Asthma among workers in healthcare settings: role of disinfection with quaternary ammonium compounds.

INTRODUCTION: An increased incidence of asthma has been reported among healthcare workers. The role of quaternary ammonium compounds (QACs), commonly used in cleaning/disinfection products, has not been clearly defined. The aim of this study was to analyse associations between asthma and occupational exposure to disinfectants, especially QACs. METHODS: The study was performed on a stratified random sample of the various healthcare departments of 7 healthcare settings. The study included: questionnaire, physical examination and specific IgE assays. Occupational exposure assessment was performed by means of a work questionnaire, workplace studies and a review of products ingredients. Data were analysed by logistic regression. RESULTS: Response rate was 77%; 543 workers (89% female) participated; 37.1% were registered nurses (RNs), 16.4% auxiliary nurses (ANs), 17.3% cleaners; 32.8% were atopic. 335 participants were exposed to QACs. Nursing professionals reported a significantly higher risk of reported physician-diagnosed asthma and, for RNs, of nasal symptoms at work than administrative staff working in healthcare sector. This risk was particularly marked during disinfection tasks and when exposure to QACs. Exposure to QACs increased significantly the risk of reported physician-diagnosed asthma and nasal symptoms at work (adjusted OR = 7.5 and 3.2, respectively). No significant association was found with other exposures such as latex glove use, chlorinated products/bleach or glutaraldehyde. CONCLUSION: RNs and ANs presented a higher risk of reported asthma than administrative staff. The highest risk was associated with tasks involving dilution of disinfection products by manual mixing, suggesting possible exposure to repeated peaks of concentrated products known to be strong respiratory irritants. Workplace interventions should be conducted to more clearly determine QAC exposure and improve disinfection procedures.

Population-based study of breast cancer survival in Cote d'Or (France): prognostic factors and relative survival.

BACKGROUND: Few population-based studies have reported jointly analyses of relative survival according to the following prognostic factors: tumour-node-metastasis (TNM) stage, age, number of examined and positive nodes, hormonal status, histological Scarff, Bloom and Richardson (SBR) grade, tumour extension, hormone receptor status and tumour multifocal status. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Data on female invasive breast cancer were provided by the Cote d'Or breast cancer registry. The Kaplan-Meier method and log-rank test were used to estimate and compare the survival probability at 1, 5, 10 and 15 years. The effect of prognostic factors on survival was assessed with crude and relative multivariate survival analyses. RESULTS: Crude survival seemed to be worse in patients aged >60 years compared with those aged 45-60 (P > 0.0001), whereas relative survival did not differ. TNM stage, histological SBR grade, progesterone receptor status, tumour multifocal status, locoregional extension and the period of diagnosis were independent prognostic factors of crude and relative survival. CONCLUSION: Breast cancer is influenced by many factors. Despite the absence of any association between the number of examined nodes and overall survival in this study, the number of nodes removed, in conjunction with other prognostic factors, may be useful in selecting node-negative patients for systemic therapy.

Cancer incidence and mortality in France over the period 1980-2005.

BACKGROUND: The objective of this study was to provide updated estimates of national trends in cancer incidence and mortality for France for 1980-2005. METHODS: Twenty-five cancer sites were analysed. Incidence data over the 1975-2003 period were collected from 17 registries working at the department level, covering 16% of the French population. Mortality data for 1975-2004 were provided by the Inserm. National incidence estimates were based on the use of mortality as a correlate of incidence, mortality being available at both department and national levels. Observed incidence and mortality data were modelled using an age-cohort approach, including an interaction term. Short-term predictions from that model gave estimates of new cancer cases and cancer deaths in 2005 for France. RESULTS: The number of new cancer cases in 2005 was approximately 320,000. This corresponds to an 89% increase since 1980. Demographic changes were responsible for almost half of that increase. The remainder was largely explained by increases in prostate cancer incidence in men and breast cancer incidence in women. The relative increase in the world age-standardised incidence rate was 39%. The number of deaths from cancer increased from 130,000 to 146,000. This 13% increase was much lower than anticipated on the basis of demographic changes (37%). The relative decrease in the age-standardised mortality rate was 22%. This decrease was steeper over the 2000-2005 period in both men and women. Alcohol-related cancer incidence and mortality continued to decrease in men. The increasing trend of lung cancer incidence and mortality among women continued; this cancer was the second cause of cancer death among women. Breast cancer incidence increased regularly, whereas mortality has decreased slowly since the end of the 1990s. CONCLUSION: This study confirmed the divergence of cancer incidence and mortality trends in France over the 1980-2005 period. This divergence can be explained by the combined effects of a decrease in the incidence of the most aggressive cancers and an increase in the incidence of less aggressive cancers, partly due to changes in medical practices leading to earlier diagnoses.

[Mortality and morbidity of consecutive surgical carotid revascularisations in octogenarians]. / Mortalité et morbidité d'une série consécutive de revascularisations chirurgicales carotidiennes chez l'octogénaire.

