Epidemiology and management of oral cavity squamous cell carcinoma in Ireland.

INTRODUCTION: The epidemiology and management of oral cavity cancer have changed considerably in recent decades. This study examines epidemiological and management trends in oral cavity squamous cell carcinoma (OCSCC). METHODS: A retrospective cohort study of data from the National Cancer Registry of Ireland between 1994 and 2014. RESULTS: A total of 2725 patients were identified. The most common subsites were the tongue (34 %, n = 1025), lip (19 %, n = 575), floor of mouth (FOM) (18 %, n = 550), and retromolar trigone (RMT) (6 %, n = 189). The incidence of OCSCC remained largely unchanged (3.14 cases/100000/year) during the study period. 5-year disease-specific survival (DSS) was 58.6 % overall, varying between subsites (lip 85 %, RMT 62.9 %, tongue 54.7 %, and FOM 47.3 %). DSS improved over the study period (p = 0.03), in particular for tongue primaries (p = 0.007). Primary surgery significantly improved DSS versus radiotherapy (HR 0.28, p < 0.0001). Survival of T4 disease managed surgically was superior to that of T1 disease managed with radiotherapy. In node positive patients, chemotherapy improved overall survival (HR 0.8 p = 0.038) but not DSS (HR 0.87 p = 0.215). CONCLUSION: Primary surgery remains the standard of care in the management of OCSCC. Prognosis has improved in line with an increase in the use of primary surgery in the same time frame, though the incidence remains unchanged.

Survival in an era of organ preservation: an update on laryngeal cancer in Ireland.

BACKGROUND: Laryngeal cancer epidemiology has changed in recent years, with falling incidence observed internationally. Organ preservation therapies have revolutionised management, though some patients may be unsuitable and survival was noted to fall in the 2000s. This study examines trends in laryngeal cancer in Ireland. METHODS: A retrospective cohort study of National Cancer Registry of Ireland data from 1994 to 2014. RESULTS: From a cohort of 2651, glottic disease was most common (62%, n = 1646). Incidence rose to 3.43 cases/100,000/year for 2010-2014. 5-year disease-specific survival (DSS) was 60.6% and did not change significantly over time. Overall survival (OS) for T3 disease managed with primary radiotherapy was similar to primary surgery (HR 0.98, p = 0.9). DSS for T3 disease improved with primary radiotherapy (HR 0.72, p = 0.045). CONCLUSION: Incidence of laryngeal cancer in Ireland rose despite international trends, while survival changed little. Radiotherapy improves DSS for T3 disease but does not improve OS, possibly secondary to poor organ function post-radiotherapy.

Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on cancer care in Ireland - Perspectives from a COVID-19 and Cancer Working Group.

Upon the COVID-19 pandemic onset in Ireland, cancer service disruptions occurred due to prioritisation of COVID-19 related care, redeployment of staff, initial pausing of screening, diagnostic, medical and surgical oncology procedures, staff shortages due to COVID-19 infection and impacts on the physical and mental health of cancer healthcare workers. This was coupled with reluctance among people with symptoms suspicious for cancer to attend for clinical evaluation, due to concerns of contracting the virus. This was further compounded by a cyber-attack on national health service IT systems on May 14th 2021. The Irish Cancer Society, a national cancer charity with a role in advocacy, research and patient supports, convened a multi-disciplinary stakeholder group (COVID-19 and Cancer Working Group) to reflect on and understand the impact of the pandemic on cancer patients and services in Ireland, and discuss potential mitigation strategies. Perspectives on experiences were gathered across domains including timeliness of data acquisition and its conversion into intelligence, and the resourcing of cancer care to address cancer service impacts. The group highlighted aspects for future research to understand the long-term pandemic impact on cancer outcomes, while also highlighting potential strategies to support cancer services, build resilience and address delayed diagnosis. Additional measures include the need for cancer workforce recruitment and retention, increased mental health supports for both patients and oncology professionals, improvements to public health messaging, a near real-time multimodal national cancer database, and robust digital and physical infrastructure to mitigate impacts of the current pandemic and future challenges to cancer care systems.

