Medication and rehabilitation of persons applying for disability pension due to depression: a register-based retrospective study from Finland.

PURPOSE: To investigate how drug therapies and rehabilitation options have been utilised before applying for a disability pension due to depression. METHODS: A retrospective register-based study of the 3604 persons who applied for a disability pension from the Social Insurance Institution of Finland (Kela) in 2019. In Finland, disability pension is usually preceded by an incapacity for work lasting for 1 year, during which time therapeutic procedures, which were analysed here, are applied. RESULTS: Approximately half (56.0%) of the applicants had reimbursed purchases of two or more antidepressants during the 12 months preceding the disability pension application. Psychotherapy was received by 13.8% and 19.2% of the applicants 1 and 5 years before application, respectively. The share of applicants receiving some form of rehabilitation 1 year before application was 24.8% and 39.0% in the 5 years preceding application. During the 4 months before application, 19.6% of the applicants had no antidepressant purchases. In total, 12.2% of the applicants had both antidepressant treatment and psychotherapy in the year preceding the application, and 9.9% had neither psychotherapy nor antidepressant treatment. CONCLUSION: Before applying for disability pension, only a minority of the applicants had received effective treatment for depression in the form of psychotherapy and antidepressants. However, most of the applicants had received some form of treatment, but it appears to have been insufficient.

Attentional bias towards interpersonal aggression in depression - an eye movement study.

Depressed individuals exhibit an attentional bias towards mood-congruent stimuli, yet evidence for biased processing of threat-related information in human interaction remains scarce. Here, we tested whether an attentional bias towards interpersonally aggressive pictures over interpersonally neutral pictures could be observed to a greater extent in depressed participants than in control participants. Eye movements were recorded while the participants freely viewed visually matched interpersonally aggressive and neutral pictures, which were presented in pairs. Across the groups, participants spent more time looking at neutral pictures than at aggressive pictures, probably reflecting avoidance behavior. When the participants could anticipate the stimulus valence, depressed participants - but not controls - showed an early attentional bias towards interpersonally aggressive pictures, as indexed by their longer first fixation durations on aggressive pictures than on neutral pictures. Our results thus preliminarily suggest both an early attentional bias towards interpersonal aggression, which is present, in depressed participants, also when aggression contents are anticipated, and a later attentional avoidance of aggression. The early depression-related bias in information processing may have maladaptive effects on the way depressed individuals perceive and function in social interaction and can, therefore, maintain depressed mood.

Childhood cancer mortality and survival in immigrants: A population-based registry study in Finland.

Immigration in Europe has increased considerably over the past decades with the immigrant population similarly expanding in Finland. Our aim was to study childhood cancer mortality and survival in immigrants. In all, 4,437 patients diagnosed with cancer under the age of 20 years between 1990 and 2009 were identified from the Finnish Cancer Registry and their parents from the Population Register Center. Information on demographic factors was obtained from Statistics Finland. Poisson regression modeling was used to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) for cancer deaths. The life table method and the log rank test were used in survival analysis. Patients or parents of foreign background and born abroad had higher 5-year mortality (patient HR 2.03, 95% CI 1.18-3.49; maternal HR 2.11, 95% CI 1.46-3.04; paternal HR 1.85, 95% CI 1.29-2.66) compared to those of Finnish background and born in Finland. Childhood cancer survival in 5-year follow-up was higher if the mother (83% vs. 68%) or the father (83% vs. 70%) were of Finnish background and born in Finland. Despite equal access to public health care, we observed significant differences in childhood cancer mortality and survival by background. Cultural differences, linguistic obstacles and difficulties in navigating the health care system may contribute, along with genetic and biologic factors. Offering tailored information and taking cultural and linguistic aspects into account is necessary when diagnosing and treating patients from different ethnic backgrounds who have not yet integrated into the local culture and health care system.

Familial aggregation of early-onset cancers.

