Estimates of cancer burden in Basilicata and Calabria.

AIMS AND BACKGROUND: Basilicata and Calabria are two neighboring, low income regions of southern peninsular Italy with an overall population of about 2.5 million in 2010. Cancer registration has covered the entire Basilicata population since 2005 and the province of Catanzaro (18.3% of the Calabria population) since 2003. This paper will provide estimates and projections for the period 1970-2015 of the basic epidemiological indicators - incidence, prevalence and mortality - in the Basilicata and Calabria regions for the major cancers (lung, colon and rectum, stomach, skin mela-noma, breast, cervix and prostate). METHODS: The indicators were estimated by applying the MIAMOD statistical back-calculation method to the 1970-2002 official mortality data, and to the 1985-2002 relative survival data collected by population-based registries of the southern regions of Italy. RESULTS: The incidence rates were estimated to be still rising for breast, prostate and colorectal cancer, and for skin melanoma in men. By contrast, they were estimated to be declining for cervix and stomach cancer. The incidence increased, reaching a peak, and subsequently decreased for lung cancer in men and for skin melanoma in women. The age-standardized mortality rates were estimated to decrease for all considered cancers except prostate cancer in men and lung cancer in women, which presented quite stable mortality rates from the mid 2000s onwards. Except for cervix cancer, prevalence was increasing for all considered cancers, particularly those of the breast and prostate. CONCLUSION: These data support the need for health policies focused on primary and secondary prevention, which is the main way to reduce the overall impact of cancer and to preserve health care resources, as well as on actions aimed at ensuring equal access to cancer care and at transferring innovation into clinical practice.

EPIC-Italy cohorts and multipurpose national surveys. A comparison of some socio-demographic and life-style characteristics.

BACKGROUND: EPIC-Italy cohort study recruited subjects who voluntarily accepted to participate in the project. From the self-selected bases of the population sample, some bias could derive in the data interpretation when risk estimation for cancer disease related to life-style factors is the principal concern. Knowledge of the bias related to self-selected sampling is important for better directing the interpretation of the EPIC-Italy study results. METHODS: We investigated the characteristics of volunteer subjects recruited in the EPIC-Italy cohorts and compared them with those of the randomly selected subjects recruited in the Multipurpose ISTAT Surveys realized in the same period (1993-1998) in which the EPIC-cohorts were recruited. RESULTS: We found some differences, and in particular a different attitude towards cigarettes smoking and wine consumption, between the EPIC cohort and the Multipurpose ISTAT Surveys, as well as among geographical areas within the EPIC cohort. CONCLUSIONS: The uneven distribution of some characteristics suggests that the self-selected subjects were characterized by an overall lower consumption of wine and cigarette smoking even when the educational level was considered. This could suggest a generally more healthy life-style among subjects recruited on a volountary bases.