The role of plasma microseminoprotein-beta in prostate cancer: an observational nested case-control and Mendelian randomization study in the European prospective investigation into cancer and nutrition.

BACKGROUND: Microseminoprotein-beta (MSP), a protein secreted by the prostate epithelium, may have a protective role in the development of prostate cancer. The only previous prospective study found a 2% reduced prostate cancer risk per unit increase in MSP. This work investigates the association of MSP with prostate cancer risk using observational and Mendelian randomization (MR) methods. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A nested case-control study was conducted with the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) with 1871 cases and 1871 matched controls. Conditional logistic regression analysis was used to investigate the association of pre-diagnostic circulating MSP with risk of incident prostate cancer overall and by tumour subtype. EPIC-derived estimates were combined with published data to calculate an MR estimate using two-sample inverse-variance method. RESULTS: Plasma MSP concentrations were inversely associated with prostate cancer risk after adjusting for total prostate-specific antigen concentration [odds ratio (OR) highest versus lowest fourth of MSP = 0.65, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.51-0.84, Ptrend = 0.001]. No heterogeneity in this association was observed by tumour stage or histological grade. Plasma MSP concentrations were 66% lower in rs10993994 TT compared with CC homozygotes (per allele difference in MSP: 6.09 ng/ml, 95% CI 5.56-6.61, r2=0.42). MR analyses supported a potentially causal protective association of MSP with prostate cancer risk (OR per 1 ng/ml increase in MSP for MR: 0.96, 95% CI 0.95-0.97 versus EPIC observational: 0.98, 95% CI 0.97-0.99). Limitations include lack of complete tumour subtype information and more complete information on the biological function of MSP. CONCLUSIONS: In this large prospective European study and using MR analyses, men with high circulating MSP concentration have a lower risk of prostate cancer. MSP may play a causally protective role in prostate cancer.

A Mesoamerican origin of cherimoya (Annona cherimola Mill.): Implications for the conservation of plant genetic resources.

Knowledge on the structure and distribution of genetic diversity is a key aspect to plan and execute an efficient conservation and utilization of the genetic resources of any crop as well as for determining historical demographic inferences. In this work, a large data set of 1,765 accessions of cherimoya (Annona cherimola Mill, Annonaceae), an underutilized fruit tree crop native to the Neotropics and used as a food source by pre-Columbian cultures, was collected from six different countries across the American continent and amplified with nine highly informative microsatellite markers. The structure analyses, fine representation of the genetic diversity and an ABC approach suggest a Mesoamerican origin of the crop, contrary to previous reports, with clear implications for the dispersion of plant germplasm between Central and South America in pre-Columbian times. These results together with the potential distribution of the species in a climatic change context using two different climate models provide new insights for the history and conservation of extant genetic resources of cherimoya that can be applied to other currently underutilized woody perennial crops.

Insulin-like growth factor I and risk of epithelial invasive ovarian cancer by tumour characteristics: results from the EPIC cohort.

BACKGROUND: Prospective studies on insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) and epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) risk are inconclusive. Data suggest risk associations vary by tumour characteristics. METHODS: We conducted a nested case-control study in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) to evaluate IGF-I concentrations and EOC risk by tumour characteristics (n=565 cases). Multivariable conditional logistic regression models were used to estimate associations. RESULTS: We observed no association between IGF-I and EOC overall or by tumour characteristics. CONCLUSIONS: In the largest prospective study to date was no association between IGF-I and EOC risk. Pre-diagnostic serum IGF-I concentrations may not influence EOC risk.

Dietary intake of acrylamide and endometrial cancer risk in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition cohort.