This registry-linkage study evaluates familial aggregation of cancer among relatives of a population-based series of early-onset (≤40 years) cancer patients in Finland. A cohort of 376,762 relatives of early-onset cancer patients diagnosed between 1970 and 2012 in 40,538 families was identified. Familial aggregation of early-onset breast, colorectal, brain and other central nervous system (CNS) cancer and melanoma was explored by standardized incidence ratios (SIR), stratified by relatedness. Gender-, age- and period-specific population cancer incidences were used as reference. Cumulative risks for siblings and offspring of the proband up to age ≤40 years were also estimated. Almost all early-onset cancers were sporadic (98% or more). Among first-degree relatives, SIR was largest in colorectal cancer (14, 95% confidence interval 9.72-18), and lowest in melanoma (1.93, 1.05-3.23). Highest relative-specific SIRs were observed for siblings in families, where also parent had concordant cancer, 90 (43-165) for colorectal cancer and 29 (11-64) for CNS cancer. In spouses, all SIRs were at population level. Cumulative risk of colorectal cancer by age 41 was 0.98% in siblings and 0.10% in population, while in breast cancer the corresponding risks were 2.05% and 0.56%. In conclusion, early-onset cancers are mainly sporadic. Findings support high familial aggregation in early-onset colorectal and CNS cancers. Familial aggregation in multiplex families with CNS cancers was mainly attributed to neurofibromatosis and in colorectal cancer to FAP- and HNPCC-syndromes. The pattern of familial aggregation of early-onset breast cancer could be seen to support very early exposure to environmental factors and/or rare genetic factors.

Pediatric malignancies in neurofibromatosis type 1: A population-based cohort study.

Neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) is a cancer predisposition syndrome with an incidence of 1:2,000. Patients with NF1 have an increased cancer risk and mortality, but there are no population-based cohort studies specifically investigating the risk of childhood malignancies. We used the Finnish NF1 cohort to analyze the incidence, risk and prognosis of malignancies in NF1 patients <20 years of age. Persons born in 1987-2011 were included, and 524 persons were followed through the files of the Finnish Cancer Registry from birth up to age 20 years. This amounted to 8,376 person years. Fifty-three patients had cancer <20 years of age, yielding a standardized incidence ratio (SIR) of 35.6. The most frequent location of pediatric cancers was the central nervous system (CNS); there were 45 cases and the SIR was 115.7. Exclusion of 22 optic pathway gliomas (OPGs) gave an SIR of 59.1 for the CNS and 21.6 for all cancers. There were nine malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors (MPNSTs); their cumulative risk was 2.7% by age 20. No cases of leukemia were observed. NF1 patients showed considerable excess mortality with a standardized mortality ratio (SMR) of 73.1. The survival of NF1 patients with CNS tumors other than OPGs did not differ from that of non-NF1 controls (HR 0.64, 95% CI 0.23 to 1.76). In conclusion, brain tumors in childhood and MPNSTs in adolescence are malignancies of major concern in patients with NF1. The risk for myeloid malignancies may not be as high as suggested in the literature.

Suicides and deaths linked to risky health behavior in childhood cancer patients: A Nordic population-based register study.

BACKGROUND: Childhood cancer survivors have been reported to be vulnerable to psychiatric morbidities and risky health behavior. Suicides, substance abuse, accidents, and violence as causes of death can be regarded as an extreme manifestation of risky health behavior. In the current study, the authors studied the risk of suicide and other risky health behavior-related deaths among childhood cancer patients in Denmark, Finland, and Sweden. METHODS: Using linkage between national cancer, population, and cause-of-death registries, the authors investigated the causes of death in 29,285 patients diagnosed with cancer before age 20 years between 1971 and 2009 compared with a cohort of 146,282 age-matched, sex-matched, and country-matched population comparisons. Rate ratios (RRs) with 95% CIs were estimated using Poisson regression models, adjusting for demographic factors. RESULTS: The overall risk of dying of a risky health behavior was found to be increased among childhood cancer patients (RR, 1.25; 95% CI, 1.06-1.47) when compared with population comparisons. The elevated risk was statistically significant among patients with central nervous system tumors (RR, 1.49; 95% CI, 1.08-2.05) and patients diagnosed at ages 5 to 9 years and 15 to 19 years (RR, 1.50 [95% CI, 1.01-2.24] and RR, 1.31 [95% CI, 1.03-1.67], respectively). The overall risk of suicide was found to be increased (RR, 1.37; 95% CI, 1.02-1.83), and statistically significantly so when patients were diagnosed between ages 15 and 19 years (RR, 1.61; 95% CI, 1.09-2.39). CONCLUSIONS: Childhood cancer patients appear to have an increased risk of risky health behavior-related causes of death compared with the general population. The results of the current study suggest the importance of integrating psychosocial support into the follow-up care of these individuals.