Age Alone Is Not a Barrier to Concurrent Chemoradiotherapy for Advanced Head and Neck Cancer.

BACKGROUND: Head and Neck Cancer (HNC) is associated with significant morbidity and mortality, especially when high stage disease is present. There exists a range of options for the management of locoregionally advanced HNC, though doubt remains as to the optimal strategy in the elderly population. AIMS: To evaluate the benefits imparted by concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT) to the elderly population of HNC patients in Ireland. METHODS: A retrospective cohort study was conducted using 20 years of cancer registry data provided by the National Cancer Registry of Ireland. Cox multivariate regression analysis was applied to test for the benefits of CCRT in HNC. RESULTS: Survival analysis showed an overall benefit to the use of CCRT in patients with advanced disease over 70 years, particularly when used for hypopharyngeal, oropharyngeal, and laryngeal malignancy. There was a benefit to cancer-specific but not all-cause mortality in those over 75 years, and no benefit was observed to the addition of chemotherapy in those over 80 years; only 8 patients over 80 received CCRT. There was no statistically significant difference in the benefits derived by those over 70 years relative to those under 70 years. CONCLUSION: CCRT confers significant survival benefits to appropriately selected elderly HNC patients and should therefore not be withheld solely on the basis of age.

Shifting incidence and survival of epithelial ovarian cancer (1995-2014): A SurvMark-2 study.

The aim of the study is to provide a comprehensive assessment of incidence and survival trends of epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) by histological subtype across seven high income countries (Australia, Canada, Denmark, Ireland, New Zealand, Norway and the United Kingdom). Data on invasive EOC diagnosed in women aged 15 to 99 years during 1995 to 2014 were obtained from 20 cancer registries. Age standardized incidence rates and average annual percentage change were calculated by subtype for all ages and age groups (15-64 and 65-99 years). Net survival (NS) was estimated by subtype, age group and 5-year period using Pohar-Perme estimator. Our findings showed marked increase in serous carcinoma incidence was observed between 1995 and 2014 among women aged 65 to 99 years with average annual increase ranging between 2.2% and 5.8%. We documented a marked decrease in the incidence of adenocarcinoma "not otherwise specified" with estimates ranging between 4.4% and 7.4% in women aged 15 to 64 years and between 2.0% and 3.7% among the older age group. Improved survival, combining all EOC subtypes, was observed for all ages combined over the 20-year study period in all countries with 5-year NS absolute percent change ranging between 5.0 in Canada and 12.6 in Denmark. Several factors such as changes in guidelines and advancement in diagnostic tools may potentially influence the observed shift in histological subtypes and temporal trends. Progress in clinical management and treatment over the past decades potentially plays a role in the observed improvements in EOC survival.

Overall and stage-specific survival of patients with screen-detected colorectal cancer in European countries: A population-based study in 9 countries.

Background: An increasing proportion of colorectal cancers (CRCs) are detected through screening due to the availability of organised population-based programmes. We aimed to analyse survival probabilities of patients with screen-detected CRC in European countries. Methods: Data from CRC patients were obtained from 16 population-based cancer registries in nine European countries. We included patients with cancer diagnosed from the year organised CRC screening programmes were introduced until the most recent year with available data at the time of analysis, whose ages at diagnosis fell into the age groups targeted by screening. Patients were followed up with regards to vital status until 2016-2020 across the various countries. Overall and CRC-specific survival were analysed by mode of detection and stage at diagnosis for all countries combined and for each country separately using the Kaplan-Meier method. Findings: We included data from 228 134 patients, of whom 134 597 (aged 60-69 years at diagnosis targeted by screening in all countries) were considered in analyses for all countries combined. 22·3% (38 080/134 597) of patients had cancer detected through screening. Most screen-detected cancers were found at stages I-II (65·6% [12 772/19 469 included in stage-specific analyses]), while the majority of non-screen-detected cancers were found at stages III-IV (56·4% [31 882/56 543 included in stage-specific analyses]). Five-year overall and CRC-specific survival rates for patients with screen-detected cancer were 83·4% (95% CI 82·9-83·9) and 89·2% (88·8-89·7), respectively; for patients with non-screen-detected cancer, they were much lower (57·5% [57·2-57·8] and 65·7% [65·4-66·1], respectively). The favourable survival of patients with screen-detected cancer was also seen within each stage - five-year overall survival rates for patients with screen-detected stage I, II, III, and IV cancers were 92.4% (95% CI 91·6-93·1), 87·9% (86·6-89·1), 80·7% (79·3-82·0), and 32·3 (29·4-35·2), respectively. These patterns were also consistently seen for each individual country. Interpretation: Patients with cancer diagnosed at screening have a very favourable prognosis. In the rare case of detection of advanced stage cancer, survival probabilities are still much higher than those commonly reported for all patients regardless of mode of detection. Although these results cannot be taken to quantify screening effects, they provide useful and encouraging information for patients with screen-detected CRC and their physicians. Funding: This study was supported in part by grants from the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research and the German Cancer Aid.