BACKGROUND: Three prospective studies have evaluated the association between dietary acrylamide intake and endometrial cancer (EC) risk with inconsistent results. The objective of this study was to evaluate the association between acrylamide intake and EC risk: for overall EC, for type-I EC, and in never smokers and never users of oral contraceptives (OCs). Smoking is a source of acrylamide, and OC use is a protective factor for EC risk. METHODS: Cox regression was used to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) for the association between acrylamide intake and EC risk in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) cohort. Acrylamide intake was estimated from the EU acrylamide monitoring database, which was matched with EPIC questionnaire-based food consumption data. Acrylamide intake was energy adjusted using the residual method. RESULTS: No associations were observed between acrylamide intake and overall EC (n=1382) or type-I EC risk (n=627). We observed increasing relative risks for type-I EC with increasing acrylamide intake among women who both never smoked and were non-users of OCs (HRQ5vsQ1: 1.97, 95% CI: 1.08-3.62; likelihood ratio test (LRT) P-value: 0.01, n=203). CONCLUSIONS: Dietary intake of acrylamide was not associated with overall or type-I EC risk; however, positive associations with type I were observed in women who were both non-users of OCs and never smokers.

Intake of total omega-3 fatty acids, eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid and risk of coronary heart disease in the Spanish EPIC cohort study.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: The evidence about the benefits of omega-3 fatty acid intake on coronary heart disease (CHD) is not consistent. We thus aimed to assess the relation between dietary intake of total omega-3 fatty acids (from plant and marine foods) and marine polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), on the risk of CHD in the Spanish cohort of the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC). METHODS AND RESULTS: The analysis included 41,091 men and women aged 20-69 years, recruited from 1992 to 1996 and followed-up until December 2004. Omega-3 fatty acid intake was estimated from a validated dietary questionnaire. Only participants with definite incident CHD event were considered as cases. Cox regression models were used to assess the association between the intake of total omega-3 fatty acids, EPA or DHA and CHD. A total of 609 participants (79% men) had a definite CHD event. Mean intakes of total omega-3 fatty acids, EPA and DHA were very similar in the cases and in the cohort, both in men and women. In the multivariate adjusted model, omega-3 fatty acids, EPA and DHA were not related to incident CHD in either men or women. The hazard ratios (HR) for omega-3 were 1.23 in men (95% CI 0.94-15.9, p = 0.20); and 0.77 in women (95% CI 0.46-1.30, p = 0.76). CONCLUSION: In the Spanish EPIC cohort, with a relatively high intake of fish, no association was found between EPA, DHA and total omega-3 fatty acid intake and risk of CHD.

Smoking and the risk of prostate cancer in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition.

BACKGROUND: Smoking is not associated with prostate cancer incidence in most studies, but associations between smoking and fatal prostate cancer have been reported. METHODS: During 1992 and 2000, lifestyle information was assessed via questionnaires and personal interview in a cohort of 145,112 European men. Until 2009, 4623 incident cases of prostate cancer were identified, including 1517 cases of low-grade, 396 cases of high grade, 1516 cases of localised, 808 cases of advanced disease, and 432 fatal cases. Multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression models were used to examine the association of smoking status, smoking intensity, and smoking duration with the risk of incident and fatal prostate cancer. RESULTS: Compared with never smokers, current smokers had a reduced risk of prostate cancer (RR=0.90, 95% CI: 0.83-0.97), which was statistically significant for localised and low-grade disease, but not for advanced or high-grade disease. In contrast, heavy smokers (25+ cigarettes per day) and men who had smoked for a long time (40+ years) had a higher risk of prostate cancer death (RR=1.81, 95% CI: 1.11-2.93; RR=1.38, 95% CI: 1.01-1.87, respectively). CONCLUSION: The observation of an increased prostate cancer mortality among heavy smokers confirms the results of previous prospective studies.

Teleradiology: good practice guide.