Impact of parental socioeconomic factors on childhood cancer mortality: a population-based registry study.

INTRODUCTION: Parental socioeconomic status has been proposed to have an influence on childhood cancer mortality even in high-income countries. Our study investigated the influence of parental socioeconomic factors on childhood cancer mortality. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We identified 4437 patients diagnosed with cancer under the age of 20 from 1990 to 2009 and their parents from the Finnish cancer and central population registers. Information on death from primary cancer during five-year follow-up and parental socioeconomic factors was obtained from Statistics Finland. Poisson regression modeling was used to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) for factors related to cause-specific mortality and recursive tree based survival analysis to identify important risk factors and interactions. RESULTS: Mortality was lower in the highest quartile of combined parental disposable income (HR 0.68, CI 95% 0.52-0.89) compared to the lowest quartile. In the most recent diagnostic period from 2000 to 2009, highest attained education of either parent being post-secondary predicted lower mortality (HR 0.73, CI 95% 0.60-0.88) compared to parents who had attained primary or lower education. CONCLUSION: Despite high quality public health care and comprehensive social security, both high parental income and education were associated with lower mortality after childhood cancer. Lower health literacy and financial pressures limiting treatment adherence may explain higher mortality in children with less educated parents and parents with lower income. Motivation and support during treatment and follow-up period is needed concerning the families of these patients.

Breast cancer in neurofibromatosis type 1: overrepresentation of unfavourable prognostic factors.

BACKGROUND: An increased breast cancer incidence and poor survival have been reported for women with neurofibromatosis 1 (NF1). To explain the poor survival, we aimed to link the histopathology and clinical characteristics of NF1-associated breast cancers. METHODS: The Finnish Cancer Registry and the Finnish NF Registry were cross-referenced to identify the NF1 patients with breast cancer. Archival NF1 breast cancer specimens were retrieved for histopathological typing and compared with matched controls. RESULTS: A total of 32 breast cancers were diagnosed in 1404 NF1 patients during the follow-up. Women with NF1 had an estimated lifetime risk of 18.0% for breast cancer, and this is nearly two-fold compared with that of the general Finnish female population (9.74%). The 26 successfully retrieved archival NF1 breast tumours were more often associated with unfavourable prognostic factors, such as oestrogen and progesterone receptor negativity and HER2 amplification. However, survival was worse in the NF1 group (P=0.053) even when compared with the control group matched for age, diagnosis year, gender and oestrogen receptor status. Scrutiny of The Cancer Genome Atlas data set showed that NF1 mutations and deletions were associated with similar characteristics in the breast cancers of the general population. CONCLUSIONS: These results emphasise the role of the NF1 gene in the pathogenesis of breast cancer and a need for active follow-up for breast cancer in women with NF1.

Stage-specific mortality and survival trends of prostate cancer patients in Finland before and after introduction of PSA.

BACKGROUND: The early diagnosis and right treatment strategy of localized prostate cancer (PCa) remains problematic. In order to characterize the survival of PCa patients, we compared patients' all-cause and cancer-specific mortalities between pre- and post-PSA periods by stage in Finland. MATERIAL AND METHODS: All PCa cases diagnosed in Finland between 1985 and 2013 (N = 91,329) were identified from the Finnish Cancer Registry (FCR). PCa stage at diagnosis was defined as localized, local node positive or metastasized. Standardized mortality ratios (SMRs), and relative and cause-specific survival were assessed by stage and introduction of PSA testing. The main limitation was the high proportion of men with unknown stage (28%). RESULTS: A clear decreasing trend in the SMR of PCa patients was evident when pre- and post-PSA eras were compared: for localized PCa, the SMR was 1.43 (95%CI 1.38-1.48) in 1985-1989 and 0.98 (95%CI 0.95-1.01) in 2000-2004, and for metastasized PCa, the SMRs were 4.51 (95%CI 4.30-4.72) and 3.01 (95%CI 2.89-3.12), respectively. Difference between cause-specific and relative survival was pronounced in localized PCa in post-PSA period: 10-year relative survival was 94.6% (95%CI 91.4-97.8) and cause-specific 84.2% (95%CI 82.9-85.5%). In metastasized PCa the difference was not that significant. CONCLUSIONS: From 1985 to 2009, the SMR among men diagnosed with PCa decreased significantly in Finland. Among men with localized PCa, the SMR decreased even below that of the Finnish male population. This and the increased difference between relative and cause-specific survival reflects most likely selection of men to opportunistic PSA testing. The results highlight the importance of caution in the use of PSA testing in healthy men.

