Validation of an algorithm for identifying incident cancer cases based on long-term illness and diagnosis related group program data from the French National Health Insurance Information System (SNDS).

PURPOSE: Three generic claims-based algorithms based on the Illness Classification of Diseases (10th revision- ICD-10) codes, French Long-Term Illness (LTI) data, and the Diagnosis Related Group program (DRG) were developed to identify retirees with cancer using data from the French national health insurance information system (Système national des données de santé or SNDS) which covers the entire French population. The present study aimed to calculate the algorithms' performances and to describe false positives and negatives in detail. METHODS: Between 2011 and 2016, data from 7544 participants of the French retired self-employed craftsperson cohort (ESPrI) were first matched to the SNDS data, and then toFrench population-based cancer registries data, used as the gold standard. Performance indicators, such as sensitivity and positive predictive values, were estimated for the three algorithms in a subcohort of ESPrI. RESULTS: The third algorithm, which combined the LTI and DRG program data, presented the best sensitivities (90.9%-100%) and positive predictive values (58.1%-95.2%) according to cancer sites. The majority of false positives were in fact nearby organ sites (e.g., stomach for esophagus) and carcinoma in situ. Most false negatives were probably due to under declaration of LTI. CONCLUSION: Validated algorithms using data from the SNDS can be used for passive epidemiological follow-up for some cancer sites in the ESPrI cohort.

To what extent do age, stage and treatment influence survival after invasive cervical cancer: a French population-based study.

PURPOSE: In an attempt to understand why cervical cancer (CC) survival is decreasing with diagnosis period among older women in France, this study aimed to estimate the effects of main prognostic factors on net survival in CC according to age. METHODS: French cancer registries databases were used to retrospectively analyze women diagnosed with CC in 2011-2012. Net survival was estimated with the Pohar-Perme method and prognostic factors (socio-demographic, clinical variables, stage at diagnosis, therapeutic management) were analyzed with Lambert and Royston's flexible parametric model. RESULTS: One thousand one hundred fifty three women with CC were identified. 30.4% were < 45, 41.4% 45-64, and 28.3% ≥ 65 years. Older women were diagnosed at a more advanced stage than younger women: 54.8% regional (FIGO IB2-IVA), 33.0% distant (IVB) in women ≥ 65 years vs 33.7% and 8.0%, respectively in women < 45 years. Half of women with regional stage of CC received recommended treatment; this rate decreased with increasing age (< 45: 66.1%, 45-64: 62.7%, ≥ 65: 29.2%). Older age was significantly associated with increased risk of death: hazard ratio 1.89 for age ≥ 65, as were regional stage (2.81), distant stage (15.99), and not receiving recommended treatment (2.26). CONCLUSION: Older women with CC diagnosed at advanced stage who do not receive standard of care are at markedly increased risk of death. Special attention to the management of older women is warranted in France, not only to diagnose cancer at an earlier stage (via gynecological follow-up in these menopaused women who remain at risk of CC), but also to ensure they receive standard of care, taking into account their overall state of health.

Evaluation of long-term living conditions in patients treated for localised prostate cancer.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the evolution of living conditions (LC) in long-term survivors of localised prostate cancer 10 years after treatment compared with those of a same-age control group from the general population. METHODS: Two hundred and eighty-seven patients diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2001 were selected in 11 French cancer registries. They were matched with controls randomly selected for age and residency. Both patients and controls completed a self-administered LC questionnaire concerning their familial, social and professional life, and general and specific quality of life (QoL) and anxiety and depression questionnaires. RESULTS: Compared with controls, patients reported more sexual modifications (p < .0001), but without any difference in marital status. Patients' circle of friends was more stable than that of the controls (91% vs. 63%; p < .0001) and patients reported fewer friendship modifications than controls (p < .0006). Their professional and physical activities were also preserved. They reported more anxiolytic intake (p = .002) but did not consult their general practitioner more often. Type of specialist consulted differed in the two groups. CONCLUSION: Patients treated for localised prostate cancer had the same living conditions as men of the same age. Their social life was satisfying on the whole, albeit they reported more sexual difficulties than their counterparts.