Teleradiology is the electronic transmission of radiological images from one location to another with the main purpose of interpreting or consulting a diagnosis and must be subject to codes of conduct agreed upon by professional societies. The content of fourteen teleradiology best practice guidelines is analyzed. Their guiding principles are: the best interest and benefit of the patient, quality and safety standards homologous to the local radiology service, and use as a complement and support of the same. As legal obligations: guaranteeing rights by applying the principle of the patient's country of origin, establishing requirements in international teleradiology and civil liability insurance. Regarding the radiological process: integration with the local service process, guaranteeing the quality of images and reports, access to previous studies and reports and complying with the principles of radioprotection. Regarding professional requirements: compliance with the required registrations, licenses and qualifications, training and qualification of the radiologist and technician, prevention of fraudulent practices, respect for labor standards and remuneration of the radiologist. Subcontracting must be justified, managing the risk of commoditization. Compliance with the system's technical standards.

Major dietary patterns and risk of coronary heart disease in middle-aged persons from a Mediterranean country: the EPIC-Spain cohort study.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: No previous study has assessed the association between major dietary patterns and the risk of coronary heart disease (CHD) in a large cohort from a Mediterranean country. METHODS AND RESULTS: We studied prospectively 40,757 persons, aged 29-69 years, participating in the Spanish cohort of the EPIC study. Food consumption was collected between 1992 and 1996 with a validated history method. Individuals were followed-up until 2004 through record linkage with hospital discharge registers, population-based registers of myocardial infarction, and mortality registers to ascertain CHD events (fatal and non-fatal acute myocardial infarction or angina requiring revascularization). Two major dietary patterns were identified from factor analysis. The first pattern was labeled as Westernized, because of the frequent consumption of refined cereals and red meat; the second was called the evolved Mediterranean pattern, because of the frequent intake of plant-based foods and olive oil. During a median follow-up of 11 years, 606 CHD events were ascertained. No association was found between the Westernized pattern and CHD risk. In contrast, the score for the evolved Mediterranean pattern was inversely associated with CHD risk (p for trend = 0.0013); when compared with the lowest quintile of the evolved Mediterranean pattern score, the multivariable hazard ratios for CHD were 0.77 (95% confidence interval 0.61-0.98) for the second quintile, 0.64 (95% CI 0.50-0.83) for the third quintile, 0.56 (95% CI 0.43-0.73) for the fourth quintile, and 0.73 (95% CI 0.57-0.94) for the fifth quintile. CONCLUSION: A Mediterranean diet, as consumed in this study population, was associated with a lower risk of CHD.

Oral contraceptive use and reproductive factors and risk of ovarian cancer in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition.

BACKGROUND: It is well established that parity and use of oral contraceptives reduce the risk of ovarian cancer, but the associations with other reproductive variables are less clear. METHODS: We examined the associations of oral contraceptive use and reproductive factors with ovarian cancer risk in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition. Among 327,396 eligible women, 878 developed ovarian cancer over an average of 9 years. Hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were estimated using Cox proportional hazard models stratified by centre and age, and adjusted for smoking status, body mass index, unilateral ovariectomy, simple hysterectomy, menopausal hormone therapy, and mutually adjusted for age at menarche, age at menopause, number of full-term pregnancies and duration of oral contraceptive use. RESULTS: Women who used oral contraceptives for 10 or more years had a significant 45% (HR, 0.55; 95% CI, 0.41-0.75) lower risk compared with users of 1 year or less (P-trend, <0.01). Compared with nulliparous women, parous women had a 29% (HR, 0.71; 95% CI, 0.59-0.87) lower risk, with an 8% reduction in risk for each additional pregnancy. A high age at menopause was associated with a higher risk of ovarian cancer (>52 vs ≤ 45 years: HR, 1.46; 95% CI, 1.06-1.99; P-trend, 0.02). Age at menarche, age at first full-term pregnancy, incomplete pregnancies and breastfeeding were not associated with risk. CONCLUSION: This study shows a strong protective association of oral contraceptives and parity with ovarian cancer risk, a higher risk with a late age at menopause, and no association with other reproductive factors.

