Implementing Indicators and Trajectories of Return to Work After Breast Cancer Diagnosis: A Mixed-Methods Study Using the French National Healthcare Insurance Database and Stakeholder Consultation.

PURPOSE: Return to work (RTW) is important for quality of life after breast cancer but its analysis at the population-level remains limited in France. This study aimed to implement Electronic Healthcare Data (EHD)-based indicators and trajectories to measure RTW after breast cancer diagnosis, and to examine stakeholders' perspectives regarding these indicators. METHODS: We followed a mixed-methods approach that consisted of (i) implementing RTW indicators and identifying clusters of trajectories using state sequence analysis with data from a representative sample of the French National Health Data System and (ii) exploring, through qualitative focus group and interviews, stakeholders' perceptions on the interpretation, limitations, and utility of these indicators. RESULTS: We extracted data from 317 women aged 25-55 years with a first diagnosis of early-stage breast cancer. The median number of sickness absence periods was 2 for a total of 434 days during the 3-year follow-up, and the median time to sustainable RTW was 240 days. Three clusters of RTW trajectories were identified: "early RTW" (49.5% of the population), "RTW after partial resumption" (37.5%) and "continuous compensation" (12.9%). Feedback from stakeholders highlighted the multi-factorial nature of RTW and underscored the added value of EHD for studying RTW, despite certain limitations. CONCLUSIONS: We demonstrated the feasibility of calculating RTW indicators and identifying trajectories using the French National Health Data System. These indicators can serve as outcome measures in RTW promotion and provide a basis for designing targeted interventions for breast cancer survivors.

Prediagnostic selenium status, selenoprotein gene variants and association with breast cancer risk in a European cohort study.

Selenium (Se) may help prevent breast cancer (BC) development. Owing to limited observational evidence, we investigated whether prediagnostic Se status and/or variants in the selenoprotein genes are associated with BC risk in a large European cohort. Se status was assessed by plasma measures of Se and its major circulating proteins, selenoprotein P (SELENOP) and glutathione peroxidase 3 (GPX3), in matched BC case-control pairs (2208 for SELENOP; 1785 for GPX3 and Se) nested within the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC). Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs, n = 452) in 55 selenoprotein and Se metabolic pathway genes and an additional 18 variants previously associated with Se concentrations were extracted from existing genotyping data within EPIC for 1564 case-control pairs. Multivariable-adjusted logistic regression models were used to calculate the odds ratios (ORs) and 95 % confidence intervals (CIs) of the association between Se status markers, SNP variants and BC risk. Overall, there was no statistically significant association of Se status with BC risk. However, higher GPX3 activity was associated with lower risk of premenopausal BC (4th versus 1st quartile, OR = 0.54, 95 % CI: 0.30-0.98, Ptrend = 0.013). While none of the genetic variant associations (P ≤ 0.05) retained significance after multiple testing correction, rs1004243 in the SELENOM selenoprotein gene and two SNPs in the related antioxidant TXN2 gene (rs4821494 and rs5750261) were associated with respective lower and higher risks of BC at a significance threshold of P ≤ 0.01. Fourteen SNPs in twelve Se pathway genes (P ≤ 0.01) in interaction with Se status were also associated with BC risk. Higher Se status does not appear to be associated with BC risk, although activity of the selenoenzyme GPX3 may be inversely associated with premenopausal BC risk, and SNPs in the Se pathway alone or in combination with suboptimal Se status may influence BC risk.

Cross-Sectional Blood Metabolite Markers of Hypertension: A Multicohort Analysis of 44,306 Individuals from the COnsortium of METabolomics Studies.

