Purpose
There has been an alarming increase in colorectal cancer (CRC) incidence among young adults aged < 50 years, and factors driving this upward trend are unknown. This study investigated ...associations between various medical, lifestyle, and dietary factors and risk of early-onset CRC (EO-CRC).
Methods
A population-based case–control study was conducted in Ontario, Canada during 2018–2019. EO-CRC cases aged 20–49 years (
n
= 175) were identified from the Ontario Cancer Registry; sex- and age group-matched controls (
n
= 253) were recruited through random digit dialing. Data on potential a priori risk factors were collected using a web-based self-reported questionnaire. Odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were estimated using multivariable logistic regression.
Results
Family history of CRC in a first- or second-degree relative (OR 2.37; 95% CI 1.47–3.84), longer sedentary time (≥ 10 vs. < 5 h/day, OR 1.93; 95% CI 1.02–3.65), greater consumption of sugary drinks (≥ 7 vs. < 1 drinks/week, OR 2.99; 95% CI 1.57–5.68), and a more Westernized dietary pattern (quartile 4 vs. 1, OR 1.92; 95% CI 1.01–3.66) were each associated with an increased risk of EO-CRC. Conversely, calcium supplement use (OR 0.53; 95% CI 0.31–0.92), history of allergy or asthma (OR 0.62; 95% CI 0.39–0.98), and greater parity in females (≥ 3 vs. nulliparity, OR 0.29; 95% CI 0.11–0.76) were each associated with a reduced risk.
Conclusion
Modifiable factors, particularly sedentary behavior and unhealthy diet including sugary drink consumption, may be associated with EO-CRC risk. Our findings, if replicated, may help inform prevention strategies targeted at younger persons.
Thyroid cancer incidence rates have been increasing worldwide but the reason behind this is unclear. Both the increasing use of diagnostic technologies allowing the detection of thyroid cancer and a ...true increase in thyroid cancer incidence have been proposed. This review assesses the role of body mass index (BMI), diet, and reproductive factors on the thyroid cancer trend.
Epidemiologic studies of the selected risk factors up to June 2010 were reviewed and critically assessed.
Among the thirty-seven studies reviewed and despite variation in the risk estimates, most papers supported a small but positive association for BMI (risk estimate range: 1.1-2.3 in males and 1.0-7.4 in females.). Among specific dietary components, there was no consistent association of thyroid cancer risk with iodine intake through fortification (risk estimate range: 0.49-1.6) or fish consumption (risk estimate range 0.6-2.2), nor with diets high in cruciferous vegetables (risk estimate range 0.6-1.9). A small number of studies showed a consistent protective effect of diets high in non-cruciferous vegetable (risk estimate range: 0.71-0.92). Among reproductive factors (pregnancy, parity, number of live births, use of prescription hormones, menstrual cycle regularity, and menopausal status), none were consistently associated with higher thyroid cancer risk.
BMI had the strongest link to thyroid cancer risk among those examined. Detailed examinations of population-level risk factors can help identify and support prevention efforts to reduce the burden of thyroid cancer.
Objectives
Existing Canadian social determinants of health (SDOH) indicators do not quantify uncertainty to identify priority areas. The objectives of this methodologic study were: (1) to estimate ...and map small area (dissemination area) shared and variable-specific SDOH indicators with measures of uncertainty using a Bayesian model that accounts for spatial dependence; (2) to quantify geographic variation in the SDOH indicators and their contribution to a shared indicator; and (3) to assess the SDOH indicators’ associations with behavioural risk factors and their consistency with the Ontario Marginalization Index (ON-Marg).
Methods
Lower education-, income-, unemployment-, living alone- and visible minority-related variables used in existing Canadian SDOH indices were fit as dependent variables to a Bayesian model to produce area-based SDOH indicators that were mapped with measures of uncertainty in two study areas. The fractions of spatial variation explained by the model components were computed. Bayesian analysis of variance was used to examine the SDOH indicator associations with behavioural risk factors and their consistency with ON-Marg examined using Pearson’s correlation coefficient.
Results
The shared component was strongly associated with material deprivation (i.e., income) in each study area; however, variable-specific SDOH indicators were important too. The SDOH indicators were associated with behavioural risk factors for chronic disease, particularly alcohol consumption and smoking, and the shared component estimates were consistent with the ON-Marg material deprivation.
Conclusions
The Bayesian approach to produce SDOH indicators met the three study objectives and as such provides a new approach to prioritize areas that may experience health inequalities.
Highlights • We analyzed trends in incidence of colorectal cancer in young adults in Canada. • Incidence rate for colorectal cancer has been increasing since the mid-1990’s in young adults. • We ...analyzed trends in modifiable risk factors for colorectal cancer in Canada. • The prevalence of excess weight has also been increasing in young adults. • Excess weight may have likely played a role in rising colorectal cancer incidence.
