studies on head and neck cancers conducted in Italy and in the Vaud Swiss Canton between 1982 and 2000, including 1569 cases and 3147 controls. Among never drinkers and for all levels of ethanol intake, the risk of head and neck cancers steeply increased with increasing smoking intensity, starting from 1 cigarette/day. The risk associated to ethanol intake increased with incrementing exposure among smokers, and a threshold effect at approximately 50 g/day emerged among never smokers. Compared to abstainers from both tobacco and alcohol consumption, the combined exposure to ethanol and/or cigarettes led to a steep increase of cancer risk up to a 35-fold higher risk (95 % confidence interval 27.30–43.61) among people consuming 84 g/day of ethanol and 10 cigarettes/day. The highest risk was observed at the highest levels of alcohol and tobacco consumption. Our findings confirmed a combined effect of tobacco smoking and alcohol drinking on head and neck cancers risk, providing evidence that bi-dimensional spline models could be a feasible and flexible method to explore the pattern of risks associated to two interacting continuous-exposure variables.

N-acetyltransferase 2 and bladder cancer: an overview and consideration of the evidence for gene-environment interaction.

Abstract: Genetic polymorphism of the carcinogen metabolizing enzyme N -acetyl transferase 2 (NAT2) may influence susceptibility to bladder cancers related to smoking or to occupational exposure to arylamine carcinogens. This article reviews the results of 21 published case–control studies of NAT2 polymorphism and bladder-cancer risk, with a total of 2700 cases and 3426 controls. The published evidence suggests that NAT2 slow acetylator phenotype or genotype may be associated with a small increase in bladder cancer risk. However, given the possibility of selective publication of results from studies that found an excess risk, the current evidence is not sufficient to conclude that there is a real increase in risk. Only five of the 21 studies reported results separately for the effect of NAT2 on bladder cancer risk in smokers and non-smokers. Although the results suggest that the effect may be greater in smokers than in non-smokers, the possibility of publication bias makes these results difficult to interpret. There was insufficient evidence to assess the joint effect of NAT2 and occupational exposure to arylamines on bladder cancer risk. Even if estimates of the effect of NAT2 from published data are correct, studies with around 3000–5000 cases will be needed to confirm them. © 2000 Cancer Research Campaign

Latitude gradients in melanoma incidence and mortality in the non-Maori population of New Zealand

Abstract: The variation with latitude of incidence and mortality for cutaneous malignant melanoma (CMM) in the non-Maori population of New Zealand was assessed. For those aged 20 to 74 yeas, the effects of age, time period, birth-cohort, gender, and region (latitude), and some interactions between them were evaluated by loglinear regression methods. Increasing age-standardized incidence and mortality rates with increasing proximity to the equator were found for men and women. These latitude gradients were greater for males than females. The relative risk of melanoma in the most southern part of New Zealand (latitude 44° S) compared with the most northern region (latitude 36° S) was 0.63 (95 percent confidence interval [CI]=0.60–0.67) for incidence and 0.76 (CI=0.68–0.86) for mortality, both genders combined. The mean percentage change in CMM rates per degree of latitude for males was greater than those reported in other published studies. Differences between men and women in melanoma risk with latitude suggest that regional sun-behavior patterns or other risk factors may contribute to the latitude gradient observed.