Association of plasma markers of cholesterol homeostasis with metabolic syndrome components. A cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Increased plasma phytosterols, which reflect enhanced cholesterol absorption, have been related to an increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD). However, high CVD risk conditions, such as obesity, diabetes and the metabolic syndrome (MetS) have been associated with reduced cholesterol absorption. We investigated associations between plasma noncholesterol sterols and MetS components. METHODS AND RESULTS: With a cross-sectional design, we related MetS components to plasma noncholesterol sterol-to-cholesterol ratios measured by gas chromatography in 674 dyslipidemic patients and 361 healthy subjects participating in a prospective cohort study. Plasma phytosterol-to-cholesterol ratios were inversely associated with all components of the MetS. In the dyslipidemic group, multivariable analyses showed that a 1-SD increase in sitosterol-to-cholesterol ratio was associated with a reduced risk for any MetS feature, ranging from 0.57 (95% CI, 0.45 to 0.71) for visceral adiposity to 0.82 (95% CI, 0.69 to 0.98) for high blood pressure. The risk of having MetS was nearly halved, with ORs of 0.49 (95% CI, 0.38 to 0.64) or 0.56 (95% CI, 0.44-0.70), depending on the definition. Results were opposed for plasma lathosterol, a marker of cholesterol synthesis. Most findings were reproduced in the healthy cohort. ApoE genotype was unrelated to plasma noncholesterol sterols. CONCLUSION: In both dyslipidemic and healthy populations, MetS is associated with increased plasma lathosterol, a cholesterol synthesis marker, and decreased plasma sitosterol, a marker of cholesterol absorption. Elevated plasma phytosterols related to a lower frequency of cardiometabolic risk factors, suggesting that they are associated with a reduced CVD risk.

Cancer incidence and mortality in Spain: estimates and projections for the period 1981-2012.

BACKGROUND: National indicators of cancer burden are essential information for cancer surveillance and health planning, so that in countries with partial registration coverage and geographically variable risk patterns, such as Spain, this is even more relevant. This article provides estimates of cancer incidence in Spain for all cancers combined, with the single exception of non-melanoma skin cancer, and for major cancer sites over the period 1981-2006, with projections up to 2012. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Estimates were obtained by applying the MIAMOD method, a statistical back-calculation approach, to derive incidence from mortality and relative survival data. RESULTS: During the period 1981-2012, age-standardised incidence rates for all cancers rose from the beginning of the period and started to decline from 2000 onwards among men, and increased across the whole period among women. Differences in incidence trends between men and women might be attributable to the gender-specific case-mix of sites for all cancers, and to differences in risk factors specific to certain cancer sites in men and women, with smoking being the main factor accounting for these differences between the sexes. CONCLUSIONS: Estimates and projections of cancer incidence and mortality show divergent trends in Spain by sex and tumour type. This information is basic for planning and enhancing public health strategies and resources.

Prostate cancer incidence trends in Spain before and during the prostate-specific antigen era: impact on mortality.

BACKGROUND: Although prostate cancer has recently registered increasing incidence and decreasing mortality in Spain, no analysis has yet been made of these two indicators to ascertain the magnitude of and reasons for these trends. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The time trend in invasive prostate cancer incidence from 1975 to 2004 was studied by combining data from 13 Spanish population-based cancer registries. Change-point Poisson regression models were fitted for all men and for two age groups (45-64 and 65+ years). Age-period-cohort models were used to study cohort and period effects. In addition, we studied the time trend in prostate cancer mortality in Spain for the period 1980-2007. RESULTS: Incidence increased annually by 1.3% from 1975 to 1990 and by 7.3% thereafter. Until 1990, the percentage increase was low and indeed similar for both age groups. While the subsequent increase in the two age groups was greater, this was particularly marked among the youngest men, with a decrease being observed in age groups >85 years in the last quinquennium. Mortality increased by an annual figure of 0.7% until 1998, after which it decreased by 3.6% per annum until 2007. CONCLUSIONS: Despite the dramatic rise in incidence from 1990 onwards, mainly due to opportunistic screening, prostate cancer mortality was only observed to decline slowly from 1998. If prostate-specific antigen screening remains at a similar level in Spain, overdiagnosis may well become an important chronic side-effect and health problem.

