Colonoscopy findings after increasing two-stool faecal immunochemical test (FIT) cut-off: Cross-sectional analysis of the SCREESCO randomized trial.

BACKGROUND: We determined the impact of an increased two-stool faecal immunochemical test (FIT) cut-off on colonoscopy positivity and relative sensitivity and specificity in the randomized controlled screening trial screening of Swedish colons conducted in Sweden. METHODS: We performed a cross-sectional analysis of participants in the FIT arm that performed FIT between March 2014 and 2020 within the study registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT02078804, who had a faecal haemoglobin concentration of at least 10 µg/g in at least one of two stool samples and who underwent a colonoscopy (n = 3841). For each increase in cut-off, we computed the positive predictive value (PPV), numbers needed to scope (NNS), sensitivity and specificity for finding colorectal cancer (CRC) and advanced neoplasia (AN; advanced adenoma or CRC) relative to cut-off 10 µg/g. RESULTS: The PPV for AN increased from 23.0% (95% confidence intervals [CI]: 22.3%-23.6%) at cut-off 10 µg/g to 28.8% (95% CI: 27.8%-29.7%) and 33.1% (95% CI: 31.9%-34.4%) at cut-offs 20 and 40 µg/g, respectively, whereas the NNS to find a CRC correspondingly decreased from 41 to 27 and 19. The PPV for AN was higher in men than women at each cut-off, for example 31.5% (95% CI: 30.1%-32.8%) in men and 25.6% (95% CI: 24.3%-27.0%) in women at 20 µg/g. The relative sensitivity and relative specificity were similar in men and women at each cut-off. CONCLUSION: A low cut-off of around 20-40 µg/g allows detection and removal of many AN compared to 10 µg/g while reducing the number of colonoscopies in both men and women.

Comparison of rivaroxaban and low molecular weight heparin in the treatment of cancer-associated venous thromboembolism: a Swedish national population-based register study.

BACKGROUND: Treating cancer-associated venous thromboembolism (CAT) with anticoagulation prevents recurrent venous thromboembolism (rVTE), but increases bleeding risk. OBJECTIVES: To compare incidence of rVTE, major bleeding, and all-cause mortality for rivaroxaban versus low molecular weight heparin (LMWH) in patients with CAT. METHODS: We developed a cohort study using Swedish national registers 2013-2019. Patients with CAT (venous thromboembolism within 6 months of cancer diagnosis) were included. Those with other indications or with high bleeding risk cancers were excluded (according to guidelines). Follow-up was from index-CAT until outcome, death, emigration, or end of study. Incidence rates (IR) per 1000 person-years with 95% confidence interval (CI) and propensity score overlap-weighted hazard ratios (HRs) for rivaroxaban versus LMWH were estimated. RESULTS: We included 283 patients on rivaroxaban and 5181 on LMWH. The IR for rVTE was 68.7 (95% CI 40.0-109.9) for rivaroxaban, compared with 91.6 (95% CI 81.9-102.0) for LMWH, with adjusted HR 0.77 (95% CI 0.43-1.35). The IR for major bleeding was 23.5 (95% CI 8.6-51.1) for rivaroxaban versus 49.2 (95% CI 42.3-56.9) for LMWH, with adjusted HR 0.62 (95% CI 0.26-1.49). The IR for all-cause mortality was 146.8 (95% CI 103.9-201.5) for rivaroxaban and 565.6 (95% CI 541.8-590.2) for LMWH with adjusted HR 0.48 (95% CI 0.34-0.67). CONCLUSIONS: Rivaroxaban performed similarly to LMWH for patients with CAT for rVTE and major bleeding. An all-cause mortality benefit was observed for rivaroxaban which potentially may be attributed to residual confounding. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: NCT05150938 (Registered 9 December 2021).

Does smoking cessation affect postoperative healing following oral surgery among smokers? - a systematic review.