Trends in molecular subtypes of breast cancer: description of incidence rates between 2007 and 2012 from three French registries.

BACKGROUND: The incidence and incidence trends of breast cancer according to molecular subtype are unknown at a population level in France. The registry data enables this study and may give this information, that is crucial to describe and understand breast cancer epidemiology. METHODS: We estimated the incidence rates of breast cancer for each molecular subtype using data from three cancer registries in France for the period from 2007 to 2012. Molecular subtypes were defined with immunohistochemical data. Poisson models were estimated to modelize the course of breast cancer incidence and to test the trends. RESULTS: The study included 12,040 patients diagnosed between 2007 and 2012 in the three administrative areas covered by the registries. There was no significant trends in the proportion of each molecular subtype year by year. The age distribution of incident cases was different depending on the molecular subtypes (p < 0.001). The course of incidence between 2007 and 2012 was also different depending on molecular subtype according to the multivariate Poisson model (p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: The description of incident cases of breast cancer according to molecular subtype at a population level showed differences in trends. The trends in incidence differed according to molecular subtype, and this should improve our understanding of overall changes in incidence. This analysis is important to plan screening and treatment resources at a population level.

Occupational exposure to petroleum-based and oxygenated solvents and hypopharyngeal and laryngeal cancer in France: the ICARE study.

BACKGROUND: To examine associations between occupational exposure to petroleum-based and oxygenated solvents and the risk of hypopharyngeal and laryngeal cancer. METHODS: ICARE is a large, frequency-matched population-based case-control study conducted in France. Lifetime occupational history, tobacco smoking and alcohol consumption were collected. Analyses were restricted to men and included 383 cases of hypopharyngeal cancer, 454 cases of laryngeal cancer, and 2780 controls. Job-exposure matrices were used to assess exposure to five petroleum-based solvents (benzene; gasoline; white spirits; diesel, fuels and kerosene; special petroleum products) and to five oxygenated solvents (alcohols; ketones and esters; ethylene glycol; diethyl ether; tetrahydrofuran). Odds ratios (ORs) adjusted for smoking, alcohol drinking and other potential confounders and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were estimated with unconditional logistic models. RESULTS: No significant association was found between hypopharyngeal or laryngeal cancer risk and exposure to the solvents under study. Non-significantly elevated risks of hypopharyngeal cancer were found in men exposed to high cumulative levels of white spirits (OR = 1.46; 95% CI: 0.88-2.43) and tetrahydrofuran (OR = 2.63; 95CI%: 0.55-12.65), with some indication of a dose-response relationship (p for trend: 0.09 and 0.07 respectively). CONCLUSION: This study provides weak evidence for an association between hypopharyngeal cancer and exposure to white spirits and tetrahydrofuran, and overall does not suggest a substantial role of exposure to petroleum-based or oxygenated solvents in hypopharyngeal or laryngeal cancer risk.

Adolescent and young adult oncology patients in France: Heterogeneity in pathways of care.

BACKGROUND: In order to evaluate at the population level the impact of the actions developed in France since 2004 to organize the care of adolescents and young adults (AYAs) with cancer, we conducted the present study to provide an unbiased view of the pathway of care of these patients. METHODS: Using a population-based registry, we conducted a review of all cases of cancer diagnosed during 2012 and 2013 in 15- to 24-year-old patients living in nineteen French administrative areas. RESULTS: The median times for diagnosis and treatment of the 993 included AYAs were 9 weeks (3-22) and 1 day (0-20), respectively. Delays in diagnosis were significantly longer in young adults than in adolescents, especially for soft-tissue sarcomas (48.7 weeks vs. 15.4 weeks, P = 0.04) and bone tumors (21.4 weeks vs. 10.1 weeks, P = 0.04). The first physicians seen by patients were mostly general practitioners (67.4%). Most patients (77.5%) were treated in adult units. Management decisions were taken within the context of a multidisciplinary team (MDT) in 85.3% of cases. MDT meetings that involved both pediatric and adult oncologists were uncommon (15.7% of patients). Twenty-six percent of patients were included in randomized or nonrandomized clinical studies. The proportion of inclusion was significantly higher in adolescents (39.5%) than in young adults (16.8%). CONCLUSION: In France, pathways of care for AYAs are heterogeneous. It is necessary to organize a national network of expert centers with adequate medical skills and specific psychosocial support and facilities to provide the best possible care for these patients.