Proportion and stage distribution of screen-detected and non-screen-detected colorectal cancer in nine European countries: an international, population-based study.

BACKGROUND: The effects of recently implemented colorectal cancer screening programmes in Europe on colorectal cancer mortality will take several years to be fully known. We aimed to analyse the characteristics and parameters of screening programmes, proportions of colorectal cancers detected through screening, and stage distribution in screen-detected and non-screen-detected colorectal cancers to provide a timely assessment of the potential effects of screening programmes in several European countries. METHODS: We conducted this population-based study in nine European countries for which data on mode of detection were available (Belgium, Denmark, England, France, Italy, Ireland, the Netherlands, Slovenia, and Spain). Data from 16 population-based cancer registries were included. Patients were included if they were diagnosed with colorectal cancer from the year that organised colorectal cancer screening programmes were implemented in each country until the latest year with available data at the time of analysis, and if their age at diagnosis fell within the age groups targeted by the programmes. Data collected included sex, age at diagnosis, date of diagnosis, topography, morphology, clinical and pathological TNM information based on the edition in place at time of diagnosis, and mode of detection (ie, screen detected or non-screen detected). If stage information was not available, patients were not included in stage-specific analyses. The primary outcome was proportion and stage distribution of screen-detected versus non-screen detected colorectal cancers. FINDINGS: 228 667 colorectal cancer cases were included in the analyses. Proportions of screen-detected cancers varied widely across countries and regions. The highest proportions (40-60%) were found in Slovenia and the Basque Country in Spain, where FIT-based programmes were fully rolled out, and participation rates were higher than 50%. A similar proportion of screen-detected cancers was also found for the Netherlands in 2015, where participation was over 70%, even though the programme had not yet been fully rolled out to all age groups. In most other countries and regions, proportions of screen-detected cancers were below 30%. Compared with non-screen-detected cancers, screen-detected cancers were much more often found in the distal colon (range 34·5-51·1% screen detected vs 26·4-35·7% non-screen detected) and less often in the proximal colon (19·5-29·9% screen detected vs 24·9-32·8% non-screen detected) p≤0·02 for each country, more often at stage I (35·7-52·7% screen detected vs 13·2-24·9% non-screen detected), and less often at stage IV (5·8-12·5% screen detected vs 22·5-31·9% non-screen detected) p<0·0001 for each country. INTERPRETATION: The proportion of colorectal cancer cases detected by screening varied widely between countries. However, in all countries, screen-detected cancers had a more favourable stage distribution than cancers detected otherwise. There is still much need and scope for improving early detection of cancer across all segments of the colorectum, and particularly in the proximal colon and rectum. FUNDING: Deutsche Krebshilfe.

Social inequalities in treatment receipt for childhood cancers in Ireland: A population-based analysis.

