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.

Serum anti-Helicobacter pylori IgG antibodies and pepsinogens A and C as serological markers of chronic atrophic gastritis.

Abstract: This study was designed to test the sensitivity and specificity of serum anti-Helicobacter pylori IgG antibodies and the ratio of serum pepsinogen A to pepsinogen C (PGA:PGC) in detecting chronic atrophic gastritis (CAG) and intestinal metaplasia. Parallel gastric biopsies and a serum sample were collected from a series of 87 patients aged 20-69 years attending a routine upper endoscopy clinic. The seroprevalence (> 10 micrograms IgG/ml) of anti-H. pylori antibodies was 42.7%, and of a low PGA:PGC ratio (< 1.5) was 17.7%. A positive H. pylori IgG antibody level was more sensitive than the level of PGA:PGC in diagnosing CAG (71.4% and 25.0%, respectively), moderate CAG (86.7% and 26.7%, respectively), and intestinal metaplasia (90.9% and 50.0%, respectively). Anti-H. pylori IgG antibody levels were less specific than PGA:PGC levels in diagnosing CAG (90.9% and 93.9%, respectively), moderate CAG (78.3% and 89.1%, respectively), and intestinal metaplasia (72.6% and 92.2%, respectively). A combination of anti-H. pylori antibodies and a low PGA:PGC ratio for the detection of CAG resulted in a specificity of 100%, but the sensitivity was 21.4%.

A prospective study of Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus and Epstein-Barr virus in adults with human immunodeficiency virus-1.

Abstract: Antibody titres against Kaposi's sarcoma associated herpesvirus (KSHV or human herpesvirus 8 (HHV-8)) and Epstein–Barr virus (EBV) were examined in people who subsequently developed Kaposi's sarcoma and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, within randomised controlled trials of antiretroviral therapy in adults infected with the human immunodeficiency virus-1 (HIV). For each case of Kaposi's sarcoma (n=189) and each case of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (n=67), which developed after randomisation, one control was randomly selected from other trial participants, after matching for age, sex, ethnicity, mode of HIV transmission, type of treatment received and period of follow-up. Using sera taken an average of two and a half years before the diagnosis of cancer, titres of antibodies against KSHV latent (LANA) and lytic (K8.1) antigens and against EBV (VCA) antigens were investigated in relation to subsequent risks of cancer by calculating odds ratios (OR) using conditional logistic regression. Latent antibodies against KSHV were detectable among 38% (72 out of 189) of Kaposi's sarcoma cases and 12% (23 out of 189) of their controls (OR=4.4, 95% confidence intervals (CI) 2.3–8.3, P<0.001). The OR for Kaposi's sarcoma increased with increasing antilatent KSHV antibody titre (χ21 for trend=32.2, P<0.001). Lytic antibodies against KSHV were detectable among 33% (61 out of 187) of Kaposi's sarcoma cases and 19% (36 out of 187) of their controls (OR=2.0, 95% CI 1.2–3.4, P=0.003) and the OR for Kaposi's sarcoma increased with increasing antilytic KSHV antibody titre (χ21 for trend=6.2, P=0.02). Virtually, all cases and controls had anti-EBV antibodies detected and the OR for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma associated with a doubling of the anti-EBV antibody titre was estimated to increase by a multiplicative factor of 1.3 (95% CI 0.9–1.7, P=0.1). Kaposi's sarcoma was not associated with antibody levels against EBV (P=0.4) and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma was not associated with antibodies against KSHV (latent P=0.3; lytic P=0.5). Adjustment for CD4 count at the time of sample collection made no material difference to any of the results. In conclusion, among human immunodeficiency virus infected people, high levels of antibodies against KSHV latent and lytic antigens are strongly associated with subsequent risk of Kaposi's sarcoma but not non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Antibody titre to EBV does not appear to be strongly associated with subsequent risk of Kaposi's sarcoma or non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in HIV infected people.