Plasma phyto-oestrogens and prostate cancer in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition.

We examined plasma concentrations of phyto-oestrogens in relation to risk for subsequent prostate cancer in a case-control study nested in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition. Concentrations of isoflavones genistein, daidzein and equol, and that of lignans enterolactone and enterodiol, were measured in plasma samples for 950 prostate cancer cases and 1042 matched control participants. Relative risks (RRs) for prostate cancer in relation to plasma concentrations of these phyto-oestrogens were estimated by conditional logistic regression. Higher plasma concentrations of genistein were associated with lower risk of prostate cancer: RR among men in the highest vs the lowest fifth, 0.71 (95% confidence interval (CI) 0.53-0.96, P trend=0.03). After adjustment for potential confounders this RR was 0.74 (95% CI 0.54-1.00, P trend=0.05). No statistically significant associations were observed for circulating concentrations of daidzein, equol, enterolactone or enterodiol in relation to overall risk for prostate cancer. There was no evidence of heterogeneity in these results by age at blood collection or country of recruitment, nor by cancer stage or grade. These results suggest that higher concentrations of circulating genistein may reduce the risk of prostate cancer but do not support an association with plasma lignans.

Female breast cancer in Gipuzkoa: prognostic factors and survival.

BACKGROUND: In Gipuzkoa, screening for breast cancer was initiated in 1997 and in this paper we present breast cancer characteristics and survival for women diagnosed during the pre-screening period. METHODS: All cases diagnosed during 1995-1996 were included and the tumour characteristics were analysed. One-, five- and ten-year observed and relative survival (RS) were estimated overall, as well as by age and tumour characteristics. Multiple regression models were used to evaluate the effect of tumour characteristics on ten-year RS. RESULTS: Six hundred and twenty-two cases with a mean age of 60.7+/-15 years were included. The mean follow-up was 7.5 years (max. 10) with a mortality of 40.5%. Ductal carcinoma accounted for 78% of all cases; almost 50% had good or moderate differentiation and 28% were positive for both hormone receptors studied. Nearly 80% of cases were diagnosed in stage I or II and breast-conserving surgery was employed more often than mastectomy. Age-standardised RS was 77% (95% CI 72.1-82.3) and 68% (95% CI 60.4-74.6), five and ten years after diagnosis respectively. The relative excess risk of death was significantly different only for age, stage and degree of differentiation. DISCUSSION: This study shows an increase in survival compared to previous studies in the region. This could be explained by advances in diagnosis and treatment, as demonstrated by younger age and earlier stage at diagnosis and by the therapy profiles. Age and stage were shown to be major predictors of survival in our study and adjustment for the other factors had only limited effects on the risk of death for these two variables.

Incidence of acute myocardial infarction in the Spanish epic cohort.

BACKGROUND: There is some evidence that Mediterranean diet reduces risk of ischemic heart disease, and this is to be investigated in the Spanish cohort of the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC). In this paper we present the incidence of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) in four EPIC Spanish cohorts. METHOD: Incidence cases were ascertained in EPIC cohort during the follow up period (from recruitment to the end of 2004), by means of self-report questionnaires, hospital morbidity and mortality registries, and population AMI registries. Analysis was restricted to aged 45 to 74. The present study included data from 13,704 women and 19,410 men, after excluding a priori participants with prevalent AMI. Age standardized incidence rate for each cohort was estimated and compared with the available population rates. RESULTS: The Median duration of follow-up was 9.3 years, yielding a total of 297,704 person-years. 391 men and 99 women presented AMI in the four cohorts studied. Age standardized AMI rates in men of the EPIC cohorts go from the lowest 302 (CI: 268-335) per 100.000 person-year of Gipuzkoa to the highest 330 (CI: 293-367) of Navarra. Women in Navarra presented the lowest AMI incidence with 60 (CI: 43-77) per 100,000 and the highest was observed in Murcia (114, CI: 91-137). The AMI incidence in all EPIC centres are close to the population incidence rates and in any case these are within the EPIC 95% CI. CONCLUSIONS: The comparison of incidence in EPIC with population rates shows very good agreement for acute myocardial infarction.