Treatment advances over the past five decades have resulted in significant improvements in survival from childhood cancer. Although survival rates are relatively high, social disparities in outcomes have been sometimes observed. In a population-based study, we investigated social inequalities by sex and deprivation in treatment receipt in childhood cancer in Ireland. Cancers incident in people aged 0 to 19 during 1994 to 2012 and treatments received were abstracted from the National Cancer Registry Ireland. Multivariable modified Poisson regression with robust error variance (adjusting for age, and year) was used to assess associations between sex and deprivation category of area of residence at diagnosis and receipt of cancer-directed surgery, chemotherapy or radiotherapy. Three thousand seven hundred and four childhood cancers were included. Girls were significantly less likely than boys to receive radiotherapy for leukemia overall (relative risk [RR] = 0.70; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.50-0.98), and acute lymphoblastic leukemia specifically (RR = 0.54; 95% CI = 0.36-0.79), and surgery for central nervous system (CNS) overall (RR = 0.83; 95% CI = 0.74-0.93) and other CNS (RR = 0.76; 95% CI = 0.60-0.96). Girls were slightly less likely to receive chemotherapy for non-Hodgkin lymphoma and surgery for Hodgkin lymphoma (HL), but these results were not statistically significant. Children residing in more deprived areas were significantly less likely to receive chemotherapy for acute myeloid leukemia or surgery for lymphoma overall and HL, but more likely to receive chemotherapy for medulloblastoma. These results may suggest social inequalities in treatment receipt for childhood cancers. Further research is warranted to explore whether similar patterns are evident in other childhood cancer populations and to better understand the reasons for the findings.

The changing face of Irish head and neck cancer epidemiology: 20 years of data.

BACKGROUND: Head and neck cancer (HNC) is associated with significant morbidity and mortality, especially when high stage disease is present. The epidemiology and prognosis of HNC has changed considerably over the last 20 years. AIMS: This study aimed to examine the epidemiological trends in HNC patients over a prolonged period in Ireland. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective cohort study using 20 years of cancer registry data provided by the National Cancer Registry of Ireland. Baseline characteristics and survival statistics were thereby generated. RESULTS: 10,148 patients were identified. There is a growing population of young (< 50 years) and very old (> 85 years) HNC patients; 48.15% of the population was elderly (> 65 years). Oral cavity (29.8%) and laryngeal cancer (28.1%) remain the most prevalent subsites, though oral cavity cancer prevalence declined from 35.9% in 1994 to 27.5% in 2014. Oropharyngeal cancer prevalence increased from 13.6 to 22.2% over the same period. Overall 5-year survival has improved significantly to 56.8% in 2010 but there remains a disparity between the elderly and adult cohorts (42.0% vs 60.7%). 5-year survival for hypopharyngeal and oropharyngeal cancers has improved from 11.8% and 33.3% to 22.2% and 44.8%, respectively, while laryngeal and oral cavity cancer survival remains approximately stable at 58.7% and 61.5%, respectively. CONCLUSION: HNC survival in Ireland has improved in line with increasing recognition of the value of multidisciplinary assessment, subspecialisation in cancer care, and targeted therapies based on tumour subsites. Survival in the elderly cohort remains poor despite increasing recognition of the challenges such cases pose.

International differences in lung cancer survival by sex, histological type and stage at diagnosis: an ICBP SURVMARK-2 Study.

INTRODUCTION: Lung cancer has a poor prognosis that varies internationally when assessed by the two major histological subgroups (non-small cell (NSCLC) and small cell (SCLC)). METHOD: 236 114 NSCLC and 43 167 SCLC cases diagnosed during 2010-2014 in Australia, Canada, Denmark, Ireland, New Zealand, Norway and the UK were included in the analyses. One-year and 3-year age-standardised net survival (NS) was estimated by sex, histological type, stage and country. RESULTS: One-year and 3-year NS was consistently higher for Canada and Norway, and lower for the UK, New Zealand and Ireland, irrespective of stage at diagnosis. Three-year NS for NSCLC ranged from 19.7% for the UK to 27.1% for Canada for men and was consistently higher for women (25.3% in the UK; 35.0% in Canada) partly because men were diagnosed at more advanced stages. International differences in survival for NSCLC were largest for regional stage and smallest at the advanced stage. For SCLC, 3-year NS also showed a clear female advantage with the highest being for Canada (13.8% for women; 9.1% for men) and Norway (12.8% for women; 9.7% for men). CONCLUSION: Distribution of stage at diagnosis among lung cancer cases differed by sex, histological subtype and country, which may partly explain observed survival differences. Yet, survival differences were also observed within stages, suggesting that quality of treatment, healthcare system factors and prevalence of comorbid conditions may also influence survival. Other possible explanations include differences in data collection practice, as well as differences in histological verification, staging and coding across jurisdictions.