Risk for congenital anomalies in offspring of childhood, adolescent and young adult cancer survivors.

Offspring of cancer survivors (CS) may be at risk for congenital anomalies due to the mutagenic therapies received by their parents. Our population-based cohort study aimed to investigate the risk for congenital anomalies in offspring of CS compared to offspring of their siblings. Using the Finnish Cancer Registry, Central Population Register, and Hospital Discharge Register, we identified hospital contacts due to congenital anomalies in 6,862 offspring of CS (early-onset cancer between 1953 and 2004) and 35,690 offspring of siblings. Associations between congenital anomalies and cancer were evaluated using generalized linear regression modelling. The ratio of congenital anomalies in offspring of CS (3.2%) was slightly, but non-significantly, elevated compared to that in offspring of siblings (2.7%) [prevalence ratio (PR) 1.07, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.91-1.25]. When offspring of childhood and adolescent survivors (0-19 years at cancer diagnosis) were compared to siblings' offspring, the risk for congenital anomalies was non-significantly increased (PR 1.17, 95% CI 0.92-1.49). No such increase existed for offspring of young adult survivors (20-34 years at cancer diagnosis) (PR 1.01, 95% CI 0.83-1.23). The risks for congenital anomalies were elevated among offspring of CS diagnosed with cancer in the earlier decades (1955-1964: PR 2.77, 95% C I 1.26-6.11; and 1965-1974: PR 1.55, 95% C I 0.94-2.56). In our study, we did not detect an overall elevated risk for congenital anomalies in offspring of survivors diagnosed in young adulthood. An association between cancer exposure of the parent and congenital anomalies in the offspring appeared only for those CS who were diagnosed in the earlier decades.

Impact of Screening on Survival in Familial Adenomatous Polyposis.

GOALS: Our aim was to determine whether the screening of family members of familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP) patients significantly influences survival, and to gauge the extent of FAP-related causes of death. BACKGROUND: The screening of families with FAP has been shown to be profitable in reducing colorectal cancer-related mortality, but conclusions about the screening effect on overall survival has been controversial. STUDY: This is a nationwide population-based retrospective cohort study, and the primary outcome of interest was overall mortality and survival. A total of 154 families with at least 1 clinically diagnosed FAP patient between 1963 and 2015 were included. There were altogether 194 probands and 225 call-ups. During the follow-up period, 2639 person-years with 92 deaths among probands were observed and 3634 person-years and 30 deaths among call-ups. We report crude mortality rates and standardized mortality ratios together with descriptive statistics. We compared the survival of probands and call-ups to the population by relative survival method. RESULTS: The crude mortality rate among probands was 34.9 per 1000 person-years and 8.3 among call-ups. The standardized mortality ratios for call-ups was 2.47 (confidence interval, 1.69-3.46) and for probands 4.07 (confidence interval, 3.29-4.96) (P=0.014). The relative survival of probands was significantly lower than call-ups (P=0.0018), and 20-year relative survival for call-ups was 94% (88% to 100%). Over two thirds of all deaths were FAP related. CONCLUSIONS: Survival of screened family members of FAP patients is comparable to the general population within 20 years after diagnosis. Therefore, participation in surveillance should not be delayed when a family member with FAP has been detected.

Coverage and accuracy of myeloproliferative and myelodysplastic neoplasms in the Finnish Cancer Registry.