The incidence of esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC) is increasing worldwide and has overtaken squamous histology in occurrence. We studied the impact of socioeconomic status (SES) on EAC stage at ...diagnosis, receipt of treatment, and survival. A population-based retrospective cohort study was conducted using Ontario Cancer Registry-linked administrative health data. Multinomial logistic regression was used to examine the association between SES (income quintile) and stage at EAC diagnosis and EAC treatment. Survival times following EAC diagnosis were estimated using Kaplan-Meier method. Cox proportional-hazards regression analysis was used to examine the association between SES and EAC survival. Between 2003-2012, 2,125 EAC cases were diagnosed. Median survival for the lowest-SES group was 10.9 months compared to 11.6 months for the highest-SES group; the 5-year survival was 9.8% vs. 15.0%. Compared to individuals in the highest-SES group, individuals in the lowest-SES category experienced no significant difference in EAC treatment (91.6% vs. 93.3%, P = 0.314) and deaths (78.9% vs. 75.6%, P = 0.727). After controlling for covariates, no significant associations were found between SES and cancer stage at diagnosis and EAC treatment. Additionally, after controlling for age, gender, urban/rural residence, birth country, health region, aggregated diagnosis groups, cancer stage, treatment, and year of diagnosis, no significant association was found between SES and EAC survival. Moreover, increased mortality risk was observed among those with older age (P = 0.001), advanced-stage of EAC at diagnosis (P < 0.001), and those receiving chemotherapy alone, radiotherapy alone, or surgery plus chemotherapy (P < 0.001). Adjusted proportional-hazards model findings suggest that there is no association between SES and EAC survival. While the unadjusted model suggests reduced survival among individuals in lower income quintiles, this is no longer significant after adjusting for any covariate. Additionally, there is an apparent association between SES and survival when considering only those individuals diagnosed with stage 0-III EAC. These analyses suggest that the observed direct relationship between SES and survival is explained by patient-level factors including receipt of treatment, something that is potentially modifiable.
Data from population-based cancer registries are often used to compare cancer survival between countries or regions. The ICBP SURVMARK-2 study is an international partnership aiming to quantify and ...explore the reasons behind survival differences across high-income countries. However, the magnitude and relevance of differences in cancer survival between countries have been questioned, as it is argued that observed survival variations may be explained, at least in part, by differences in cancer registration practice, completeness and the availability and quality of the respective data sources.
As part of the ICBP SURVMARK-2 study, we used a simulation approach to better understand how differences in completeness, the characteristics of those missed and inclusion of cases found from death certificates can impact on cancer survival estimates.
Bias in 1- and 5-year net survival estimates for 216 simulated scenarios is presented. Out of the investigated factors, the proportion of cases not registered through sources other than death certificates, had the largest impact on survival estimates.
Our results show that the differences in registration practice between participating countries could in our most extreme scenarios explain only a part of the largest observed differences in cancer survival.
Objectives
Modifiable lifestyle, environmental, and infectious risk factors associated with cancer impact both cancer incidence and mortality at the population level. Most studies estimating this ...burden focus on cancer incidence. However, because these risk factors are associated with cancers of disparate mortality rates, the burden associated with cancer incidence could differ from cancer mortality. Therefore, estimating the cancer mortality attributable to these risk factors provides additional insight into cancer prevention. Here, we estimated future cancer deaths and the number of avoidable deaths in Canada due to modifiable risk factors.
Methods
The projected cancer mortality data came from OncoSim, a web-based microsimulation tool. These data were applied to the methodological framework that we previously used to estimate the population attributable risks and the potential impact fractions of modifiable risk factors on Canadian cancer incidence.
Results
We estimated that most cancer deaths will be attributed to tobacco smoking with an average of 27,900 deaths annually from 2024 to 2047. If Canada’s current trends in excess body weight continue, cancer deaths attributable to excess body weight would double from 2786 deaths in 2024 to 5604 deaths in 2047, becoming the second leading modifiable cause of cancer death. Applying targets to reduce these risk factors, up to 34,600 cancer deaths could be prevented from 2024 to 2047.
Conclusion
Our simulated results complement our previous findings on the cancer incidence burden since decreasing the overall burden of cancer will be accelerated through a combination of decreasing cancer incidence and improving survival outcomes through improved treatments.
Objectives
An estimated 33–37% of incident cancers in Canada are attributable to modifiable risk factors. Interventions targeting these risk factors would minimize the substantial health and economic ...burdens Canadians face due to cancer. We estimate the future health and economic burden of cancer in Canada by incorporating data from the Canadian Population Attributable Risk of Cancer (ComPARe) study into OncoSim, a web-based microsimulation tool.