BACKGROUND: It is well documented that smokers suffer increased risk of postoperative complications after medical surgery, for example delayed healing and increased risk of infection. It is also known that preoperative smoking cessation can reduce the risk of these complications. Because of this there are guidelines regarding preoperative smoking cessation in non-oral medical surgery. There are however no specific guidelines regarding oral surgical procedures, such as surgical extractions, dentoalveolar surgery, periodontal surgery, or dental implantation. Nevertheless, it is common that dentists and oral surgeons recommend smoking cessation pre to oral surgical procedures. The aim with this systematic review was to see if there are any evidence in the literature, supporting preoperative smoking cessation in oral surgical procedures. METHODS: A systematic search of the electronic databases PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Cochrane was conducted to identify studies addressing the effect of preoperative smoking cessation in oral surgical procedures. Included publications were subjected to preidentified inclusion criterion. Six examiners performed the eligibility and quality assessment of relevant studies. Risk of bias was assessed using ROBINS-I and RoB 2. Certainty assessment was carried out using GRADE. RESULTS: The initial search resulted in 2255 records, and after removal of 148 duplicates, 16 articles met an acceptable level of relevance. These were read in full text, whereof 12 articles were excluded, due to different intervention, outcome, or study design than stated in the review protocol. One study remained with moderate risk of bias and three were excluded due to high risk of bias. CONCLUSION: This systematic review could not determine the effect of smoking cessation pre to oral surgical procedures, in smokers. This indicates lack of knowledge in the effects of smoking cessation. We also conclude a lack of knowledge in how to design smoking cessation in the most effective way.

Comparison of Clinical Outcomes in Patients with Active Cancer Receiving Rivaroxaban or Low-Molecular-Weight Heparin: The OSCAR-UK Study.

BACKGROUND: In most patients with cancer-associated venous thromboembolism (CT), essentially those not at high risk of bleeding, guidelines recommend treatment with direct oral anticoagulants as an alternative to low-molecular-weight heparins (LMWHs). Population-based studies comparing these therapies are scarce. OBJECTIVES: To compare the risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE) recurrences, significant bleeding, and all-cause mortality in patients with CT receiving rivaroxaban or LMWHs. PATIENTS/METHODS: Using UK Clinical Practice Research Datalink data from 2013 to 2020, we generated a cohort of patients with first CT treated initially with either rivaroxaban or LMWH. Patients were observed 12 months for VTE recurrences, significant bleeds (major bleeds or clinically relevant nonmajor bleeding requiring hospitalization), and all-cause mortality. Overlap weighted sub-distribution hazard ratios (SHRs) compared rivaroxaban with LMWH in an intention-to-treat analysis. RESULTS: The cohort consisted of 2,259 patients with first CT, 314 receiving rivaroxaban, and 1,945 LMWH, mean age 72.4 and 66.9 years, respectively. In the 12-month observational period, 184 person-years following rivaroxaban and 1,057 following LMWH, 10 and 66 incident recurrent VTE events, 20 and 102 significant bleeds, and 10 and 133 deaths were observed in rivaroxaban and LMWH users, respectively. The weighted SHR at 12 months for VTE recurrences in rivaroxaban compared with LMWH were 0.80 (0.37-1.73); for significant bleeds 1.01 (0.57-1.81); and for all-cause mortality 0.49 (0.23-1.06). CONCLUSION: Patients with CT, not at high risk of bleeding, treated with either rivaroxaban or LMWH have comparable effectiveness and safety outcomes. This supports the recommendation that rivaroxaban is a reasonable alternative to LMWH for the treatment of CT.

The role of endoscopist adenoma detection rate in in sex differences in colonoscopy findings: cross-sectional analysis of the SCREESCO randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Fewer adenomas are detected at colonoscopy in women compared to men and failure to detect adenomas and sessile serrated polyps is associated with an increased risk of post-colonoscopy colorectal cancer. The aim of this study was to investigate whether this was in part due to the greater difficulty of conducting colonoscopy in women, with the difference being more apparent in colonoscopies conducted by less skilled endoscopists. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Cross-sectional exploratory analysis of data on 16,551 individuals undergoing a primary colonoscopy (PCOL group) or colonoscopy after positive faecal immunochemical test (FIT group) within the randomized controlled trial SCREESCO. Endoscopist adenoma detection rate (ADR; low or high) was determined based on each endoscopist's colonoscopies performed in SCREESCO. In each study group, the relationship between the sex difference in colonoscopy outcome and endoscopist ADR was assessed using multiplicative interaction tests. RESULTS: Endoscopists performed equally many colonoscopies in men and women (median 52% men). There were no signs of effect modification of the risk ratio of any finding (men vs women) by endoscopist ADR in the PCOL group (p = 0.33) or the FIT group (p = 0.30). The proportion of incomplete index colonoscopies was lower in men than in women in both groups and there was no effect modification by endoscopist ADR in either the PCOL group (p = 0.41) or the FIT group (p = 0.96). CONCLUSIONS: This study provides no evidence that endoscopist skill measured by ADR underlies the sex difference in adenoma detection at colonoscopy. This study has trial number NCT02078804 and is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov.