Hypertension is the main modifiable risk factor for cardiovascular morbidity and mortality but discovering molecular mechanisms for targeted treatment has been challenging. Here we investigate associations of blood metabolite markers with hypertension by integrating data from nine intercontinental cohorts from the COnsortium of METabolomics Studies. We included 44,306 individuals with circulating metabolites (up to 813). Metabolites were aligned and inverse normalised to allow intra-platform comparison. Logistic models adjusting for covariates were performed in each cohort and results were combined using random-effect inverse-variance meta-analyses adjusting for multiple testing. We further conducted canonical pathway analysis to investigate the pathways underlying the hypertension-associated metabolites. In 12,479 hypertensive cases and 31,827 controls without renal impairment, we identified 38 metabolites, associated with hypertension after adjusting for age, sex, body mass index, ethnicity, and multiple testing. Of these, 32 metabolite associations, predominantly lipid (steroids and fatty acyls) and organic acids (amino-, hydroxy-, and keto-acids) remained after further adjusting for comorbidities and dietary intake. Among the identified metabolites, 5 were novel, including 2 bile acids, 2 glycerophospholipids, and ketoleucine. Pathway analysis further implicates the role of the amino-acids, serine/glycine, and bile acids in hypertension regulation. In the largest cross-sectional hypertension-metabolomics study to date, we identify 32 circulating metabolites (of which 5 novel and 27 confirmed) that are potentially actionable targets for intervention. Further in-vivo studies are needed to identify their specific role in the aetiology or progression of hypertension.

Body size, silhouette trajectory and the risk of breast cancer in a Moroccan case-control study.

BACKGROUND: There is convincing evidence demonstrating that body size characteristics such as adiposity and height are associated with breast cancer in westernized countries. However, little is known about this relationship in North African countries currently undergoing nutritional transition and industrialization. The aim of this study was to explore associations between various body size characteristics, silhouette trajectories and the risk of breast cancer among Moroccan women. METHODS: In this case-control study conducted in the Fez region (2016-2017), detailed measures of body size were collected for 300 cases of breast cancer and 300 matched controls. Unconditional logistic regression was used to assess the association between body size and breast cancer risk adjusting for confounding factors. RESULTS: Higher waist circumference and hip circumference were positively associated with breast cancer risk in pre- (highest [T3] vs. lowest tertile [T1]: OR = 2.92, 95% confidence intervals [CI]: 1.33-6.42; OR = 3.00, 95% CI: 1.42-6.33, respectively) and post-menopausal women (T3 vs. T1: OR = 4.46, 95% CI: 1.86-10.66; OR = 4.08, 95% CI: 1.76-9.42, respectively). Body shape at younger ages (6-11 years) was inversely associated with the risk of breast cancer in premenopausal women (large vs. lean silhouette: OR = 0.31, 95% CI: 0.12-0.80). Women with the greatest increase in body shape trajectory had higher risk for both pre- and post-menopausal breast cancer (T3 vs. T1: OR = 2.74, 95% CI: 1.03-7.26; OR = 3.56, 95% CI: 1.34-9.44, respectively). CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest that adiposity, body shape at younger ages, and silhouette trajectory may play a role in the development of pre- and post-menopausal breast cancer among Moroccan women. Larger-scale prospective studies are needed to confirm our findings and to explore these associations with breast cancer subtypes.

Occupation and risk of female breast cancer: A case-control study in Morocco.

BACKGROUND: Breast cancer is the most frequent cancer among Moroccan women. Environmental and occupational factors may play a role in breast cancer etiology. This study aimed to investigate the association between occupation, industry, and breast cancer risk among Moroccan women. METHODS: A total of 300 breast cancer cases and 300 controls (matched by age and area of residence) were included in this study. Full occupational history was collected, with a detailed description of each job held for at least 6 months. Occupations were coded according to the International Standard Classification of Occupations (ISCO 08) and the Moroccan Analytical Classification of Professions (2001). Industries were coded according to the Statistical Classification of Economic Activities in the European Community (2008). Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs), adjusted for potential confounders were estimated by using conditional logistic regression. RESULTS: An overall decreased risk of breast cancer was observed among women doing only household work (OR = 0.32; 95% CI = 0.18-0.55). An increased risk of breast cancer was observed among women in agricultural occupations, particularly those employed as agricultural laborers (ISCO 08 code: 921; OR = 2.91; 95% CI = 1.51-5.60) and the risk increased with duration of employment (P trend = .01). Analyses by industry corroborated these findings. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that occupational exposures may be associated with increased risk of breast cancer among female agricultural workers in this population. Further investigations, with advanced methods of occupational exposure assessment, are warranted to clarify the role of chemicals involved in this high-risk occupation and to suggest preventive actions and screening.