Methods
Using the integrated OncoSim population attributable risk and population impact measures, we evaluated risk factor-targeted intervention scenarios implemented in 2020, assuming the targeted risk factor prevalence reduction would be achieved by 2032 with a 12-year latency period.
Results
We estimate that smoking will be the largest contributor to cancer-related costs, with a cost of CAD $44.4 billion between 2032 and 2044. An estimated CAD $3.3 billion of the cost could be avoided with a 30% reduction in smoking prevalence by 2022. Following smoking, the next highest cancer management costs are associated with inadequate physical activity and excess body weight, accounting for CAD $10.7 billion ($2.7 billion avoidable) and CAD $9.8 billion ($3.2 billion avoidable), respectively. Avoidable costs for other risk factors range from CAD $90 million to CAD $2.5 billion.
Conclusion
Interventions targeting modifiable cancer risk factors could prevent a substantial number of incident cancer cases and billions of dollars in cancer management costs. With limited budgets and rising costs in cancer care in Canada, these simulation models and results are valuable for researchers and policymakers to inform decisions and prioritize and evaluate intervention programs.
Abstract Background Benzathine penicillin G is the treatment of choice for infectious syphilis, but tetracycline and doxycycline are believed to be effective second-line treatments. The objective of ...this study was to assess the serological response from treatment of primary syphilis with benzathine penicillin compared with doxycycline or tetracycline. Methods We examined rapid plasma reagin serological test results of all first-time primary syphilis patients in Alberta, Canada from 1980 to 2001 and compared treatment with single dose of penicillin with 14-day course of oral doxycycline (100 mg twice a day) or oral tetracycline (500 mg 4 times a day). Serological treatment success was defined as a minimum 4-fold decrease in baseline rapid plasma reagin test antibody titer within 6 months, or ≥8-fold decrease within 12 months, or ≥16-fold decrease by 24 months. The median time to successful response was estimated, and factors associated with treatment success were identified by unadjusted logistic regression. Results Of the 445 primary syphilis cases with available treatment outcome data, 420 (94.4%) received penicillin and 25 (5.6%) received doxycycline/tetracycline. The serological treatment success rate was 97.4% in the penicillin group (409/420) and 100% in the doxycycline/tetracycline group (25/25), and not significantly different. The estimated median time to serological treatment success was 72.0 days (mean = 101.7, range 10-603) in penicillin and 43.0 days (mean = 78.6, range 15-334) in doxycycline/tetracycline-treated patients; however, this difference was not statistically significant ( P = 0.16). Conclusion Doxycycline/tetracycline had a similarly high serological treatment success rate when compared with penicillin in the treatment of primary syphilis.
Esophageal adenocarcinoma has one of the fastest rising incidence rates and one of the lowest survival rates of any cancer type in the Western world. However, in many countries, trends in esophageal ...cancer differ according to tumour morphology and anatomical location. In Canada, incidence and survival trends for esophageal cancer subtypes are poorly known.
Cancer incidence and mortality rates were obtained from the Canadian Cancer Registry, the National Cancer Incidence Reporting System and the Canadian Vital Statistics Death databases for the period from 1986 to 2006. Observed trends (annual per cent change) and five-year relative survival ratios were estimated separately for esophageal adenocarcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma, and according to location (upper, middle, or lower one-third of the esophagus). Incidence rates were projected up to the year 2026.
Annual age-standardized incidence rates for esophageal cancer in 2004 to 2006 were 6.1 and 1.7 per 100,000 for males and females, respectively. Esophageal adenocarcinoma incidence rose by 3.9% (males) and 3.6% (females) per year for the period 1986 to 2006, with the steepest increase in the lower one-third of the esophagus (4.8% and 5.0% per year among males and females, respectively). In contrast, squamous cell carcinoma incidence declined by 3.3% (males) and 3.2% (females) per year since the early 1990s. The five-year relative survival ratio for esophageal cancer was 13% between 2004 and 2006, approximately a 3% increase since the period from 1992 to 1994. Projected incidence rates showed increases of 40% to 50% for esophageal adenocarcinoma and decreases of 30% for squamous cell carcinoma by 2026.
Although esophageal cancer is rare in Canada, the incidence of esophageal adenocarcinoma has doubled in the past 20 years, which may reflect the increasing prevalence of obesity and gastroesophageal reflux disease. Declines in squamous cell carcinoma may be the result of the decreases in the prevalence of smoking in Canada. Given the low survival rates and the potential for further increases in incidence, esophageal adenocarcinoma warrants close attention.
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