Survival of patients with cancer starting chronic dialysis: Data from kidney and cancer registries in lower Normandy.

AIM: Cancer and chronic kidney disease are known to be associated. The way in which a history of cancer can influence outcome in dialysis is not well described. This work aimed to evaluate survival of cancer patients starting chronic dialysis after their diagnosis of cancer. METHODS: We merged data from cancer registries and a dialysis registry, and explored patients' charts. RESULTS: Between January 2001 and December 2008, 74 patients with incident cancer in the two-counties-study-area (Calvados and Manche) started chronic dialysis after their diagnosis of cancer. Survival of these incident dialysis patients with a previous diagnosis of cancer was respectively 80.9% (confidence interval 69.9; 88.2) and 68.3% (confidence interval 56.3%; 77.7%) at 1 and 2 years. Only 29 of the 74 patients (39.2%) were still alive at the end of the observation period; median participation time was 2.8 years (1st and 3rd quartiles: 1.3-4.4). Survival of patients with cancer was not different to that of non-cancer dialysis patients matched for age and sex, except in patients with haematological malignancies who had a poorer outcome. In a multivariate stratified Cox model, the history of cancer before dialysis start was not associated with death, after adjustment on diabetes. CONCLUSION: In our study, survival in dialysis was not different among patients with a history of cancer compared to matched patients without malignancy. We can hypothesize that only some selected patients with cancer have access to dialysis. Studies in ESRD patients with cancer should be performed to evaluate access to dialysis in that population.

Health professionals and the early detection of head and neck cancers: a population-based study in a high incidence area.

BACKGROUND: In the context of early detection of head and neck cancers (HNC), the aim of this study was to describe how people sought medical consultation during the year prior to diagnosis and the impact on the stage of the cancer. METHODS: Patients over 20 years old with a diagnosis of HNC in 2010 were included from four French cancer registries. The medical data were matched with data regarding uptake of healthcare issued from French National Health Insurance General Regime. RESULTS: In 86.0 % of cases, patients had consulted a general practitioner (GP) and 21.1 % a dentist. Consulting a GP at least once during the year preceding diagnosis was unrelated to Charlson index, age, sex, département, quintile of deprivation of place of residence. Patients from the 'quite privileged', 'quite underprivileged' and 'underprivileged' quintiles consulted a dentist more frequently than those from the 'very underprivileged' quintile (p = 0.007). The stage was less advanced for patients who had consulted a GP (OR = 0.42 [0.18-0.99]) - with a dose-response effect. CONCLUSIONS: In view of the frequency of consultations, the existence of a significant association between consultations and a localised stage at diagnosis and the absence of a socio-economic association, early detection of HNC by GPs would seem to be the most appropriate way.

Trends in the risk of second primary cancer among bladder cancer survivors: a population-based cohort of 10 047 patients.

OBJECTIVES: To determine whether the risk of second primary cancer (SPC) among patients with bladder cancer (BCa) has changed over past years. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Data from 10 French population-based cancer registries were used to establish a cohort of 10 047 patients diagnosed with a first invasive (≥T1) BCa between 1989 and 2004 and followed up until 2007. An SPC was defined as the first subsequent primary cancer occurring at least 2 months after a BCa diagnosis. Standardized incidence ratios (SIRs) of metachronous SPC were calculated. Multivariate Poisson regression models were used to assess the direct effect of the year of BCa diagnosis on the risk of SPC. RESULTS: The risk of new malignancy among BCa survivors was 60% higher than in the general population (SIR 1.60, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.51-1.68). Male patients presented a high risk of SPC of the lung (SIR 3.12), head and neck (SIR 2.19) and prostate (SIR 1.54). In multivariate analyses adjusted for gender, age at diagnosis and follow-up, a significant increase in the risk of SPC of the lung was observed over the calendar year of BCa diagnosis (P for linear trend 0.010), with an SIR increasing by 3.7% for each year (95% CI 0.9-6.6%); however, no particular trend was observed regarding the risk of SPC of the head and neck (P = 0.596) or the prostate (P = 0.518). CONCLUSIONS: As the risk of SPC of the lung increased between 1989 and 2004, this study contributes more evidence to support the promotion of tobacco smoking cessation interventions among patients with BCa.

