Epidemiological Overview of Hodgkin Lymphoma across the Mediterranean Basin.

The epidemiology of Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) has always been a source of fascination to researchers due to its heterogeneous characteristics of presentation. HL is an uncommon neoplasm of B-cell origin with an incidence that varies significantly by age, sex, ethnicity, geographic location and socioeconomic status. This complex pattern was also found to be replicated among Mediterranean basin populations. HL incidence rates progressively decreased from industrialized European countries such as France (ASR=2.61) and Italy (ASR=2.39) to less developed nations such as Albania (ASR=1.34) and Bosnia Herzegovina (ASR=1.1). Regarding HL mortality we have found that countries with the lowest incidence rates show the highest number of deaths from this cancer and viceversa. Finally, a wide gap in terms of survival was showed across the Mediterranean basin with survival rates ranged from 82.3% and 85.1% among Italian men and women, to 53.3 % and 59.3% among Libyan men and women, respectively. Factors such as the degree of socio-economic development, the exposure to risk factors westernization-related, the availability of diagnostic practices along with different genetic susceptibilities to HL may explain its variation across Mediterranean countries. Furthermore, the lack of health resources decisively contribute to the poor prognosis recorded in less developed region. In the future, the introduction of appropriate and accessible treatment facilities along with an adequate number of clinical specialists in the treatment of HL and other cancers are warranted in order to improve the outcomes of affected patients and treat a largely curable type of cancer in disadvantaged regions.

Outcome of frail elderly patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma prospectively identified by Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment: results from a study of the Fondazione Italiana Linfomi.

In 2003 the Fondazione Italiana Linfomi (FIL) started a clinical research program for investigating initial treatment of frail elderly patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) identified by Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment (CGA). From 2003 to 2006, 334 elderly patients underwent CGA assessment, and 99 patients were classified as frail. Frail patients had a median age of 78 years, stage III-IV disease in 62% and age-adjusted International Prognostic Index (aaIPI) of 2-3 in 53%. Treatment consisted of several different regimens according to physician discretion. After a median follow-up of 36 months, 5-year overall survival (OS) was 28%. In multivariate analysis, aaIPI 2-3 (p = 0.005) and the presence of respiratory comorbidity (p = 0.044) were the only factors that showed independent correlation with OS. Frail patients had a poorer outcome compared with fit patients also if they were treated with rituximab-containing combination chemotherapy (hazard ratio 2.37, 95% confidence interval 1.48-3.78; p < 0.001). CGA is a valid tool to prospectively identify frail subjects among elderly patients with DLBCL.

Estimates of cancer burden in Emilia-Romagna.

AIMS AND BACKGROUND: This paper aims to provide a comprehensive overview of mid-term epidemiological trends for the major cancer sites in the Emilia-Romagna region of northern Italy (population 4,400,000). METHODS: The MIAMOD method, a back-calculation approach to estimate and project the incidence of chronic diseases from mortality and patient survival, was used for the estimation of incidence and prevalence by calendar year (from 1970 to 2015) and age (from 0 to 99). Survival estimates were taken from cancer registries of northeastern Italy. RESULTS: The estimated incidence of stomach cancer decreased by approximately 75% for both sexes. Trends in incidence of colorectal cancer differed between males and females. For females, the rate increased moderately until the year 2000 with a slow decrease thereafter, whereas the male colorectal cancer incidence showed a regular increase until 2010 followed by a substantial leveling off. Among males the lung cancer incidence and mortality rates showed a steep increase until the late 1980s and a rapid decrease thereafter. Among females, the trends were increasing over the entire study period. The estimated incidence of female breast cancer rose sharply between 1970 and 2001, but from that year onwards a slightly decreasing trend was observed. Mortality peaked in 1988 and has fallen since. The incidence of prostate cancer showed a 3-fold increase. After 2005, the rate is expected to stabilize. Among females, the estimated prevalence increased for breast cancer (52,700 cases expected in 2015), colorectal cancer, lung cancer and melanoma, while decreasing for stomach cancer and cervical cancer. Among males, the estimates showed an upward trend for prostate cancer (32,100 cases expected in 2015) and colorectal cancer, and a leveling off for lung cancer after 2010. CONCLUSION: The estimates were fairly consistent with previous data from several epidemiological sources. The MIAMOD method provided a picture of the impressive increase in the prevalence of breast cancer and prostate cancer over the 45-year period studied.

Regional inequalities in cancer care persist in Italy and can influence survival.