Background Registration of haematological malignancies presents specific challenges, and a wide range of data is required to ensure case ascertainment and proper classification of these diseases. We studied the data quality of myeloproliferative and myelodysplastic neoplasms in the Finnish Cancer Registry (FCR), comparing information with hospital discharges. Material and methods Hospital discharges (HILMO) in 2007-2013 including diagnostic codes of myeloproliferative and myelodysplastic neoplasms were extracted. Patients were individually linked to the FCR database for all haematological malignancies registered in 1953-2013. Coverage and accuracy of the FCR and agreement between registers was estimated. Results In total 5289 individuals were retrieved from two registers. Of these, 1406 were common, 1080 only found in the FCR and 2803 only in the HILMO. Coverage of myeloproliferative and myelodysplastic neoplasms in the FCR was 47.0% (95% CI 45.7-48.4%). Almost one quarter of the registrations in the FCR was based on a death certificate only. The accuracy of diagnosis was 51.4% (95% CI 49.4-53.3%), but it varied substantially by disease category. Kappa statistic for agreement between registers was excellent (0.83, 95% CI 0.80-0.85) for common cases. 7.6% of cases in the HILMO was registered as leukaemias in the FCR. Conclusions More than half of the patients found in the HILMO were entirely missing from the FCR. However, some of the diagnoses in HILMO may be preliminary and this represents the maximal number of missing cases. Cancer registers benefit from supplementary data sources, such as hospital discharges, to increase coverage and accuracy of register data on haematological malignancies.

Prenatal exposure to pregabalin, birth outcomes and neurodevelopment - a population-based cohort study in four Nordic countries.

INTRODUCTION: Pregabalin is an antiepileptic drug frequently prescribed to pregnant women. Risks of adverse birth and postnatal neurodevelopmental outcomes following prenatal exposure to pregabalin are uncertain. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the association between prenatal exposure to pregabalin and the risks of adverse birth and postnatal neurodevelopmental outcomes. METHODS: This study was conducted using population-based registries in Denmark, Finland, Norway, and Sweden (2005-2016). We compared pregabalin exposure against no exposure to antiepileptics and against active comparators lamotrigine and duloxetine. We obtained pooled propensity score-adjusted estimates of association using fixed-effect and Mantel-Haenszel (MH) meta-analyses. RESULTS: The total number of pregabalin-exposed births was 325/666,139 (0.05%) in Denmark, 965/643,088 (0.15%) in Finland, 307/657,451 (0.05%) in Norway, and 1275/1,152,002 (0.11%) in Sweden. The adjusted prevalence ratios (aPRs) with 95% confidence interval (CI) following pregabalin exposure versus no exposure were 1.14 (0.98-1.34) for major congenital malformations and 1.72 (1.02-2.91) for stillbirth, which attenuated to 1.25 (0.74-2.11) in MH meta-analysis. For the remaining birth outcomes, the aPRs were close to or attenuated toward unity in analyses using active comparators. Adjusted hazard ratios (95% CI) contrasting prenatal pregabalin exposure versus no exposure were 1.29 (1.03-1.63) for ADHD and attenuated when using active comparators, 0.98 (0.67-1.42) for autism spectrum disorders, and 1.00 (0.78-1.29) for intellectual disability. CONCLUSIONS: Prenatal exposure to pregabalin was not associated with low birth weight, preterm birth, small for gestational age, low Apgar score, microcephaly, autism spectrum disorders, or intellectual disability. On the basis of the upper value of the 95% confidence interval, increased risks greater than 1.8 were unlikely for any major congenital malformation and ADHD. For stillbirth and most groups of specific major congenital malformations, the estimates attenuated in MH meta-analysis.

Lung cancer incidence among workers biologically monitored for occupational exposure to lead: a cohort study.