Associations between pregnancy-related factors and birth characteristics with risk of rare uterine cancer subtypes: a Nordic population-based case-control study.

PURPOSE: Uterine sarcomas are a rare group of uterine malignancies. Due to the low incidence and changes in uterine sarcoma classification, risk factors are not well characterized. Our objective was to evaluate risk factors for uterine sarcoma and compare risk factors between uterine sarcoma, malignant mixed Mullerian tumors (MMMTs), and type I endometrial carcinomas. METHODS: This nested case-control study utilized linked data from population-based medical birth and cancer registries in Denmark, Finland, Norway, and Sweden. Up to 10 controls were matched on country and birth year for each uterine cancer case. Using multivariable adjusted multinomial logistic regression, estimates of the associations between pregnancy-related factors and risk of uterine sarcoma, MMMTs, and type I endometrial carcinomas were determined. RESULTS: Having a very-low-birth-weight infant (< 1500 vs. 2500-3999 g: OR [95% CI] 2.83 [1.61-4.96]) was associated with an increased risk of uterine sarcoma. Whereas, having a more recent pregnancy was associated with reduced risks of MMMT (< 10 vs. ≥ 30 years: 0.66 [0.20-2.23]) and type 1 endometrial carcinomas (0.35 [0.30-0.41]) but not uterine sarcomas (1.33 [0.90-1.98], p-heterogeneity < 0.01). CONCLUSION: Our study provides evidence that risk factors for uterine sarcoma and MMMT, previously grouped with uterine sarcomas, vary substantially. Additionally, MMMT and type I endometrial carcinomas are more similar than uterine sarcoma in that pregnancy complications like gestational hypertension and preeclampsia were associated with reduced risks of both but not uterine sarcoma, suggesting different etiologies.

Post-colonoscopy rectal cancer in Swedish patients with Crohn's disease 2001-2015: a population-based case review study.

OBJECTIVE: Post-colonoscopy colorectal cancer (PCCRC) is a key quality indicator of colonoscopy, and PCCRC rates are high in the IBD population. Rectal cancer, an important risk factor for PCCRC among patients with Crohn's disease (CD), has not previously been examined. METHODS: Swedish adult patients with CD who underwent a colonoscopy within 36 months before a rectal cancer diagnosis between 2001 and 2015 were identified through the National Patient and Cancer registers. Their medical records were reviewed and a root-cause analysis and a sub-categorization according to the World Endoscopic Organization (WEO) were performed. RESULTS: Of 24 patients with CD and PCCRC in the rectum, 79% were men and the median age was 50 (IQR 45-59) years. The median disease duration was 21.5 (IQR 19-30) years. The cancer was located in the distal 5 cm of the rectum in 63% of the cases. Retroversion in the rectum was reported in only one case. The most common plausible explanation for PCCRC was 'possible missed lesion, prior examination adequate' (63%); when adding retroversion in the rectum, instead 77% of examinations were considered negative but deemed as inadequate. The most common PCCRC sub-category was non-interval type C (54%) and B (37%). Among those with type C, 38% should have been included in surveillance according to present guidelines. CONCLUSION: Better adherence to surveillance guidelines and more meticulous follow-up is warranted. The importance of performing rectal palpation and retroversion in the rectum is underscored and we suggest that this is included in the WEO algorithm.

Cancer risk in the siblings of individuals with major birth defects: a large Nordic population-based case-control study.

BACKGROUND: Individuals with major birth defects are at increased risk of developing cancer, indicating a common aetiology. However, whether the siblings of individuals with birth defects are also at an increased risk of cancer is unclear. METHODS: We used nationwide health registries in four Nordic countries and conducted a nested case-control study. We included 40 538 cancer cases (aged 0-46 years) and 481 945 population controls (matched by birth year and country), born between 1967 and 2014. The relative risk of cancer among individuals whose siblings had birth defects was computed with odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs), using logistic regression models. RESULTS: In the total study population (aged 0-46 years), we observed no overall difference in cancer risk between individuals whose siblings had birth defects and those who had unaffected siblings (OR 1.02; 95% CI 0.97-1.08); however, the risk of lymphoid and haematopoietic malignancies was elevated (1.16; 1.05-1.28). The overall risk of childhood cancer (0-19 years) was increased for siblings of individuals who had birth defects (1.09; 1.00-1.19), which was mainly driven by lymphoma (1.35; 1.09-1.66), neuroblastoma (1.51; 1.11-2.05) and renal carcinoma (5.03; 1.73-14.6). The risk of cancer also increased with the number of siblings with birth defects (Ptrend = 0.008). CONCLUSION: Overall risk of cancer among individuals (aged 0-46 years) whose siblings had birth defects was not elevated, but the risk of childhood cancer (ages 0-19 years) was increased. Our novel findings are consistent with the common aetiologies of birth defects and cancer, such as shared genetic predisposition and environmental factors.