International variation in oesophageal and gastric cancer survival 2012-2014: differences by histological subtype and stage at diagnosis (an ICBP SURVMARK-2 population-based study).

OBJECTIVE: To provide the first international comparison of oesophageal and gastric cancer survival by stage at diagnosis and histological subtype across high-income countries with similar access to healthcare. METHODS: As part of the ICBP SURVMARK-2 project, data from 28 923 patients with oesophageal cancer and 25 946 patients with gastric cancer diagnosed during 2012-2014 from 14 cancer registries in seven countries (Australia, Canada, Denmark, Ireland, New Zealand, Norway and the UK) were included. 1-year and 3-year age-standardised net survival were estimated by stage at diagnosis, histological subtype (oesophageal adenocarcinoma (OAC) and oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC)) and country. RESULTS: Oesophageal cancer survival was highest in Ireland and lowest in Canada at 1 (50.3% vs 41.3%, respectively) and 3 years (27.0% vs 19.2%) postdiagnosis. Survival from gastric cancer was highest in Australia and lowest in the UK, for both 1-year (55.2% vs 44.8%, respectively) and 3-year survival (33.7% vs 22.3%). Most patients with oesophageal and gastric cancer had regional or distant disease, with proportions ranging between 56% and 90% across countries. Stage-specific analyses showed that variation between countries was greatest for localised disease, where survival ranged between 66.6% in Australia and 83.2% in the UK for oesophageal cancer and between 75.5% in Australia and 94.3% in New Zealand for gastric cancer at 1-year postdiagnosis. While survival for OAC was generally higher than that for OSCC, disparities across countries were similar for both histological subtypes. CONCLUSION: Survival from oesophageal and gastric cancer varies across high-income countries including within stage groups, particularly for localised disease. Disparities can partly be explained by earlier diagnosis resulting in more favourable stage distributions, and distributions of histological subtypes of oesophageal cancer across countries. Yet, differences in treatment, and also in cancer registration practice and the use of different staging methods and systems, across countries may have impacted the comparisons. While primary prevention remains key, advancements in early detection research are promising and will likely allow for additional risk stratification and survival improvements in the future.

A way to explore the existence of "immortals" in cancer registry data - An illustration using data from ICBP SURVMARK-2.

BACKGROUND: Accurately recorded vital status of individuals is essential when estimating cancer patient survival. When deaths are ascertained by linkage with vital statistics registers, some may be missed, and such individuals will wrongly appear to be long-term survivors, and survival will be overestimated. Interval-specific relative survival that levels off above one indicates that the survival among the cancer patients is better than expected, which could be due to the presence of immortals. METHODS: We included colon cancer cases diagnosed in 1995-1999 within the 19 jurisdictions in seven countries participating in ICBP SURVMARK-2, with follow-up information available until end-2015. Interval-specific relative survival was estimated for each year following diagnosis, by country and age group at diagnosis. RESULTS: The interval-specific relative survival levels off at 1 for all countries and age groups, with two exceptions: for the age group diagnosed at age 75 years and above in Ireland, and, to a lesser extent, in New Zealand. CONCLUSION: Overall, a subset of immortals are not apparent in the early years within the ICBP SURVMARK-2 study, except for possibly in Ireland. We suggest this approach as one strategy of exploring the existence of immortals, and to be part of routine checks of cancer registry data.