Animal foods, protein, calcium and prostate cancer risk: the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition.

We examined consumption of animal foods, protein and calcium in relation to risk of prostate cancer among 142 251 men in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition. Associations were examined using Cox regression, stratified by recruitment centre and adjusted for height, weight, education, marital status and energy intake. After an average of 8.7 years of follow-up, there were 2727 incident cases of prostate cancer, of which 1131 were known to be localised and 541 advanced-stage disease. A high intake of dairy protein was associated with an increased risk, with a hazard ratio for the top versus the bottom fifth of intake of 1.22 (95% confidence interval (CI): 1.07-1.41, P(trend)=0.02). After calibration to allow for measurement error, we estimated that a 35-g day(-1) increase in consumption of dairy protein was associated with an increase in the risk of prostate cancer of 32% (95% CI: 1-72%, P(trend)=0.04). Calcium from dairy products was also positively associated with risk, but not calcium from other foods. The results support the hypothesis that a high intake of protein or calcium from dairy products may increase the risk for prostate cancer.

Consumption of cruciferous vegetables and glucosinolates in a Spanish adult population.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the intake of glucosinolates and cruciferous vegetables among Spanish adults. DESIGN: Cross-sectional analysis of a prospective cohort study. SETTING: The Spanish cohort of the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC). SUBJECTS: We analysed data from 40 684 men and women aged 35-64 years from the EPIC-Spain cohort. The usual diet was assessed by means of the dietary history method, and glucosinolate intake was calculated using a published food composition database. RESULTS: The average intake of cruciferous vegetables was 11.3 g/day, accounting for about 5% of total vegetable consumption, whereas the daily intake of total glucosinolates was 6.5 mg, among which 35% were of indole type. The absolute intake of glucosinolates was in average higher in men than in women (6.8 vs 6.2 mg/day), whereas glucosinolate density per energy unit was higher in women's diet (3.4 vs 2.7 mg/4200 kJ). Northern regions consumed in average 36% more glucosinolates than Southern regions (7.3 vs 5.4 mg/day). There was a positive association of glucosinolate intake with body mass index, physical activity, educational level and an inverse relationship with alcohol consumption. CONCLUSIONS: Contrary to the pattern seen for total vegetable intake, our estimate of consumption of cruciferous vegetables, and hence of glucosinolates, is relatively low within Europe, which in turn is lower than in North America and several Asian populations.

Cancer survival in adult patients in Spain. Results from nine population-based cancer registries.

INTRODUCTION: With the aim of providing cancer control indicators, this work presents cancer survival in adult (≥15 years) patients in Spain diagnosed during the period 2000-2007 from Spanish cancer registries participating in the EUROCARE project. METHODS: Cancer cases from nine Spanish population-based cancer registries were included and analysed as a whole. All primary malignant neoplasms diagnosed in adult patients were eligible for the analysis. Cancer patients were followed until 31 December 2008. For each type of cancer, 1-, 3- and 5-year observed and relative survival were estimated by sex, age and years from diagnosis. Furthermore, age-standardized 5-year relative survival for the period 2000-2007 has been compared with that of the period 1995-1999. RESULTS: Skin melanoma (84.6 95% CI 83.0-86.2), prostate (84.6% 95% CI 83.6-85.6) and thyroid (84.2% CI 95% 82.0-86.6) cancers showed the highest 5-year relative survival, whereas the worst prognosis was observed in pancreatic (6% 95% CI 5.1-7.0) and oesophageal (9.4% 95% CI 7.9-11.1) cancers. Overall, survival is higher in women (58.0%) than in men (48.9%). The absolute difference in relative survival between 2000-2007 and 1995-1999 was positive for all cancers as a whole (+4.8% in men, +1.6% in women) and for most types of tumours. Survival increased significantly for chronic myeloid leukaemia, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and rectum cancer in both sexes, and for acute lymphoid leukaemia, prostate, liver and colon cancers in men and Hodgkin's lymphoma and breast cancer in women. Survival patterns by age were similar in Europe and Spain. A decline in survival by age was observed in all tumours, being more pronounced for ovarian, corpus uteri, prostate and urinary bladder and less for head and neck and rectum cancers. CONCLUSION: High variability and differences have been observed in survival among adults in Spain according to the type of cancer diagnosed, from above 84% to below 10%, reflecting high heterogeneity. The differences in prognosis by age, sex and period of diagnosis reveal opportunities for improving cancer care in Spain.