Rivaroxaban Versus Low-Molecular-Weight Heparins in a Broad Cohort of Patients With Cancer-Associated Venous Thromboembolism: An Analysis of the OSCAR-US Program.

Cancer-associated venous thromboembolism (CAT) guidelines recommend direct oral anticoagulants as alternatives to low-molecular-weight heparin (LMWH) in most patients. This study compared the effectiveness and safety of rivaroxaban versus LMWH for a broad CAT cohort. The cohort study used electronic health data from January 2012 to December 2020 to evaluate patients with active cancer experiencing acute venous thromboembolism (VTE) and treated with rivaroxaban or LMWH. Propensity score-overlap weighted hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for VTE, bleeding-related hospitalization, and all-cause mortality were calculated. In total, 4935 patients were identified (27.9% on rivaroxaban and 72.1% on LMWH). The cancer types included gastrointestinal (29.4%), genitourinary (26.2%), lung (24.0%), breast (19.7%), and hematologic (14.4%). Rivaroxaban was associated with a reduction in recurrent VTE versus LMWH among all patients with cancer (HR = 0.78; 95%CI = 0.61-0.99) at 3 months. No differences in bleeding-related hospitalization or all-cause mortality were observed. Directionally similar results to those at 3 months were observed at 6 months for all outcomes. In conclusion, we observed fewer recurrent VTE cases and no increase in bleeding-related hospitalizations with rivaroxaban versus LMWH at 3 months in this patient cohort with various cancer types.

Rivaroxaban versus Apixaban for Treatment of Cancer-Associated Venous Thromboembolism in Patients at Lower Risk of Bleeding.

This retrospective study, utilizing U.S. electronic health record (EHR) data from January 2013 to December 2020, sought to assess whether rivaroxaban and apixaban had similar effectiveness and safety in the treatment of cancer-associated venous thromboembolism (VTE) in patients with a cancer type not associated with a high risk of bleeding. We included adults diagnosed with active cancer, excluding esophageal, gastric, unresected colorectal, bladder, noncerebral central nervous system cancers and leukemia, who experienced VTE and received a therapeutic VTE dose of rivaroxaban or apixaban on day 7 post-VTE, and were active in the EHR ≥12 months prior to the VTE. Primary outcome was the composite of recurrent VTE or any bleed resulting in hospitalization at 3 months. Secondary outcomes included recurrent VTE, any bleed resulting in hospitalization, any critical organ bleed, and composites of these outcomes at 3 and 6 months. Inverse probability of treatment-weighted Cox regression was used to calculate hazard ratios (HRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). We included 1,344 apixaban and 1,093 rivaroxaban patients. At 3 months, rivaroxaban was found to have similar hazard to apixaban for developing recurrent VTE or any bleed resulting in hospitalization (HR: 0.87; 95% CI: 0.60-1.27). No differences were observed between cohorts for this outcome at 6 months (HR: 1.00; 95% CI: 0.71-1.40) or for any other outcome at 3 or 6 months. In conclusion, patients receiving rivaroxaban or apixaban showed similar risks of the composite of recurrent VTE or any bleed resulting in hospitalization in patients with cancer-associated VTE. This study was registered at www.clinicaltrials.gov as #NCT05461807. Key Points Rivaroxaban and apixaban have similar effectiveness and safety for treatment of cancer-associated VTE through 6 months.Clinicians should therefore consider patient preference and adherence when choosing the optimal anticoagulant.

Effectiveness and Safety of Rivaroxaban and Low Molecular Weight Heparin in Cancer-Associated Venous Thromboembolism.