Pregnancy-associated breast cancer: evaluating maternal and foetal outcomes. A national study.

PURPOSE: Pregnancy-associated breast cancer (PABC) is defined as breast cancer diagnosed during the gestational period (gp-PABC) or in the first postpartum year (pp-PABC). Despite its infrequent occurrence, the incidence of PABC appears to be rising due to the increasing propensity for women to delay childbirth. We have established the first retrospective registry study of PABC in Ireland to examine specific clinicopathological characteristics, treatments, and maternal and foetal outcomes. METHODS: This was a national, multi-site, retrospective observational study, including PABC patients treated in 12 oncology institutions from August 2001 to January 2020. Data extracted included information on patient demographics, tumour biology, staging, treatments, and maternal/foetal outcomes. Survival data for an age-matched breast cancer population over a similar time period was obtained from the National Cancer Registry of Ireland (NCRI). Standard biostatistical methods were used for analyses. RESULTS: We identified 155 patients-71 (46%) were gp-PABC and 84 (54%) were pp-PABC. The median age was 36 years. Forty-four patients (28%) presented with Stage III disease and 25 (16%) had metastatic disease at diagnosis. High rates of triple-negative (25%) and HER2+ (30%) breast cancer were observed. We observed an inferior 5-year overall survival (OS) rate in our PABC cohort compared to an age-matched breast cancer population in both Stage I-III (77.6% vs 90.9%) and Stage IV disease (18% vs 38.3%). There was a low rate (3%) of foetal complications. CONCLUSION: PABC patients may have poorer survival outcomes. Further prospective data are needed to optimise management of these patients.

Colorectal cancer incidence, mortality, and stage distribution in European countries in the colorectal cancer screening era: an international population-based study.

BACKGROUND: Colorectal cancer screening programmes and uptake vary substantially across Europe. We aimed to compare changes over time in colorectal cancer incidence, mortality, and stage distribution in relation to colorectal cancer screening implementation in European countries. METHODS: Data from nearly 3·1 million patients with colorectal cancer diagnosed from 2000 onwards (up to 2016 for most countries) were obtained from 21 European countries, and were used to analyse changes over time in age-standardised colorectal cancer incidence and stage distribution. The WHO mortality database was used to analyse changes over time in age-standardised colorectal cancer mortality over the same period for the 16 countries with nationwide data. Incidence rates were calculated for all sites of the colon and rectum combined, as well as the subsites proximal colon, distal colon, and rectum. Average annual percentage changes (AAPCs) in incidence and mortality were estimated and relevant patterns were descriptively analysed. FINDINGS: In countries with long-standing programmes of screening colonoscopy and faecal tests (ie, Austria, the Czech Republic, and Germany), colorectal cancer incidence decreased substantially over time, with AAPCs ranging from -2·5% (95% CI -2·8 to -2·2) to -1·6% (-2·0 to -1·2) in men and from -2·4% (-2·7 to -2·1) to -1·3% (-1·7 to -0·9) in women. In countries where screening programmes were implemented during the study period, age-standardised colorectal cancer incidence either remained stable or increased up to the year screening was implemented. AAPCs for these countries ranged from -0·2% (95% CI -1·4 to 1·0) to 1·5% (1·1 to 1·8) in men and from -0·5% (-1·7 to 0·6) to 1·2% (0·8 to 1·5) in women. Where high screening coverage and uptake were rapidly achieved (ie, Denmark, the Netherlands, and Slovenia), age-standardised incidence rates initially increased but then subsequently decreased. Conversely, colorectal cancer incidence increased in most countries where no large-scale screening programmes were available (eg, Bulgaria, Estonia, Norway, and Ukraine), with AAPCs ranging from 0·3% (95% CI 0·1 to 0·5) to 1·9% (1·2 to 2·6) in men and from 0·6% (0·4 to 0·8) to 1·1% (0·8 to 1·4) in women. The largest decreases in colorectal cancer mortality were seen in countries with long-standing screening programmes. INTERPRETATION: We observed divergent trends in colorectal cancer incidence, mortality, and stage distribution across European countries, which appear to be largely explained by different levels of colorectal cancer screening implementation. FUNDING: German Cancer Aid (Deutsche Krebshilfe) and the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research.