OBJECTIVE: Earlier studies have reported increased risks of lung, kidney and brain cancers for exposure to lead. The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) Working Group evaluated inorganic lead and its compounds probably carcinogenic to humans. This study aimed to assess the association between blood lead level in occupational exposure and risk of lung cancer. METHODS: The study was based on the follow-up of lung cancer incidence during 1973-2014 among 20 729 employees biologically monitored for their occupational lead exposure in 1973-1983. Duration of employment in the monitored work was assessed using records from the Finnish Centre for Pensions; and potential confounding by other occupational carcinogens using longitudinal information on the occupation in censuses and the Finnish National Job-Exposure Matrix (FINJEM). Occupation- and gender-specific prevalence of regular tobacco smoking and the socioeconomic status were also utilized in the adjustments for potential confounding. RESULTS: Positive trends were found for the elevated blood lead levels on the lung cancer risk. Among employees with the duration of employment of ≥60 months, the relative risk (RR) of lung cancer was 1.72 [95% confidence interval (CI) 1.28-2.31] for mean blood lead 1.0-1.9 µmol/L and RR 2.63 (95% CI 1.71-4.05) for mean blood lead ≥2.0 µmol/L, compared with mean lead <0.5 µmol/L. The studied potential confounders did not explain the findings on the increased risk for lead exposure. CONCLUSIONS: The current study lends support to the findings that exposure to lead increases lung cancer risk. Increased risks were seen already at rather low blood lead levels.

Vasectomy and the risk of prostate cancer in a Finnish nationwide population-based cohort.

INTRODUCTION & OBJECTIVES: There are conflicting reports on the association of vasectomy and the risk of prostate cancer (PCa). Our objective was to evaluate the association between vasectomy and PCa from a nationwide cohort in Finland. MATERIALS & METHODS: Sterilization registry of Finland and the Finnish Cancer Registry data were utilized to identify all men who underwent vasectomy between years 1987-2014 in Finland. Standard incidence ratio (SIR) for PCa as well as all-cause standardized mortality ratios (SMR) were calculated. RESULTS: We identified 38,124 men with vasectomy with a total of 429,937 person-years follow-up data. The median age at vasectomy was 39.7 years (interquartile range [IQR] 35.9-44.0), after vasectomy PCa was diagnosed in 413 men (122 cases 0-10 years, 219 cases 10-20 years and 72 cases >20 years from vasectomy). SIR for PCa for the vasectomy cohort was 1.15 (95% CI: 1.04-1.27). By the end of follow-up, 19 men had died from PCa, while the expected number was 20.5 (SMR 0.93 [95%CI: 0.56-1.44]). The overall mortality was decreased (SMR 0.54 [95%CI: 0.51-0.58]) among men with vasectomy. CONCLUSION: We found a small statistically significant increase in PCa incidence after vasectomy, but in contrast the mortality of vasectomized men was significantly reduced. This may be due to higher likelihood of vasectomized men to undergo prostate-specific antigen testing, having healthier general lifestyle and other biological factors e.g. high reproductive fitness.

Second primary cancer after major salivary gland carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: We investigated the risk of second primary cancers after major salivary gland carcinoma in Finland, with a population of 5.5 million. METHODS: Nationwide cancer registry data were used to identify patients with major salivary gland carcinoma diagnosed between 1953 and 2014. Standardized incidence ratios (SIRs) were estimated to compare their second primary cancer risk with the respective site-specific cancer risk in the general population. RESULTS: There were 1727 patients with major salivary gland carcinomas and 222 second primary cancers had been diagnosed in these patients (SIR 1.43). The risk was increased for cancers of the thyroid (SIR 5.12), breast (SIR 1.63), respiratory organs (SIR 1.63), male genital organs (SIR 1.48), melanoma of the skin (SIR 3.35), and nonmelanoma skin cancer (SIR 2.50). The risk was high during the first 5 years and after 20 years of diagnosis. CONCLUSION: Second primary cancers can occur among patients with major salivary gland carcinoma even after a long time period. This needs to be recognized in the follow-up of these patients.

Long-term Follow-up After Endometrial Ablation in Finland: Cancer Risks and Later Hysterectomies.