Background: Direct-acting oral anticoagulants (DOACs) are alternatives to low molecular weight heparin (LMWH) in most cancer-associated thrombosis (CAT) patients. Objectives: This study sought to compare the effectiveness and safety of rivaroxaban and LMWH for venous thromboembolism (VTE) treatment in patients with an active cancer type not associated with a high risk of DOAC bleeding. Methods: An analysis of electronic health records from January 2012 to December 2020 was performed. Patients were adults, had active cancer, experienced an index CAT event, and were treated with rivaroxaban or LMWH. Patients with cancers with an established high risk of bleeding on DOACs were excluded. Baseline covariates were balanced using propensity score-overlap weighting. HRs with 95% CIs were calculated. Results: We identified 3,708 CAT patients treated with rivaroxaban (29.5%) or LMWH (70.5%). The median (25th-75th percentiles) time on anticoagulation was 180 (69-365) and 96 (40-336) days for rivaroxaban and LMWH patients. At 3 months, rivaroxaban was associated with a 31% reduced risk of recurrent VTE vs LMWH (4.2% vs 6.1%; HR: 0.69; 95% CI: 0.51-0.92). No difference in bleeding-related hospitalizations or all-cause mortality was observed (HR: 0.79; 95% CI: 0.55-1.13 and HR: 1.07; 95% CI: 0.85-1.35, respectively). Rivaroxaban reduced the recurrent VTE risk (HR: 0.74; 95% CI: 0.57-0.97) but not bleeding-related hospitalizations or all-cause mortality at 6 months. At 12 months, no difference was observed between cohorts for any of the previously mentioned outcomes. Conclusions: Among active cancer patients experiencing VTE and not at high risk of bleeding on DOACs, rivaroxaban was associated with a reduced risk of recurrent VTE versus LMWHs at 3 and 6 months but not 12 months. (Observational Study in Cancer-Associated Thrombosis for Rivaroxaban-United States Cohort [OSCAR-US]; NCT04979780).

Increasing Risk of Lymphoma Over Time in Crohn's Disease but Not in Ulcerative Colitis: A Scandinavian Cohort Study.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Earlier studies have provided varying risk estimates for lymphoma in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), but often have been limited by detection biases (especially during the first year of follow-up evaluation), misclassification, and small sample size; and rarely reflect modern-day management of IBD. METHODS: We performed a binational register-based cohort study (Sweden and Denmark) from 1969 to 2019. We compared 164,716 patients with IBD with 1,639,027 matched general population reference individuals. Cox regression estimated hazard ratios (HRs) for incident lymphoma by lymphoma subtype, excluding the first year of follow-up evaluation. RESULTS: From 1969 to 2019, 258 patients with Crohn's disease (CD), 479 patients with ulcerative colitis (UC), and 6675 matched reference individuals developed lymphoma. This corresponded to incidence rates of 35 (CD) and 34 (UC) per 100,000 person-years in IBD patients, compared with 28 and 33 per 100,000 person-years in their matched reference individuals. Although both CD (HR, 1.32; 95% CI, 1.16-1.50) and UC (HR, 1.09; 95% CI, 1.00-1.20) were associated with an increase in lymphoma, the 10-year cumulative incidence difference was low even in CD patients (0.08%; 95% CI, 0.02-0.13). HRs have increased in the past 2 decades, corresponding to increasing use of immunomodulators and biologics during the same time period. HRs were increased for aggressive B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma in CD and UC patients, and for T-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma in CD patients. Although the highest HRs were observed in patients exposed to combination therapy (immunomodulators and biologics) or second-line biologics, we also found increased HRs in patients naïve to such drugs. CONCLUSIONS: During the past 20 years, the risk of lymphomas have increased in CD, but not in UC, and were driven mainly by T-cell lymphomas and aggressive B-cell lymphomas.

COVID-19 and comedications in atrial fibrillation-a case-control study in Stockholm.

To test the main hypothesis that anticoagulation reduces risk of hospitalization, intensive care unit (ICU) admission and death in COVID-19. Nested case-control study among patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) in Stockholm. COVID-19 cases were matched to five disease-free controls with same sex, born within ± 1 years. Source population was individuals in Stockholm with AF 1997-2020. Swedish regional and national registers are used. National registers cover hospitals and outpatient clinics, local registers cover primary care. Records were linked through the personal identity number assigned to each Swedish resident. Cases were individuals with COVID-19 (diagnosis, ICU admission, or death). The AF source population consisted of 179,381 individuals from which 7548 cases were identified together with 37,145 controls. The number of cases (controls) identified from hospitalization, ICU admission or death were 5916 (29,035), 160 (750) and 1472 (7,360). The proportion of women was 40% for hospitalization and death, but 20% and 30% for admission to ICU in wave one and two, respectively. Primary outcome was mortality, secondary outcome was hospitalization, tertiary outcome was ICU admission, all with COVID-19. Odds ratios (95% confidence interval) for antithrombotics were 0.79 (0.66-0.95) for the first wave and 0.80 (0.64-1.01) for the second wave. Use of anticoagulation among patients with arrythmias infected with COVID-19 is associated with lower risk of hospitalization and death. If further COVID-variants emerge, or other infections with prothrombotic properties, this emphasize need for physicians to ensure compliance among vulnerable patients.