The impact of reclassifying cancers of unspecified histology on international differences in survival for small cell and non-small cell lung cancer (ICBP SurvMark-2 project).

Survival from lung cancer remains low, yet is the most common cancer diagnosed worldwide. With survival contrasting between the main histological groupings, small-cell lung cancer (SCLC) and non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), it is important to assess the extent that geographical differences could be from varying proportions of cancers with unspecified histology across countries. Lung cancer cases diagnosed 2010-2014, followed until 31 December 2015 were provided by cancer registries from seven countries for the ICBP SURVMARK-2 project. Multiple imputation was used to reassign cases with unspecified histology into SCLC, NSCLC and other. One-year and three-year age-standardised net survival were estimated by histology, sex, age group and country. In all, 404 617 lung cancer cases were included, of which 47 533 (11.7%) and 262 040 (64.8%) were SCLC and NSCLC. The proportion of unspecified cases varied, from 11.2% (Denmark) to 29.0% (The United Kingdom). After imputation with unspecified histology, survival variations remained: 1-year SCLC survival ranged from 28.0% (New Zealand) to 35.6% (Australia) NSCLC survival from 39.4% (The United Kingdom) to 49.5% (Australia). The largest survival change after imputation was for 1-year NSCLC (4.9 percentage point decrease). Similar variations were observed for 3-year survival. The oldest age group had lowest survival and largest decline after imputation. International variations in SCLC and NSCLC survival are only partially attributable to differences in the distribution of unspecified histology. While it is important that registries and clinicians aim to improve completeness in classifying cancers, it is likely that other factors play a larger role, including underlying risk factors, stage, comorbidity and care management which warrants investigation.

The impact of excluding or including Death Certificate Initiated (DCI) cases on estimated cancer survival: A simulation study.

BACKGROUND: Population-based cancer registries strive to cover all cancer cases diagnosed within the population, but some cases will always be missed and no register is 100 % complete. Many cancer registries use death certificates to identify additional cases not captured through other routine sources, to hopefully add a large proportion of the missed cases. Cases notified through this route, who would not have been captured without death certificate information, are referred to as Death Certificate Initiated (DCI) cases. Inclusion of DCI cases in cancer registries increases completeness and is important for estimating cancer incidence. However, inclusion of DCI cases will generally lead to biased estimates of cancer survival, but the same is often also true if excluding DCI cases. Missed cases are probably not a random sample of all cancer cases, but rather cases with poor prognosis. Further, DCI cases have poorer prognosis than missed cases in general, since they have all died with cancer mentioned on the death certificates. METHODS: We performed a simulation study to estimate the impact of including or excluding DCI cases on cancer survival estimates, under different scenarios. RESULTS: We demonstrated that including DCI cases underestimates survival. The exclusion of DCI cases gives unbiased survival estimates if missed cases are a random sample of all cancer cases, while survival is overestimated if these have poorer prognosis. CONCLUSION: In our most extreme scenarios, with 25 % of cases initially missed, the usual practice of including DCI cases underestimated 5-year survival by at most 3 percentage points.

Skin melanoma deaths within 1 or 3 years from diagnosis in Europe.