Healthy lifestyle and breast cancer risk: A case-control study in Morocco.

BACKGROUND: Some modifiable risk factors have been independently associated with breast cancer (BC) risk in Moroccan women, but no studies have investigated their joint association. This study aimed to investigate the association between a Healthy Lifestyle Index (HLI) score and BC risk among Moroccan women. METHODS: In this case-control study, 300 incident BC cases and 300 controls, matched by age and area of residence were recruited. Cases were women newly-diagnosed with histopathologically-confirmed BC at the University Hospital in Fez, Morocco. Controls were randomly selected healthy women recruited from 6 primary health centers in Fez. HLI scores developed within this study were assigned to participants based on 11 factors (red and processed meat, white meat, cream, cheese, fish, fruit and vegetables, physical activity, BMI, smoking, alcohol consumption, and breastfeeding), where 0 was given to unhealthy and 0.5 or 1 to healthy levels of each factor. Conditional and unconditional logistic regression models were used to assess the association between HLI scores and BC risk. RESULTS: Mean of HLI scores were 8.1 (±1.1) and 9.0 (±0.9) in cases and controls, respectively, p < 0.01. After adjusting for potential confounders, one-point increment in the HLI score was associated with 56% (95% CI, CI: 39-68%), 49% (95% CI: 30-63%), and 59% (95% CI: 40-72%) lower risks of BC in all, premenopausal, and postmenopausal women, respectively. CONCLUSION: High HLI scores were associated with decreased risk of BC in Moroccan women. These findings suggest that BC prevention policies should include strategies for engaging Moroccan women in healthy lifestyles.

Transnational access to large prospective cohorts in Europe: Current trends and unmet needs.

Biobank samples and data from studies of large prospective cohorts (LPC) represent an invaluable resource for health research. Efficient sharing and pooling of samples and data is a central pre-requisite for new advances in biomedical science. This requirement, however, is not compatible with the present scattered and traditional access governance structures, where legal and ethical frameworks often form an obstacle for effective sharing. Moreover, the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is demanding increasingly rigorous administration from all those organisations processing personal data. The BBMRI-LPC project (Biobanking and Biomolecular Research Infrastructure - Large Prospective Cohorts) assembled 21 LPCs from 10 countries and two EU-wide multinational cohort networks with a key objective to promote collaborative innovative transnational research proposed by external researchers on the broad field of common chronic diseases, and analyze the gaps and needs involved. BBMRI-LPC organized three scientific calls to offer European investigators an opportunity to gain free of charge transnational access to research material available in the participating cohorts. A total of 11 high-quality research proposals involving multiple prospective cohorts were granted, and the access process in the individual projects carefully monitored. Divergent access governance structures, complex legal and ethical frameworks and heterogeneous procedures were identified as currently constituting substantial obstacles for sample and data transfer in Europe. To optimize the scientific value and use of these research resources, practical solutions for more streamlined access governance in collaborative projects are urgently needed. A number of infrastructure developments could be made to improve time-efficiency in access provision.

Coffee and Tea Consumption and the Contribution of Their Added Ingredients to Total Energy and Nutrient Intakes in 10 European Countries: Benchmark Data from the Late 1990s.