Risk of second primary cancer after a first potentially-human papillomavirus-related cancer: A population-based study.

Human papillomaviruses (HPV) are involved in the development of anogenital and head and neck cancers. The purpose of this study was to assess the risk of developing a second primary cancer (SPC) after a first potentially-HPV-related cancer, and to analyze the sites where SPCs most frequently occurred in these patients. All patients with a first cancer diagnosed between 1989 and 2004, as recorded by 10 French cancer registries, were followed up until December 31, 2007. Only invasive potentially-HPV-related cancers (namely, cervical, vagina, vulva, anal canal, penile, oropharynx, tongue and tonsil) were included. Standardized Incidence Ratios (SIRs) were calculated to assess the risk of SPC. A multivariate Poisson regression model was used to model SIRs separately by gender, adjusted for the characteristics of the first cancer. 10,127 patients presented a first potentially-HPV-related cancer. The overall SIR was 2.48 (95% CI, 2.34-2.63). The SIR was 3.59 (95% CI, 3.33-3.86) and 1.61 (95% CI, 1.46-1.78) in men and women respectively. The relative risk of potentially-HPV-related SPC was high among these patients (SIR=13.74; 95% CI, 8.80-20.45 and 6.78; 95% CI, 4.61-9.63 for men and women, respectively). Women diagnosed in the most recent period (2000-2004) showed a 40% increase of their relative risk of SPC as compared with women diagnosed between 1989 and 1994 (ratio of SIRs=1.40; 95% CI, 1.06-1.85). HPV cancer survivors face an increased risk of SPC, especially second cancer. Clinicians may consider this increased risk of developing HPV-related SPC during follow-up to improve subsequent cancer prevention in these patients.

What are the real waiting times for therapeutic management of head and neck cancer: a study in the general population in the north-west of France.

Head and neck cancers (HNC) have a poor prognosis and a long treatment delay may have a negative impact on this. Some studies have investigated the determinants of this delay but not in the general population and rarely taking into account socio-economic factors. A high-resolution population-based study about cancer management was conducted, using registries in the north-west of France, on HNC diagnosed between 2008 and 2010. The median time between diagnosis and multidisciplinary team meeting (DMI) (N = 1631) was 14 days (Q1: 7 to Q3: 26). The median time between diagnosis and first treatment (DTI) (N = 1519) was 35 days (Q1: 21 to Q3: 54). When the first treatment was radiotherapy, the interval was 54.5 days (Q1: 40 to Q3: 71). In multivariate analysis, DTI was associated with the type of first treatment and place of treatment. For advanced stage HNC, DTI was associated with comorbidities, topography of the cancer and socio-economic status, underprivileged patients being treated later than privileged ones. Given the French governmental cancer plans which set out to coordinate care pathways via nursing coordinators and to improve the availability of radiotherapy, the waiting times observed in this study still seem long. The optimal care pathway should include adapted social management but the DTI was still longer for underprivileged patients.

Ovarian cancer in France: trends in incidence, mortality and survival, 1980-2012.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this epidemiological study was to describe the incidence, mortality and survival of ovarian cancer (OC) in France, according to age, period of diagnosis, and histological type. METHODS: Incidence and mortality were estimated from 1980 to 2012 based on data in French cancer registries and from the Centre for Epidemiology of Causes of Death (CépiDc-Inserm) up to 2009. Net survival was estimated from registry data using the Pohar-Perme method, on cases diagnosed between 1989 and 2010, with date of last follow-up set at 30 June 2013. RESULTS: In 2012, 4615 cases of OC were diagnosed in France, and 3140 women died from OC. World population age-standardized incidence and mortality rates declined by respectively 0.6% and 1.2% per year between 1980 and 2012. Net survival at 5years increased slightly, from 40% for the period 1989-1993 to 45% for the period 2005-2010. Net survival varied considerably according to histological type. Germ cell tumors had better net survival at 10years (81%) compared to epithelial tumors (32%), sex cord-stromal tumors (40%) and tumors without biopsy (8%). CONCLUSIONS: Our study shows a decline in incidence and mortality rates from ovarian cancer in France between 1980 and 2012, but net survival remains poor overall, and improved only slightly over the whole study period.