BACKGROUND: Population-based cancer registry studies of care patterns can help elucidate reasons for the marked geographic variation in cancer survival across Italy. The article provides a snapshot of the care delivered to cancer patients in Italy. METHODS: Random samples of adult patients with skin melanoma, breast, colon and non-small cell lung cancers diagnosed in 2003-2005 were selected from 14 Italian cancer registries. Logistic models estimated odds of receiving standard care (conservative surgery plus radiotherapy for early breast cancer; surgery plus chemotherapy for Dukes C colon cancer; surgery for lung cancer; sentinel node biopsy for >1mm melanoma, vs. other treatment) in each registry compared to the entire sample (reference). RESULTS: Stage at diagnosis for breast, colon and melanoma was earlier in north/central than southern registries. Odds of receiving standard care were lower than reference in Sassari (0.68, 95%CI 0.51-0.90) and Napoli (0.48, 95%CI 0.35-0.67) for breast cancer; did not differ across registries for Dukes C colon cancer; were higher in Romagna (3.77, 95%CI 1.67-8.50) and lower in Biella (0.38, 95%CI 0.18-0.82) for lung cancer; and were higher in Reggio Emilia (2.37, 95%CI 1.12-5.02) and lower in Ragusa (0.27, 95%CI 0.14-0.54) for melanoma. CONCLUSIONS: Notwithstanding limitations due to variations in the availability of clinical information and differences in stage distribution between north/central and southern registries, our study shows that important disparities in cancer care persist across Italy. Thus the public health priority of reducing cancer survival disparities will not be achieved in the immediate future.

Differences in stage and treatment of breast cancer across Italy point to inequalities in access to and availability of proper care.

AIMS AND BACKGROUND: Population-based cancer registry studies of patterns of care can help elucidate reasons for differences in breast cancer survival across Italy documented by previous studies. The aims of the present study were to investigate across-country variation in stage at presentation and standard care for breast cancer cases diagnosed in Italy in the early 2000s. METHODS: Samples of adult (≥ 15 years) women with breast cancer diagnosed in 2003-2005 were randomly selected in 9 Italian cancer registries. Logistic regression models were used to estimate the odds of receiving breast-conserving surgery plus radiotherapy (BCS + RT) in each cancer registry, age group, and disease stage category compared with the entire sample (reference); the z test was used to evaluate differences in proportions of stage at diagnosis, employment of chemotherapy in node-positive (N+) disease, and use of endocrine treatment in estrogen-receptor positive (ER+) and negative (ER-) tumors across Italy. RESULTS: Stage at diagnosis was earlier in northern/central registries than in southern areas. Compared with the reference, the odds of receiving BCS + RT was significantly lower in Trapani, Sassari and Naples (southern Italy) after adjusting for age and stage at diagnosis. Among N+ patients, 73% received adjuvant chemotherapy (range, 51% [Biella, northern Italy] to 87% [Ragusa, southern Italy]). Eighty percent of ER+ cancers (range, 50% [Biella, northern Italy] to 97% [Ragusa, southern Italy]) and 18% of ER- cancers (range, 6% [Modena, northern Italy] to 28% [Umbria, central Italy]) were treated with hormonal therapy. CONCLUSIONS: Disparities in stage distributions and conservative surgery in breast cancer persist across Italy. On a positive note, we found lower variations in the use of systemic treatment between Italian regions.

Quality of life assessment in elderly patients with aggressive non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma treated with anthracycline-containing regimens. Report of a prospective study by the Intergruppo Italiano Linfomi.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to evaluate quality of life (QOL) in a group of elderly patients (> 65 years) with aggressive non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) treated with chemotherapy regimens containing anthracyclines. DESIGN AND METHODS: QOL was evaluated in a population of elderly patients with aggressive NHL enrolled in a phase III clinical trial run by the Intergruppo Italiano Linfomi (IIL) from 1996 to 1999 to compare two different anthracycline-containing regimens (mini-CEOP vs P-VEBEC). The EORTC-QLQ-C30 questionnaire, which has already been validated in oncology, was used. The questionnaire was administered at the time of diagnosis, half way through the chemotherapy and at the time of restaging. RESULTS: Ninety-one patients completed pre-therapy and post-therapy questionnaires and they are the subject of this report. Baseline QOL assessment showed a strong correlation of poor values of QOL with anemia and high risk according to the International Prognostic Index (IPI). At the end of treatment no functional scales showed worse values. A significant improvement was observed for pain (p=0.003), appetite (p=0.006), sleep (p=0.015) and global health (p=0.027). Considering only the 50 patients who achieved a complete remission (CR), an improvement was also recorded for emotional state (p=0.10), role (p=0.05), constipation (p=0.04) and global QOL (p=0.05). INTERPRETATION AND CONCLUSIONS: The EORTC-QLQ-C30 is feasible even in a population of elderly patients, in whom it had never been tested before. The improvement of QOL at the end of the treatment demonstrated that the symptoms of the disease have a greater negative influence on the patient's life than do the side effects of the therapy.