BACKGROUND: Coffee and tea are among the most commonly consumed nonalcoholic beverages worldwide, but methodological differences in assessing intake often hamper comparisons across populations. We aimed to (i) describe coffee and tea intakes and (ii) assess their contribution to intakes of selected nutrients in adults across 10 European countries. METHOD: Between 1995 and 2000, a standardized 24-h dietary recall was conducted among 36,018 men and women from 27 European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) study centres. Adjusted arithmetic means of intakes were estimated in grams (=volume) per day by sex and centre. Means of intake across centres were compared by sociodemographic characteristics and lifestyle factors. RESULTS: In women, the mean daily intake of coffee ranged from 94 g/day (~0.6 cups) in Greece to 781 g/day (~4.4 cups) in Aarhus (Denmark), and tea from 14 g/day (~0.1 cups) in Navarra (Spain) to 788 g/day (~4.3 cups) in the UK general population. Similar geographical patterns for mean daily intakes of both coffee and tea were observed in men. Current smokers as compared with those who reported never smoking tended to drink on average up to 500 g/day more coffee and tea combined, but with substantial variation across centres. Other individuals' characteristics such as educational attainment or age were less predictive. In all centres, coffee and tea contributed to less than 10% of the energy intake. The greatest contribution to total sugar intakes was observed in Southern European centres (up to ~20%). CONCLUSION: Coffee and tea intake and their contribution to energy and sugar intake differed greatly among European adults. Variation in consumption was mostly driven by geographical region.

A new food-composition database for 437 polyphenols in 19,899 raw and prepared foods used to estimate polyphenol intakes in adults from 10 European countries.

BACKGROUND: Accurate assessment of polyphenol intakes is needed in epidemiologic research in order to study their health effects, and this can be particularly challenging in international study settings. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this work is to describe the procedures to prepare a comprehensive polyphenol food-composition database that was used to calculate standardized polyphenol intakes from 24-h diet recalls (24HDRs) and dietary questionnaires (DQs) in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC). Design: With the use of the comparable food classification and facet-descriptor system of the computerized 24HDR program EPIC-Soft (renamed GloboDiet), foods reported in the 24HDR (n = 74,626) were first aggregated following a stepwise process. Multi-ingredient and generic foods were broken down into ingredients or more-specific foods with consideration of regional consumption habits before matching to foods in the Phenol-Explorer database. Food-composition data were adjusted by using selected retention factors curated in Phenol-Explorer. DQ foods (n = 13,946) were matched to a generated EPIC 24HDR polyphenol-composition database before calculation of daily intakes from the 24HDR and DQ. RESULTS: Food matching yielded 2.0% and 2.7% of foods with missing polyphenol content in the 24HDR and DQ food data sets, respectively. Process-specific retention factors for 42 different polyphenol compounds were applied to adjust the polyphenol content in 35 prioritized Phenol-Explorer foods, thereby adjusting the polyphenol content in 70% of all of the prepared 24 food occurrences. A detailed food-composition database was finally generated for 437 polyphenols in 19,899 aggregated raw and prepared foods reported by 10 EPIC countries in the 24HDR. Conclusions: An efficient procedure was developed to build the most-comprehensive food-composition database for polyphenols, thereby standardizing the calculations of dietary polyphenol intakes obtained from different dietary assessment methods and European populations. The whole database is accessible online. This procedure could equally be used for other food constituents and in other cohorts.

Menstrual and reproductive factors and risk of breast cancer: A case-control study in the Fez region, Morocco.

BACKGROUND: Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women worldwide. In the Moroccan context, the role of well-known reproductive factors in breast cancer remains poorly documented. The aim of this study was to explore the relationship between menstrual and reproductive factors and breast cancer risk in Moroccan women in the Fez region. METHODS: A case-control study was conducted at the Hassan II University Hospital of Fez between January 2014 and April 2015. A total of 237 cases of breast cancer and 237 age-matched controls were included. Information on sociodemographic characteristics, menstrual and reproductive history, family history of breast cancer, and lifestyle factors was obtained through a structured questionnaire. Conditional logistic regression models were used to estimate odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals for breast cancer by menstrual and reproductive factors adjusted for potential confounders. RESULTS: Early menarche (OR = 1.60, 95% CI: 1.08-2.38) and nulliparity (OR = 3.77, 95% CI: 1.98-7.30) were significantly related to an increased risk of breast cancer, whereas an early age at first full-term pregnancy was associated with a decreased risk of breast cancer (OR = 0.41, 95% CI: 0.25-0.65). CONCLUSION: The results of this study confirm the role of established reproductive factors for breast cancer in Moroccan women. It identified some susceptible groups at high risk of breast cancer. Preventive interventions and screening should focus on these groups as a priority. These results should be confirmed in a larger, multicenter study.