The effect of patient characteristics on second primary cancer risk in France.

BACKGROUND: Although cancer survivors are known to be at greater risk of developing second primary cancer (SPC), SPC incidence estimates in France are thus far lacking. We used a multivariate approach to compute these estimates and analyzed the effect of patient characteristics (gender, age at diagnosis, first cancer site, year of diagnosis and follow-up) on SPC risk. METHODS: Data from ten French population-based cancer registries were used to establish a cohort of all patients diagnosed with a first cancer between 1989 and 2004 and followed up until December 31, 2007. The person-year approach was used to estimate standardized incidence ratios (SIRs) and excess absolute risks (EARs) of metachronous SPC. Multivariate Poisson regression models were then used to model SIRs and EARs separately by gender, adjusting for age, year of diagnosis, follow-up and first cancer site. RESULTS: Among the 289,967 followed-up patients with a first primary cancer, 21,226 developed a SPC. The SIR was of 1.36 (95% CI, 1.35-1.38) and the EAR was of 39.4 excess cancers per 10,000 person-years (95% CI, 37.4-41.3). Among male and female patients, multivariate analyses showed that age, year of diagnosis, follow-up and first cancer site were often independently associated with SIRs and EARs. Moreover, the EAR of SPC remained elevated during patient follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: French cancer survivors face a dramatically increased risk of SPC which is probably related to the high rate of tobacco and alcohol consumption in France. Multivariate modeling of SPC risk will facilitate the construction of a tailored prediction tool to optimize SPC prevention and early detection strategies.

Socioeconomic environment and cancer incidence: a French population-based study in Normandy.

BACKGROUND: The struggle against social inequalities is a priority for many international organizations. The objective of the study was to quantify the cancer burden related to social deprivation by identifying the cancer sites linked to socioeconomic status and measuring the proportion of cases associated with social deprivation. METHODS: The study population comprised 68 967 cases of cancer diagnosed between 1997 and 2009 in Normandy and collected by the local registries. The social environment was assessed at an aggregated level using the European Deprivation Index (EDI). The association between incidence and socioeconomic status was assessed by a Bayesian Poisson model and the excess of cases was calculated with the Population Attributable Fraction (PAF). RESULTS: For lung, lips-mouth-pharynx and unknown primary sites, a higher incidence in deprived was observed for both sexes. The same trend was observed in males for bladder, liver, esophagus, larynx, central nervous system and gall-bladder and in females for cervix uteri. The largest part of the incidence associated with deprivation was found for cancer of gall-bladder (30.1%), lips-mouth-pharynx (26.0%), larynx (23.2%) and esophagus (19.6%) in males and for unknown primary sites (18.0%) and lips-mouth-pharynx (12.7%) in females. For prostate cancer and melanoma in males, the sites where incidence increased with affluence, the part associated with affluence was respectively 9.6% and 14.0%. CONCLUSIONS: Beyond identifying cancer sites the most associated with social deprivation, this kind of study points to health care policies that could be undertaken to reduce social inequalities.