Post-endoscopy colorectal cancer after colectomy in inflammatory bowel disease patients: a population-based register study.

OBJECTIVES: Long-standing inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) colitis is an indication for endoscopic surveillance. Postcolonoscopy colorectal cancer (PCCRC), cancer detected after a negative colonoscopy, is a quality indicator for colonoscopy. In analogy with PCCRC, we aimed to assess postendoscopy CRC (PECRC) in individuals with IBD who had undergone colectomy. METHODS: This register study included Swedish adults with an IBD diagnosis who had undergone colectomy and later were examined by either colonoscopy or sigmoidoscopy during 2001-2012. The final study population had a CRC diagnosis within 36 months of the index examination. Poisson regression was used to assess the relative risks (RR) of PECRC. RESULTS: A total of 33 individuals, 12 with an ileorectal anastomosis and 21 with a rectal remnant, had a CRC diagnosis within 36 months of the index endoscopy. Eleven cancers were detected as CRCs, and 22 (67%) were PECRCs. Compared with individuals aged >70 years, individuals aged <30 years had an RR of 3.1 (P = 0.054) and individuals aged 30-50 years had a RR of 2.6 (P = 0.030). A longer interval between colectomy and index endoscopy (>10 vs. <10 years) was associated with a lower risk of PCCRC (RR = 0.5; P = 0.007). There was no significant difference between the risk for Crohn's disease vs. ulcerative colitis, or between ileorectal anastomosis and rectal remnant risks. CONCLUSIONS: Continuous surveillance of IBD patients after colectomy is important. In the postcolectomy context, PECRC may be used as a quality indicator.

Sex differences in childhood cancer risk among children with major birth defects: a Nordic population-based nested case-control study.

BACKGROUND: Childhood cancer is more common among children with birth defects, suggesting a common aetiology. Whether this association differs by sex is unclear. METHODS: We performed a population-based nested case-control study using nationwide health registries in four Nordic countries. We included 21 898 cancer cases (0-19 years) and 218 980 matched population controls, born 1967-2014. Associations between childhood cancer and major birth defects were calculated as odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) using logistic regression models. Effect modification was evaluated using a counterfactual framework to estimate confidence intervals and P-values for the natural indirect effects. RESULTS: Birth defects were present for 5.1% (1117/21 898) of childhood cancer cases and 2.2% (4873/218 980) of controls; OR of cancer was higher for chromosomal (OR = 10, 95% CI = 8.6-12) than for non-chromosomal defects (OR = 1.9, 95% CI = 1.8-2.1), strongest between genetic syndromes/microdeletion and renal tumours, Down syndrome and leukaemia, and nervous system defects and central nervous system tumours. The association between birth defects and cancer was stronger among females (OR = 2.8, 95% CI = 2.6-3.1) than males (OR = 2.1, 95% CI = 1.9-2.2, Pinteraction <0.001). Male sex was an independent risk factor for childhood cancer, but very little of the overall association between sex and childhood cancer was mediated through birth defects (4.8%, PNIE <0.001), although more at younger ages (10% below years and 28% below 1 year). CONCLUSIONS: The birth defect-cancer associations were generally stronger among females than males. Birth defects did not act as a strong mediator for the modest differences in childhood cancer risk by sex, suggesting that other biological pathways are involved.

Maternal Health, Pregnancy and Offspring Factors, and Maternal Thyroid Cancer Risk: A Nordic Population-Based Registry Study.