Main nutrient patterns and colorectal cancer risk in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition study.

BACKGROUND: Much of the current literature on diet-colorectal cancer (CRC) associations focused on studies of single foods/nutrients, whereas less is known about nutrient patterns. We investigated the association between major nutrient patterns and CRC risk in participants of the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) study. METHODS: Among 477 312 participants, intakes of 23 nutrients were estimated from validated dietary questionnaires. Using results from a previous principal component (PC) analysis, four major nutrient patterns were identified. Hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were computed for the association of each of the four patterns and CRC incidence using multivariate Cox proportional hazards models with adjustment for established CRC risk factors. RESULTS: During an average of 11 years of follow-up, 4517 incident cases of CRC were documented. A nutrient pattern characterised by high intakes of vitamins and minerals was inversely associated with CRC (HR per 1 s.d.=0.94, 95% CI: 0.92-0.98) as was a pattern characterised by total protein, riboflavin, phosphorus and calcium (HR (1 s.d.)=0.96, 95% CI: 0.93-0.99). The remaining two patterns were not significantly associated with CRC risk. CONCLUSIONS: Analysing nutrient patterns may improve our understanding of how groups of nutrients relate to CRC.

Main nutrient patterns are associated with prospective weight change in adults from 10 European countries.

PURPOSE: Various food patterns have been associated with weight change in adults, but it is unknown which combinations of nutrients may account for such observations. We investigated associations between main nutrient patterns and prospective weight change in adults. METHODS: This study includes 235,880 participants, 25-70 years old, recruited between 1992 and 2000 in 10 European countries. Intakes of 23 nutrients were estimated from country-specific validated dietary questionnaires using the harmonized EPIC Nutrient DataBase. Four nutrient patterns, explaining 67 % of the total variance of nutrient intakes, were previously identified from principal component analysis. Body weight was measured at recruitment and self-reported 5 years later. The relationship between nutrient patterns and annual weight change was examined separately for men and women using linear mixed models with random effect according to center controlling for confounders. RESULTS: Mean weight gain was 460 g/year (SD 950) and 420 g/year (SD 940) for men and women, respectively. The annual differences in weight gain per one SD increase in the pattern scores were as follows: principal component (PC) 1, characterized by nutrients from plant food sources, was inversely associated with weight gain in men (-22 g/year; 95 % CI -33 to -10) and women (-18 g/year; 95 % CI -26 to -11). In contrast, PC4, characterized by protein, vitamin B2, phosphorus, and calcium, was associated with a weight gain of +41 g/year (95 % CI +2 to +80) and +88 g/year (95 % CI +36 to +140) in men and women, respectively. Associations with PC2, a pattern driven by many micro-nutrients, and with PC3, a pattern driven by vitamin D, were less consistent and/or non-significant. CONCLUSIONS: We identified two main nutrient patterns that are associated with moderate but significant long-term differences in weight gain in adults.