Exposure to chlorinated solvents and lung cancer: results of the ICARE study.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the role of occupational exposure to chlorinated solvents in lung cancer aetiology. METHODS: ICARE (Investigation of occupational and environmental CAuses of REspiratory cancers) is a French, multicentre, population-based, case-control study. Information on the lifelong work history of 2926 cases and 3555 controls was collected using standardised questionnaires. Occupational exposures were assessed using job-exposure matrices for five chlorinated solvents. Solvents were studied separately and in combinations. ORs were computed using unconditional logistic regression models adjusted for classic risk factors, including a history of cigarette smoking and exposure to asbestos. Adjustment for socioeconomic status (SES) was also made. RESULTS: After adjustment for exposure to asbestos, we observed a positive, statistically significant association with lung cancer for men and women exposed to a combination of perchloroethylene (PCE), trichloroethylene and dichloromethane (DCM). Further adjustment for SES slightly decreased this association. In contrast, no statistically significant associations were found for other solvent combinations. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that exposure to PCE may constitute a risk factor for lung cancer, especially among women, who seem to have a higher prevalence of exposure than men.

Occupation and head and neck cancer in women-Results of the ICARE study.

BACKGROUND: Few occupational studies have addressed head and neck cancer, and these studies have been predominantly conducted in men. Accordingly, our objective was to investigate the association between head and neck cancer and occupation in women. METHODS: ICARE, a French population-based case-control study, included 296 squamous cell carcinomas of the head and neck in women and 775 controls. Lifelong occupational history was collected. Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CI), adjusted for smoking, alcohol drinking and education level, were estimated for occupations and industries. RESULTS: An elevated OR was observed for working proprietors working for 10 years or more (OR = 3.83, 95% CI: 1.12-13.0) with a significant trend with duration of employment (P = 0.047). Elevated but non-significant ORs were observed for street vendors (OR = 3.76, 95% CI: 0.99-14.3, P for trend = 0.13), bakers (OR = 4.19, 95% CI: 0.63-27.9, P for trend = 0.06), and welders and flame cutters (OR = 2.18, 95% CI: 0.33-14.4, P for trend = 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: This exploratory study suggests a role of occupational exposures in the development of HN cancer in women. Further investigations of exposures to specific agents are needed.

Unbiased estimates of long-term net survival of hematological malignancy patients detailed by major subtypes in France.

Long-term population-based survival data detailed by cancer subtype are important to measure the overall outcomes of malignancy managements. We provide net survival estimates at 1, 3, 5 and 10-year postdiagnosis on 37,549 hematological malignancy (HM) patients whose ages were >15 years, diagnosed between 1989 and 2004 and actively followed until 2008 by French population-based cancer registries. These are, to our knowledge, the first unbiased estimates of 10-year net survival in HMs detailed by subtypes. HMs were classified according to the International Classification of Diseases-Oncology 3. Net survival was estimated with the unbiased Pohar-Perme method. The results are reported by sex and age classes. The changes of these indicators by periods of diagnosis were tabulated and the trends of the net mortality rates over time since diagnosis graphed. In all, 5- and 10-year age-standardized net survivals after HMs varied widely from 81 and 76% for classical Hodgkin lymphoma (CHL) to 18 and 14% for acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Even in HMs with the most favorable prognoses, the net survival decreased between 5- and 10-year postdiagnosis. Women had better prognoses than men and age at diagnosis was an unfavorable prognostic factor for most HMs. In patients <55 years old, the net mortality rate decreased to null values 5-year postdiagnosis in AML and 10-year postdiagnosis in CHL, precursor non-HL, chronic myelogenous leukemia, diffuse large B-cell lymphoma and follicular lymphoma. The prognoses improved for various HMs over the study period. The obtained unbiased indicators are important to evaluate national cancer plans.

Cancer incidence and survival in adolescents and young adults in France, 2000-2008.