The steep increase in incidence of cutaneous malignant melanoma in white populations mainly applies to thin lesions with good survival suggesting overdiagnosis. Based on population-based cancer registries (CRs), we have investigated changes in aggressive melanoma, selecting only cases who died within 1 or 3 years after diagnosis in 11 European countries between 1995 and 2012. Trends in fatal cases were analysed by period of diagnosis, sex, tumour thickness, histologic subtype of the lesion, tumour site and CR with a multivariate generalised linear mixed effects model, where geographical area was considered as a random effect. We collected data on 123 360 invasive melanomas, with 5133 fatal cases at 1 year (4%) and 12 330 (10%) at 3 years. The number of fatal cases showed a 16% decrease at 1 year and 8% at 3 years between the first (1995-2000) and the last (2007-2012) period. The highest proportion of fatal cases was seen for men, older age (≥65 years), thick lesions (>1 mm), nodular melanoma, melanoma on the trunk and for poorly documented cases, lacking information about thickness and histologic subtype. The mixed-effects model showed a remarkable variability among European countries. The majority of registries showed a decreasing trend in fatal cases, but a few registries showed an opposite pattern. Trends in fatal melanoma cases, highlighting real changes in risk not related to overdiagnosis, showed a decrease in most European countries, with a few exceptions. Stronger efforts for early detection could lead to a more efficient treatment of melanoma in general.

International trends in oesophageal cancer survival by histological subtype between 1995 and 2014.

INTRODUCTION: Survival from oesophageal cancer remains poor, even across high-income countries. Ongoing changes in the epidemiology of the disease highlight the need for survival assessments by its two main histological subtypes, adenocarcinoma (AC) and squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). METHODS: The ICBP SURVMARK-2 project, a platform for international comparisons of cancer survival, collected cases of oesophageal cancer diagnosed 1995 to 2014, followed until 31st December 2015, from cancer registries covering seven participating countries with similar access to healthcare (Australia, Canada, Denmark, Ireland, New Zealand, Norway and the UK). 1-year and 3-year age-standardised net survival alongside incidence rates were calculated by country, subtype, sex, age group and period of diagnosis. RESULTS: 111 894 cases of AC and 73 408 cases of SCC were included in the analysis. Marked improvements in survival were observed over the 20-year period in each country, particularly for AC, younger age groups and 1 year after diagnosis. Survival was consistently higher for both subtypes in Australia and Ireland followed by Norway, Denmark, New Zealand, the UK and Canada. During 2010 to 2014, survival was higher for AC compared with SCC, with 1-year survival ranging from 46.9% (Canada) to 54.4% (Ireland) for AC and 39.6% (Denmark) to 53.1% (Australia) for SCC. CONCLUSION: Marked improvements in both oesophageal AC and SCC survival suggest advances in treatment. Less marked improvements 3 years after diagnosis, among older age groups and patients with SCC, highlight the need for further advances in early detection and treatment of oesophageal cancer alongside primary prevention to reduce the overall burden from the disease.

Colon and rectal cancer survival in seven high-income countries 2010-2014: variation by age and stage at diagnosis (the ICBP SURVMARK-2 project).

OBJECTIVES: As part of the International Cancer Benchmarking Partnership (ICBP) SURVMARK-2 project, we provide the most recent estimates of colon and rectal cancer survival in seven high-income countries by age and stage at diagnosis. METHODS: Data from 386 870 patients diagnosed during 2010-2014 from 19 cancer registries in seven countries (Australia, Canada, Denmark, Ireland, New Zealand, Norway and the UK) were analysed. 1-year and 5-year net survival from colon and rectal cancer were estimated by stage at diagnosis, age and country, RESULTS: (One1-year) and 5-year net survival varied between (77.1% and 87.5%) 59.1% and 70.9% and (84.8% and 90.0%) 61.6% and 70.9% for colon and rectal cancer, respectively. Survival was consistently higher in Australia, Canada and Norway, with smaller proportions of patients with metastatic disease in Canada and Australia. International differences in (1-year) and 5-year survival were most pronounced for regional and distant colon cancer ranging between (86.0% and 94.1%) 62.5% and 77.5% and (40.7% and 56.4%) 8.0% and 17.3%, respectively. Similar patterns were observed for rectal cancer. Stage distribution of colon and rectal cancers by age varied across countries with marked survival differences for patients with metastatic disease and diagnosed at older ages (irrespective of stage). CONCLUSIONS: Survival disparities for colon and rectal cancer across high-income countries are likely explained by earlier diagnosis in some countries and differences in treatment for regional and distant disease, as well as older age at diagnosis. Differences in cancer registration practice and different staging systems across countries may have impacted the comparisons.