Dietary polyphenol intake in Europe: the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) study.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Polyphenols are plant secondary metabolites with a large variability in their chemical structure and dietary occurrence that have been associated with some protective effects against several chronic diseases. To date, limited data exist on intake of polyphenols in populations. The current cross-sectional analysis aimed at estimating dietary intakes of all currently known individual polyphenols and total intake per class and subclass, and to identify their main food sources in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition cohort. METHODS: Dietary data at baseline were collected using a standardized 24-h dietary recall software administered to 36,037 adult subjects. Dietary data were linked with Phenol-Explorer, a database with data on 502 individual polyphenols in 452 foods and data on polyphenol losses due to cooking and food processing. RESULTS: Mean total polyphenol intake was the highest in Aarhus-Denmark (1786 mg/day in men and 1626 mg/day in women) and the lowest in Greece (744 mg/day in men and 584 mg/day in women). When dividing the subjects into three regions, the highest intake of total polyphenols was observed in the UK health-conscious group, followed by non-Mediterranean (non-MED) and MED countries. The main polyphenol contributors were phenolic acids (52.5-56.9 %), except in men from MED countries and in the UK health-conscious group where they were flavonoids (49.1-61.7 %). Coffee, tea, and fruits were the most important food sources of total polyphenols. A total of 437 different individual polyphenols were consumed, including 94 consumed at a level >1 mg/day. The most abundant ones were the caffeoylquinic acids and the proanthocyanidin oligomers and polymers. CONCLUSION: This study describes the large number of dietary individual polyphenols consumed and the high variability of their intakes between European populations, particularly between MED and non-MED countries.

A treelet transform analysis to relate nutrient patterns to the risk of hormonal receptor-defined breast cancer in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC).

OBJECTIVE: Pattern analysis has emerged as a tool to depict the role of multiple nutrients/foods in relation to health outcomes. The present study aimed at extracting nutrient patterns with respect to breast cancer (BC) aetiology. DESIGN: Nutrient patterns were derived with treelet transform (TT) and related to BC risk. TT was applied to twenty-three log-transformed nutrient densities from dietary questionnaires. Hazard ratios (HR) and 95 % confidence intervals computed using Cox proportional hazards models quantified the association between quintiles of nutrient pattern scores and risk of overall BC, and by hormonal receptor and menopausal status. Principal component analysis was applied for comparison. SETTING: The European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC). SUBJECTS: Women (n 334 850) from the EPIC study. RESULTS: The first TT component (TC1) highlighted a pattern rich in nutrients found in animal foods loading on cholesterol, protein, retinol, vitamins B12 and D, while the second TT component (TC2) reflected a diet rich in ß-carotene, riboflavin, thiamin, vitamins C and B6, fibre, Fe, Ca, K, Mg, P and folate. While TC1 was not associated with BC risk, TC2 was inversely associated with BC risk overall (HRQ5 v. Q1=0·89, 95 % CI 0·83, 0·95, P trend<0·01) and showed a significantly lower risk in oestrogen receptor-positive (HRQ5 v. Q1=0·89, 95 % CI 0·81, 0·98, P trend=0·02) and progesterone receptor-positive tumours (HRQ5 v. Q1=0·87, 95 % CI 0·77, 0·98, P trend<0·01). CONCLUSIONS: TT produces readily interpretable sparse components explaining similar amounts of variation as principal component analysis. Our results suggest that participants with a nutrient pattern high in micronutrients found in vegetables, fruits and cereals had a lower risk of BC.

Nutrient patterns and their food sources in an International Study Setting: report from the EPIC study.

BACKGROUND: Compared to food patterns, nutrient patterns have been rarely used particularly at international level. We studied, in the context of a multi-center study with heterogeneous data, the methodological challenges regarding pattern analyses. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: We identified nutrient patterns from food frequency questionnaires (FFQ) in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) Study and used 24-hour dietary recall (24-HDR) data to validate and describe the nutrient patterns and their related food sources. Associations between lifestyle factors and the nutrient patterns were also examined. Principal component analysis (PCA) was applied on 23 nutrients derived from country-specific FFQ combining data from all EPIC centers (N = 477,312). Harmonized 24-HDRs available for a representative sample of the EPIC populations (N = 34,436) provided accurate mean group estimates of nutrients and foods by quintiles of pattern scores, presented graphically. An overall PCA combining all data captured a good proportion of the variance explained in each EPIC center. Four nutrient patterns were identified explaining 67% of the total variance: Principle component (PC) 1 was characterized by a high contribution of nutrients from plant food sources and a low contribution of nutrients from animal food sources; PC2 by a high contribution of micro-nutrients and proteins; PC3 was characterized by polyunsaturated fatty acids and vitamin D; PC4 was characterized by calcium, proteins, riboflavin, and phosphorus. The nutrients with high loadings on a particular pattern as derived from country-specific FFQ also showed high deviations in their mean EPIC intakes by quintiles of pattern scores when estimated from 24-HDR. Center and energy intake explained most of the variability in pattern scores. CONCLUSION/SIGNIFICANCE: The use of 24-HDR enabled internal validation and facilitated the interpretation of the nutrient patterns derived from FFQs in term of food sources. These outcomes open research opportunities and perspectives of using nutrient patterns in future studies particularly at international level.

