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.

Hormone replacement therapy and the sensitivity and specificity of breast cancer screening: a review

Abstract: Background The use of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) is prevalent in the age group invited to routine breast cancer screening in many countries. Previous publications have reported reduced sensitivity and specificity of mammographic breast cancer screening associated with current use of HRT.Objectives To review the epidemiological evidence for the relation between use of HRT and the risk of having breast cancer diagnosed between screens (interval breast cancer—sensitivity) and being recalled for assessment after initial mammography with no diagnosis of breast cancer at that screen (false positive recall—specificity).Methods Overview of published literature.Results Eight studies were identified, providing a total of 367 interval cancers and 8878 cases of false positive recall, in women of 50 and over. Overall, the studies showed an increased risk of interval cancer and false positive recall in current users of HRT compared with non-users. Only one study accounted for the essential confounding factors of...

An apparent lack of association between Helicobacter pylori infection and risk of gastric cancer in China.

Abstract: Several prospective studies have shown a significant association between Helicobacter pylori seropositivity and the risk of gastric cancer. Only a small proportion of H. pylori-infected individuals will, however, develop gastric cancer, and it is unclear what effects other factors, such as diet, might have on the risk of cancer. Eighty-seven subjects with gastric cancer were identified during the first 6 years of follow-up (mean 2.4 years) of a cohort of middle-aged men from Shanghai, China. They were matched with 261 cancer-free controls, and serum samples from all subjects, obtained at recruitment, were assayed for anti-H. pylori IgG antibodies. Questionnaire data provided information on a wide range of socio-demographic life-style and dietary variables. H. pylori seropositivity rates in the cases and controls were 54% and 56%, respectively. Neither the overall risk of developing gastric cancer nor the risk of developing non-cardia gastric cancer was significantly associated with prior M. pylori seropositivity. Adjustment for any of the other medical, dietary or life-style variables studied had little effect on the risk of developing non-cardia gastric cancer; simultaneous adjustment for all of these factors yielded an odds ratio of 1.17. The results do not support the hypothesis that H. pylori plays a role in the process of gastric carcinogenesis in China. It is possible that this is an artefact resulting from the relatively short follow-up period to date.

Metabolomic profiles of hepatocellular carcinoma in a European prospective cohort.

Abstract: Background: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), the most prevalent form of liver cancer, is difficult to diagnose and has limited treatment options with a low survival rate. Aside from a few key risk factors, such as hepatitis, high alcohol consumption, smoking, obesity, and diabetes, there is incomplete etiologic understanding of the disease and little progress in identification of early risk biomarkers. Methods: To address these aspects, an untargeted nuclear magnetic resonance metabolomic approach was applied to pre-diagnostic serum samples obtained from first incident, primary HCC cases (n = 114) and matched controls (n = 222) identified from amongst the participants of a large European prospective cohort. Results: A metabolic pattern associated with HCC risk comprised of perturbations in fatty acid oxidation and amino acid, lipid, and carbohydrate metabolism was observed. Sixteen metabolites of either endogenous or exogenous origin were found to be significantly associated with HCC risk. The influence of hepatitis infection and potential liver damage was assessed, and further analyses were made to distinguish patterns of early or later diagnosis. Conclusion: Our results show clear metabolic alterations from early stages of HCC development with application for better etiologic understanding, prevention, and early detection of this increasingly common cancer.

A prospective Swedish study on body size, body composition, diabetes, and prostate cancer risk

Abstract: Obesity may be associated with increased risk of prostate cancer (PCa). According to one hypothesis, obesity could lower the risk of non-aggressive tumours, while simultaneously increasing the risk of aggressive cancer. Furthermore, central adiposity may be independently associated with PCa risk; it is also associated with diabetes, which itself may influence risk of PCa. We studied the associations between height, body composition, and fat distribution, diabetes prevalence and risk of total, aggressive, and non-aggressive PCa in 10 564 initially cancer-free men (aged 45–73 years) of the population-based Malmo Diet and Cancer cohort. Anthropometric and body composition measurements, including bioelectrical impedance for estimation of fat mass, were performed by study nurses. Diabetes prevalence was self-reported. Cancer cases and clinical characteristics were ascertained through national and regional registry data. Dietary and other background data were obtained through a modified diet history method and an extensive questionnaire. During a mean follow-up of 11.0 years, 817 incidental PCa cases were diagnosed. Of these, 281 were classified as aggressive. There were 202 cases occurring before 65 years of age. Height was positively associated with total and non-aggressive PCa risk. Waist–hip ratio (WHR), a measure of central adiposity, was positively associated with PCa before age 65, and less strongly, with total PCa. This association was independent of body mass index (BMI) and other potential confounders. General adiposity, expressed as BMI or body fat percentage, and prevalent diabetes were not associated with PCa risk. In this study, WHR and body height were stronger PCa predictors than general adiposity.