Prevalence of obesity in 4-18-year-old population in the Basque Country, Spain.

The objective of the study was to estimate the prevalence of overweight and obesity in children and adolescents in the Basque Country, Spain. It consisted of an analysis of baseline data of the Nutrition Survey, a cross-sectional study, carried out in 2004-2005. The study population comprised child and adolescent living in the Basque Country. The analysis was carried out in a representative random sample of 1178 people aged 4-18 years. Anthropometric examinations were undertaken by trained observers using standardized methods and included measurements of weight and height. Subjects were classified into different body mass index categories, according to the International Obesity Task Force guidelines. A 5.4% of the population studied was obese; 6% of males and 4.7% of females, the highest in the 11-14 age group in boys (7.2%) and in the 4-6 age group in girls (12.5%). Overweight (22.9%) was slightly higher in girls. The highest prevalence of excess weight (overweight+obesity) was observed in girls aged 4-6 years (38.4%), decreasing with age. Subjects in the 15-18 age group rated 16.6%. Boys evidenced a higher excess weight rate in the 11-14 (32.9%) and 7-10 (32%) age groups; the lowest rate was found in the 4-6 age group. Prevalence of obesity was higher in the less privileged socio-economic strata (6.9% vs. 5.2%), for both boys and girls. However, this trend was observed only in girls for overweight (25.9% vs. 21.8%). This study shows a high prevalence of obesity and overweight in the studied population and similar to other European countries and regions.

Survival of 86,690 patients with thyroid cancer: A population-based study in 29 European countries from EUROCARE-5.

BACKGROUND: Incidence rates of thyroid cancer (TC) increased in several countries during the last 30 years, while mortality rates remained unchanged, raising important questions for treatment and follow-up of TC patients. This study updates population-based estimates of relative survival (RS) after TC diagnosis in Europe by sex, country, age, period and histology. METHODS: Data from 87 cancer registries in 29 countries were extracted from the EUROCARE-5 dataset. One- and 5-year RS were estimated using the cohort approach for 86,690 adult TC patients diagnosed in 2000-2007 and followed-up to 12/31/2008. RS trends in 1999-2007 and 10-year RS in 2005-2007 were estimated using the period approach. RESULTS: In Europe 2000-2007, 5-year RS after TC was 88% in women and 81% in men. Survival rates varied by country and were strongly correlated (Pearson ρ = 75%) with country-specific incidence rates. Five-year RS decreased with age (in women from >95% at age 15-54 to 57% at age 75+), from 98% in women and 94% in men with papillary TC to 14% in women and 12% in men with anaplastic TC. Proportion of papillary TC varied by country and increased over time, while survival rates were similar across areas and periods. In 1999-2007, 5-year RS increased by five percentage points for all TCs but only by two for papillary and by four for follicular TC. Ten-year RS in 2005-2007 was 89% in women and 79% in men. CONCLUSIONS: The reported increasing TC survival trend and differences by area are mainly explained by the varying histological case-mix of cases.