Physical activity and risk of pancreatic cancer in a central European multicenter case-control study.

PURPOSE: Findings from epidemiological studies examining physical activity in relation to pancreatic cancer risk have suggested decreased risks for physical activity; however, the results are inconsistent. METHODS: The association between occupational and leisure-time physical activity and risk of pancreatic cancer was examined among 826 pancreatic cancer cases and 930 age-, sex- and center-matched controls from a large multicenter central European study in Czech Republic and Slovakia recruited between 2004 and 2012. Data on physical activity including type and dose (frequency, intensity, and duration) were examined using multivariable-adjusted logistic regression models. RESULTS: Occupational physical activity was not significantly associated with risk of pancreatic cancer [odds ratio (OR) 0.90, 95 % confidence interval (CI) 0.71-1.15]. A 35 % decrease in risk of pancreatic cancer was observed for regular leisure-time physical activity (OR 0.65, 95 % CI 0.52-0.87). The risk estimates were significant for low and moderate intensity of activity with the strongest protective effect among individuals who exercised during more than 40 weeks per year. The results for cumulated leisure-time physical activity assessed 1 year prior to diagnosis achieved the same level of risk reduction. In addition, stronger risk estimates for leisure-time physical activity were observed among women (men: OR 0.74, 95 % CI 0.54-1.01; women: OR 0.53, 95 % CI 0.37-0.75). The findings for female participants were stronger for intensity and frequency of leisure-time physical activity, in particular for light and moderate activity (OR 0.43, 95 % CI 0.25-0.75; and OR 0.57, 95 % CI 0.37-0.88, respectively). CONCLUSION: These results provide evidence for a decreased risk of pancreatic cancer associated with regular leisure-time physical activity.

Dietary acrylamide intake of adults in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition differs greatly according to geographical region.

PURPOSE: Methodological differences in assessing dietary acrylamide (AA) often hamper comparisons of intake across populations. Our aim was to describe the mean dietary AA intake in 27 centers of 10 European countries according to selected lifestyle characteristics and its contributing food sources in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) study. METHODS: In this cross-sectional analysis, 36 994 men and women, aged 35-74 years completed a single, standardized 24-hour dietary recall using EPIC-Soft. Food consumption data were matched to a harmonized AA database. Intake was computed by gender and center, and across categories of habitual alcohol consumption, smoking status, physical activity, education, and body mass index (BMI). Adjustment was made for participants' age, height, weight, and energy intake using linear regression models. RESULTS: Adjusted mean AA intake across centers ranged from 13 to 47 µg/day in men and from 12 to 39 µg/day in women; intakes were higher in northern European centers. In most centers, intake in women was significantly higher among alcohol drinkers compared with abstainers. There were no associations between AA intake and physical activity, BMI, or education. At least 50 % of AA intake across centers came from two food groups "bread, crisp bread, rusks" and "coffee." The third main contributing food group was "potatoes". CONCLUSIONS: Dietary AA intake differs greatly among European adults residing in different geographical regions. This observed heterogeneity in AA intake deserves consideration in the design and interpretation of population-based studies of dietary AA intake and health outcomes.

Risk factors for injury accidents among moped and motorcycle riders.