This study aimed to describe cancer incidence (2000-2008) and survival (2000-2004) in France in adolescents and young adults (AYA). All cases of cancer diagnosed in 15-24 years, recorded by all French population-based registries (14% of the French population), over the 2000-2008 period, were included. Incidence change over time was described with the conventional annual percentage change (cAPC). The survival of cases diagnosed (2000-2004) was estimated using Kaplan-Meier method. A total of 1022 in adolescents and 1396 in young adults were diagnosed. Overall incidence rates were 219.4/10(6) in 15-19 year olds and 293.1/10(6) in 20-24 year olds. The most frequently diagnosed cancers in male AYA were malignant gonadal germ-cell tumors and Hodgkin's disease, and were melanoma, thyroid carcinoma, and Hodgkin's disease in females. The age-standardized rates appeared stable over time in AYA, with a cAPC of +2.0% (P = 0.68). The 5-year overall survival for all cancers was different between genders and age groups, with 78.8% (95%CI: 75.6-82.0) for males and 85.2% (95%CI: 82.2-88.1) for females (P = 0.01), and 78.5% (95%CI: 75.0-82.1) in 15-19 year olds and 84.3% (95% CI: 81.6-87.0) in 20-24 year olds (P = 0.02). Noteworthy, the frequency and the distribution of tumor types in AYA are unique and different from the observed at any other age group. Survival in French AYA has improved over time. Epidemiological data might reflect major trends in the risk factors and preventive interventions. Thus, further research into etiology of cancers affecting AYA should become key priorities for cancer control among AYA.

Role of empathy in the outcomes of colorectal cancer: protocol for a population-based study in two areas in France (EMPACOL Project).

INTRODUCTION: The EMPACOL Project aims to investigate the link between healthcare professionals' (HCPs) empathy and the results of the curative treatment of non-metastatic colorectal cancer (CRC). METHODS AND ANALYSIS: EMPACOL will be an observational multicentric prospective longitudinal study. It will cover eight centres comprising patients with non-metastatic CRC, uncomplicated at diagnosis in two French areas covered by a cancer register over a 2-year period. As estimated by the two cancer registries, during the 2-year inclusion period, the number of cases of non-metastatic CRCs was approximately 480. With an estimated participation rate of about 50%, we expect around 250 patients will be included in this study. Based on the curative strategy, patients will be divided into three groups: group 1 (surgery alone), group 2 (surgery and adjuvant chemotherapy) and group 3 (neo-adjuvant therapy, surgery and adjuvant chemotherapy). The relationship between HCPs' empathy at the time of announcement and at the end of the strategy, quality of life (QoL) 1 year after the end of treatment and oncological outcomes after 5 years will be investigated. HCPs' empathy and QoL will be assessed using the patient-reported questionnaires, Consultation and Relational Empathy and European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer Core Quality of Life Questionnaire, respectively. A relationship between HCPs' empathy and early outcomes, particularly digestive and genitourinary sequelae, will also be studied for each treatment group. Post-treatment complications will be assessed using the Clavien-Dindo classification. Patients' anxiety and depression will also be assessed using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale questionnaire. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: The Institutional Review Board of the University Hospital of Caen and the Ethics Committee (ID RCB: 2022-A00628-35) have approved the study. Patients will be required to provide oral consent for participation. Results of this study will be disseminated by publication in peer-reviewed journals. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: NCT05447611.

What is the most appropriate period to define synchronous cancers?

BACKGROUND: Studies about second primary cancers (SPC) incidence exclude a period following the first cancer diagnosis given the high probability of diagnosing another primary cancer during this phase (synchronous cancers). However, definition of synchronicity period varies widely, from one to six months, without clear epidemiological justification. The objective of this study was to determine the most appropriate synchronicity period. METHODS: Data from 13 French population-based cancer registries were used to establish a cohort of all patients diagnosed with a first cancer between 1989 and 2010. The incidence rate of subsequent cancer was computed by day within 1 year of follow-up after the first diagnosis. Incidence was modelized by joinpoint regression models with an initial quadratic trend and a second constant part (plateau). The joinpoint was the point from which the plateau began and defining the synchronicity period. RESULTS: Our cohort included 696,775 patients with a first cancer, of which 12,623 presented a SPC. The median joinpoint for all sites combined was estimated at 120.5 days [112.0-129.0]. Analysis by gender reported a higher difference in 32 days for males (127.8 vs 96.1 days). Noteworthy differences were found depending on patient age and the site of first cancer, with joinpoint ranging from 84.7 (oesophagus cancer) to 250.1 days (bladder cancer). CONCLUSION: Although some heterogeneity was observed based on the characteristic of the patients, the appropriate synchronicity period appears to be 4 months after the diagnosis of first cancer.