OBJECTIVE: To study the risk of endometrial cancer and breast cancer and the hysterectomy rate after endometrial ablation. METHODS: In this retrospective cohort study, records of all women with endometrial ablation at ages 30-49 years in Finland (1997-2014) were extracted from the Hospital Discharge Register and linked to the Cancer Registry and Finnish Central Population Register. The primary outcome was cancer incidences in the endometrial ablation cohort compared with those in the background population of the same age. Secondarily, the postablation hysterectomy rate was compared with that of a control cohort of similar-aged women extracted from the Finnish Central Population Register. Multivariate regression models with adjustment for age, parity, number of cesarean deliveries, history of sterilization, and the duration of follow-up were evaluated as risk factors for postablation hysterectomy. RESULTS: In total, 154 cancers (standardized incidence ratio [observed-to-expected ratio] 0.96, 95% CI 0.82-1.13) were diagnosed among 5,484 women treated with endometrial ablation during the follow-up of 39,892 women-years. The standardized incidence ratio for endometrial cancer was 0.56 (95% CI 0.12-1.64) and for breast cancer 0.86 (95% CI 0.67-1.09). A total of 1,086 (19.8%) women had postablation hysterectomy. Risk of hysterectomy was almost fourfold in the endometrial ablation cohort compared with 26,938 women in a control group (adjusted hazard ratio [HR] 3.63, 95% CI 3.32-3.96). Factors predisposing to postablation hysterectomy were leiomyomas (adjusted HR 1.78, 95% CI 1.03-3.10), age younger than 35 years (adjusted HR 1.44, 95% CI 1.15-1.81), at least two prior cesarean deliveries (adjusted HR 1.27, 95% CI 1.04-1.55), and history of sterilization (adjusted HR 1.15, 95% CI 1.01-1.32). CONCLUSION: Endometrial ablation was not associated with an elevated endometrial cancer or breast cancer risk in Finland. Leiomyomas, young age, and history of prior cesarean deliveries or sterilization were associated with an increased risk of postablation hysterectomy.

Distinctive Cancer Associations in Patients With Neurofibromatosis Type 1.

PURPOSE: The current study was designed to determine the risk of cancer in patients with neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) by cancer type, age, and sex with unprecedented accuracy to be achieved by combining two total population-based registers. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A population-based series of patients with NF1 (N = 1,404; 19,076 person-years) was linked to incident cancers recorded in the Finnish Cancer Registry and deaths recorded in the national Population Register Centre between 1987 and 2012. Standardized incidence ratios (SIRs) and standardized mortality ratios (SMRs) were calculated for selected cancer types. Survival of the patients with cancer with and without NF1 was compared. RESULTS: In malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors and CNS tumors, the cancers traditionally associated with NF1, we observed SIRs of 2,056 (95% CI, 1,561 to 2,658), and 37.5 (95% CI, 30.2 to 46.0), respectively, and SMRs of 2,301 (95% CI, 1,652 to 3,122) and 30.2 (95% CI, 19.1 to 45.2), respectively. We found an unequivocally increased risk for breast cancer. In particular, SIR was 11.1 (95% CI, 5.56 to 19.5) for breast cancer in women with NF1 age < 40 years; the overall SMR for breast cancer was 5.20 (95% CI, 2.38 to 9.88). Particularly high overall SIRs were observed in patients with NF1 age < 15 years: women, 87.6 (95% CI, 58.6 to 125); men, 45.6 (95% CI, 28.4 to 68.5). An estimated lifetime cancer risk for patients with NF1 was 59.6%. The 5-year survival of patients with cancer and NF1, excluding nervous tissue cancers, was worse than that of comparable patients with cancers without NF1 (54.0% v 67.5%; P = .01). CONCLUSION: Our results emphasize the general cancer proclivity of patients with NF1. These findings should translate to clinical practices to determine clinical interventions and focused follow-up of patients with NF1.

Joint occurrence of Merkel cell carcinoma and non-Hodgkin lymphomas in four Nordic countries.

The objective of this study was to assess the reciprocal association between non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) and Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) using the data of four Nordic Cancer Registries. Data for this study were drawn from the Danish, Finnish, Norwegian, and Swedish cancer registries. Standardized incidence ratios (SIRs) for MCC among NHL patients, and for NHL among MCC patients, were calculated. There were 109 838 individuals with NHL and 1411 individuals with MCC, of which 28 had joint occurrence of NHL and MCC. In 18 cases, NHL was diagnosed first, and in 10 cases, MCC was diagnosed first. The SIR for MCC after NHL was 4.34 (95% confidence interval 2.57-6.85). The SIR for NHL after MCC was 3.13 (1.50-5.77). Although the absolute frequency of joint occurrence of MCC and NHL is low, individuals suffering from one of the cancer forms have an increased risk of the other.