OBJECTIVE: To study and quantify the effect of factors related to the riders of powered two-wheelers on the risk of injury accident involvement. METHODOLOGY: Based on national data held by the police from 1996 to 2005, we conducted a case-control study with responsibility for the accident as the event of interest. We estimated the odds ratios for accident responsibility. Making the hypothesis that the non-responsible riders in the study are representative of all the riders on the road, we thus identified risk factors for being responsible for injury accidents. The studied factors are age, gender, helmet wearing, alcohol consumption, validity of the subject's driving licence and for how long it has been held, the trip purpose and the presence of a passenger on the vehicle. Moped and motorcycle riders are analyzed separately, adjusting for the main characteristics of the accident. RESULTS: For both moped and motorcycle riders, being male, not wearing a helmet, exceeding the legal limit for alcohol and travelling for leisure purposes increased the risk of accident involvement. The youngest and oldest users had a greater risk of accident involvement. The largest risk factor was alcohol, and we identified a dose-effect relationship between alcohol consumption and accident risk, with an estimated odds ratio of over 10 for motorcycle and moped riders with a BAC of 2 g/l or over. Among motorcycle users, riders without a licence had twice the risk of being involved in an accident than those holding a valid licence. However, the number of years the rider had held a licence reduced the risk of accident involvement. One difference between moped and motorcycle riders involved the presence of a passenger on the vehicle: while carrying a passenger increased the risk of being responsible for the accident among moped riders, it protected against this risk among motorcycle riders. CONCLUSION: This analysis of responsibility has identified the major factors contributing to excess risk of injury accidents, some of which could be targeted by prevention programmes.

The motorcyclist impact against a light vehicle: epidemiological, accidentological and biomechanic analysis.

This paper summarizes the results obtained within the framework of the French PROMOTO Project (PROtection of the MOTOrcyclist). The aim of this project was to analyze the impact between a motorcycle and a light vehicle from an epidemiological, accidentological and biomechanical point of view. The results have made it possible to outline the most frequent accident configurations such as the "turn on the left" and the most common injuries sustained by motorized two-wheelers (head and trunk). The biomechanic analysis has enabled a better understanding of the kinematics involved in an impact between a motorized two-wheeler and a light vehicle in various accident configurations (chronology and speed impact). While it is well known that motorcyclists frequently receive life threatening injuries to the head, spine and torso, this paper has been able to observe specific injury mechanisms such as pelvis impacts against the vehicle fuel tank and hyper-extension of the neck due to head impact on passenger cars.

The amount and type of dairy product intake and incident type 2 diabetes: results from the EPIC-InterAct Study.

BACKGROUND: Dairy product intake may be inversely associated with risk of type 2 diabetes, but the evidence is inconclusive for total dairy products and sparse for types of dairy products. OBJECTIVE: The objective was to investigate the prospective association of total dairy products and different dairy subtypes with incidence of diabetes in populations with marked variation of intake of these food groups. DESIGN: A nested case-cohort within 8 European countries of the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition Study (n = 340,234; 3.99 million person-years of follow-up) included a random subcohort (n = 16,835) and incident diabetes cases (n = 12,403). Baseline dairy product intake was assessed by using dietary questionnaires. Country-specific Prentice-weighted Cox regression HRs were calculated and pooled by using a random-effects meta-analysis. RESULTS: Intake of total dairy products was not associated with diabetes (HR for the comparison of the highest with the lowest quintile of total dairy products: 1.01; 95% CI: 0.83, 1.34; P-trend = 0.92) in an analysis adjusted for age, sex, BMI, diabetes risk factors, education, and dietary factors. Of the dairy subtypes, cheese intake tended to have an inverse association with diabetes (HR: 0.88; 95% CI: 0.76, 1.02; P-trend = 0.01), and a higher combined intake of fermented dairy products (cheese, yogurt, and thick fermented milk) was inversely associated with diabetes (HR: 0.88; 95% CI: 0.78, 0.99; P-trend = 0.02) in adjusted analyses that compared extreme quintiles. CONCLUSIONS: This large prospective study found no association between total dairy product intake and diabetes risk. An inverse association of cheese intake and combined fermented dairy product intake with diabetes is suggested, which merits further study.