Thyroid cancer incidence is higher in women than men, especially during the reproductive years, for reasons that remain poorly understood. Using population-based registry data from 4 Nordic countries through 2015, we examined associations of perinatal characteristics with risk of maternal thyroid cancer. Cases were women diagnosed with thyroid cancer ≥2 years after last birth (n = 7,425, 83% papillary). Cases were matched to controls (n = 67,903) by mother's birth year, country, and county of residence. Odds ratios (ORs) were estimated using conditional logistic regression models adjusting for parity. Older age at first pregnancy, postpartum hemorrhage (OR = 1.18, 95% (confidence interval) CI: 1.08, 1.29), and benign thyroid conditions (ORs ranging from 1.64 for hypothyroidism to 10.35 for thyroid neoplasms) were associated with increased thyroid cancer risk, as were higher offspring birth weight (per 1-kg increase, OR = 1.17, 95% CI: 1.12, 1.22) and higher likelihood of offspring being large for gestational age (OR = 1.26, 95% CI: 1.11, 1.43). Unmarried/noncohabiting status (OR = 0.91, 95% CI: 0.84, 0.98), maternal smoking (OR = 0.75, 95% CI: 0.67, 0.84), and preterm birth (OR = 0.90, 95% CI: 0.83, 0.98) were associated with reduced risk. Several factors (e.g., older age at first pregnancy, maternal smoking, goiter, benign neoplasms, postpartum hemorrhage, hyperemesis gravidarum, and neonatal jaundice) were associated with advanced thyroid cancer. These findings suggest that some perinatal exposures may influence maternal thyroid cancer risk.

Detection rates of colorectal neoplasia during colonoscopies and their associated factors in the SCREESCO study.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Colonoscopy quality, including lesion detectability, is variable, and factors influencing lesion detection are not fully understood. This study investigated lesion detection rates during colonoscopies and the associated factors in the SCREEning of Swedish COlons (SCREESCO) study. METHODS: In this cross-sectional analysis of data from SCREESCO, a large-scale randomized controlled trial of colorectal cancer screening in the Swedish population aged 60 years, we assessed data of first-time colonoscopies performed in both colonoscopy and fecal immunochemical test (FIT) arms. RESULTS: This study included 16 552 individuals. The adenoma detection rate was 23.9% and 37.8% in colonoscopy and FIT arms, respectively. Regarding colonoscopy procedures, a withdrawal time ≥ 6 min was associated with higher detection rates of advanced adenomas (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] 2.474, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.295-4.723), adenomas (2.181, 1.515-3.140), and proximal serrated lesions (pSLs) (1.713, 1.007-2.915). Antispasmodic use was associated with higher detection rates of these lesions and sessile serrated lesions (SSLs) (AOR, 95% CI: 1.523, 1.295-1.791; 1.361, 1.217-1.522; 1.450, 1.247-1.687; and 1.810, 1.512-2.167, respectively). Insertion time > 20 min was related to lower detection rates of adenomas, pSLs, and SSLs (AOR, 95% CI: 0.753, 0.639-0.887; 0.640, 0.495-0.828; and 0.704, 0.518-0.955, respectively). The relationship between a recent period and higher detection rates of pSLs and SSLs was also demonstrated. CONCLUSION: Lesion detectability in SCREESCO was mostly acceptable with room for improvement. In addition to sufficient withdrawal time, antispasmodic use and acquiring skills enabling short insertion time may improve lesion detection. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov, ID: NCT02078804.

Colorectal Cancer in Childhood-onset Inflammatory Bowel Disease: A Scandinavian Register-based Cohort Study, 1969-2017.

Through linkage of data from Danish and Swedish national registers we identified 6937 patients with childhood (<18 years)-onset Crohn disease (CD), 8514 patients with childhood-onset ulcerative colitis (UC) and up to 10 times as many matched (sex, age, residence) reference individuals 1969-2017. During follow-up to a median age of 27 (interquartile range = 21-39) years, 25 (0.36%) CD patients were diagnosed with colorectal cancer (CRC) versus 43 (0.06%) reference individuals, and 113 (1.33%) UC patients versus 45 (0.05%) reference individuals. The hazard ratio (HR) for CRC was 6.46 (95% CI = 3.95-10.6) in CD and 32.5 (95% CI = 23.0-45.9) in UC and increased with decreasing age at diagnosis. The HR for CRC was increased for all phenotypes, but with higher estimates for colonic CD [17.9 (95% CI = 7.43-43.3)] and UC with extensive/pancolitis [36.3 (95% CI = 22.8-57.8)]. The relative risk of CRC was increased for all phenotypes of childhood-onset inflammatory bowel disease. Age at onset may be considered an additional risk factor when implementing surveillance programs.