CYP19A1 Genetic Variation in Relation to Prostate Cancer Risk and Circulating Sex Hormone Concentrations in Men from the Breast and Prostate Cancer Cohort Consortium

Abstract: Sex hormones, particularly the androgens, are important for the growth of the prostate gland and have been implicated in prostate cancer carcinogenesis, yet the determinants of endogenous steroid hormone levels remain poorly understood. Twin studies suggest a heritable component for circulating concentrations of sex hormones, although epidemiologic evidence linking steroid hormone gene variants to prostate cancer is limited. Here we report on findings from a comprehensive study of genetic variation at the CYP19A1 locus in relation to prostate cancer risk and to circulating steroid hormone concentrations in men by the Breast and Prostate Cancer Cohort Consortium (BPC3), a large collaborative prospective study. The BPC3 systematically characterized variation in CYP19A1 by targeted resequencing and dense genotyping; selected haplotype-tagging single nucleotide polymorphisms (htSNP) that efficiently predict common variants in U.S. and European whites, Latinos, Japanese Americans, and Native Hawaiians; and genotyped these htSNPs in 8,166 prostate cancer cases and 9,079 study-, age-, and ethnicity-matched controls. CYP19A1 htSNPs, two common missense variants and common haplotypes were not significantly associated with risk of prostate cancer. However, several htSNPs in linkage disequilibrium blocks 3 and 4 were significantly associated with a 5% to 10% difference in estradiol concentrations in men [association per copy of the two-SNP haplotype rs749292-rs727479 ( A-A ) versus noncarriers; P = 1 × 10-5], and with inverse, although less marked changes, in free testosterone concentrations. These results suggest that although germline variation in CYP19A1 characterized by the htSNPs produces measurable differences in sex hormone concentrations in men, they do not substantially influence risk of prostate cancer. (Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2009;18(10):2734–44)

Cancer incidence rates and trends among children and adolescents in Piedmont, 1967-2011

Abstract: In the past, increases in childhood cancer incidence were reported in Europe and North America. The aim of this study is to show updated patterns of temporal behavior using data of the Childhood Cancer Registry of Piedmont (CCRP), a region with approximately 4.5 million inhabitants in North-West Italy. CCRP has been recording incident cases in children (0-14 years) since 1967 and in adolescents (15-19) since 2000. Time trends were estimated as annual percent change (APC) over the 1976-2011 period for children, and over 2000-2011 for both children and adolescents. CCRP registered 5020 incident cases from 1967 to 2011. Incidence rates were 157 per million person-years for children (1967-2011) and 282 for adolescents (2000-2011). From 1976-2011, increasing trends were observed in children for all neoplasms (APC 1.1, 95%CI: 0.8; 1.5) and for both embryonal and non-embryonal tumors: 1.1%, (0.5; 1.6) and 1.2%, (0.7; 1.6), respectively. Increases were observed in several tumor types, including leukemia, lymphoma, central nervous system tumors and neuroblastoma. In 2000-2011, incidence rates showed mostly non statistically significant variations and large variability. The observation of trends over a long period shows that the incidence of most tumors has increased, and this is only partially explained by diagnostic changes. Large rate variability hampers interpretation of trend patterns in short periods. Given that no satisfying explanation for the increases observed in the past was ever found, efforts must be made to understand and interpret this peculiar and still ununderstood pattern of childhood cancer incidence.

A search for unknown blood-borne oncogenic viruses

Abstract: In previous decades, infants who received blood transfusions shortly after birth or in utero might have been infected at a particularly vulnerable age by some blood-borne oncogen it virus. A cohort of such infants has therefore been followed into adult life to see if they suffered any excess of neoplastic disease or of non-neoplastic mortality. A total of 12,690 infants were identified who were transfused between 1 January 1942 and 31 December 1970, in most cases for the prevention or treatment of haemolytic disease of the newborn. All but 361 (2.8%) were found to have been registered with a National Health Service (NHS) practitioner and were followed in the NHS central records until they died, emigrated, were removed from NHS lists or until 1 January 1992, whichever occurred first. Mortality and cancer incidence were compared with that expected from national rates. No marked disparity was observed and there was no excess of childhood leukaemia. The incidence of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma at 15 to 49 years of age was about twice that expected, but the excess was not statistically significant.