AIM OF THE STUDY: Retrospective evaluation of the immediate and mid term mortality and morbidity of carotid surgical revascularisations in a population of octogenarians with severe carotid artery stenosis. MATERIAL AND METHOD: Retrospective study of all patients 80 years old and more, consecutively operated for an internal carotid artery stenosis, from January 1991 to December 2003, in the Unit of Vascular Surgery of the Civil Hospices of Strasbourg. We analyzed the perioperative death and stroke rates at 30 days and the mid term survival. RESULTS: We performed 81 carotid revascularisations on 70 patients. The mean age of the population studied was 83.5 (+/-2.8 years), (range 80-92). Twenty-four stenoses (29.6%) were symptomatic (23 transient ischemic accidents, 1 stroke), and 57 stenoses (70.4%) were asymptomatic. The mean degree of stenosis was 89.2+/-8.1% (based on NASCET evaluation). The main cardiovascular risk factor was arterial hypertension (95.7%). The overall perioperative death and stroke rate was 7.1%: 2 deaths, one of them related to a stroke, and 3 strokes (confidence interval: 2.4-15.9%). The perioperative death and stroke rate in the symptomatic stenosis group was 0%, and 8.8% in the asymptomatic stenosis group (p=0.163). No specific risk factor of neurologic events has been found except ASA 3 or higher (RR: 3.84 [1.2-12.1]). The mean follow up was 3.6 years (range 2-11.3), no patient was lost to follow-up. The Kaplan-Meier 5-year survival was 52%. The mean time to death was 3.5 years after the operation. Only 16.7% of these deaths were stroke-related. CONCLUSIONS: Multicentric prospective studies, which have determined current recommendations for carotid surgery, did not include patients aged 79 years and older. In this particular population, the good results observed in our institution in the symptomatic carotid stenosis group would support the use of surgical treatment. The perioperative death and stroke rate observed for the asymptomatic group, clearly superior to current recommendations, suggests in our experience and especially for ASA> or =3, an individual evaluation to determinate the best indication.

[Incidence of lung cancer in Bas-Rhin, France: trends and projection for 2014]. / Incidence du cancer du poumon dans le Bas-Rhin: tendance et projections en 2014.

INTRODUCTION: In France lung cancer is the second most common cancer in men and the fourth most common in women. In the department of Bas-Rhin the incidence is increasing by 0.1% per annum in men and by 4.4% in women. The aim is to analyse and predict the trend of lung cancer incidence in Bas-Rhin from 1975 to 2014. METHODS: The incidence data from 1975 to 1999 were extracted from the Bas-Rhin cancer registry. Population estimates (2594 years) were made for the period 1975-2014. Predictions were based on a Bayesian age-period-cohort model. RESULTS: Between 1975 and 1999 the incidence of lung cancer increased by 4.5% p.a. in women. In men it increased by 1.6% p.a. between 1975 and 1989 and then diminished. For the periods 2000-2004, 2005-2009 and 2010-2014 respectively the rates should reach 25.6, 32.9 and 42.8 per 100,000 in women and 117.5, 111.6 and 110.1 per 100,000 in men. CONCLUSIONS: Increasing tobacco smoking among women and a reduction among men could be one of the reasons for the respective increasing and decreasing incidences.

Prognostic factors in primary cutaneous large B-cell lymphomas: a European multicenter study.

PURPOSE: Most primary cutaneous B-cell lymphomas have an excellent prognosis. However, primary cutaneous large B-cell lymphomas (PCLBCLs) of the leg have been recognized as a distinct entity with a poorer prognosis in the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) classification. This distinction on the basis of site has been debated. Our aim was to identify independent prognostic factors in a large European multicenter series of PCLBCL. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The clinical and histologic data of 145 patients with PCLBCL were evaluated. According to the EORTC classification, 48 patients had a PCLBCL of the leg and 97 had a primary cutaneous follicle center-cell lymphoma (PCFCCL). Data from both groups were compared. Univariate and multivariate analyses of specific survival were performed using a Cox proportional hazards model. RESULTS: Compared with PCFCCL, PCLBCL-leg were characterized by an older age of onset, a more recent history of skin lesions, a more frequent predominance of tumor cells with round nuclei and positive bcl-2 staining, and a poorer 5-year disease-specific survival rate (52% v 94%; P <.0001). Univariate survival analysis in the entire study group showed that older age, a more recent onset of skin lesions, the location on the leg, multiple skin lesions, and the round-cell morphology were significantly related to death. In multivariate analysis, the round-cell morphology (P <.0001), the location on the leg (P =.002), and multiple skin lesions (P =.01) remained independent prognostic factors. The round-cell morphology was an adverse prognostic factor both in PCLBCL-leg and in PCFCCL, whereas multiple skin lesions were associated with a poor prognosis only in patients with PCLBCL-leg. CONCLUSION: With site, morphology, and number of tumors taken into account, guidelines for the management of PCLBCL are presented.

[Assessment of a general practitioner training campaign for early detection of cutaneous melanoma in the Haut-Rhin department of France]. / Evaluation d'une campagne de formation des médecins généralistes et des médecins du travail au dépistage du mélanome dans le Haut-Rhin.

INTRODUCTION: Dermatologists frequently provide training for general practitioners, but such training is not systematic and evaluation is rare. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A training campaign for general practitioners and occupational physicians in melanoma screening was carried out in the Haut-Rhin Department of France in 2004. The 630 general practitioners and 120 occupational physicians in this geographic department received repeated mail together with materials (posters and booklets) for their waiting rooms, and they were invited to attend medical training sessions. The sessions consisted of 10 photographs for initial evaluation, provision of epidemiological information, training in identification of subjects at risk and diagnosis of pigmented lesions, with a further 10 photographs for evaluation at the end. The 20 evaluation photographs were randomly selected for each session from 40 photographs comprising 18 cases of melanomas, 14 of nevi, 4 of basal cell carcinomas and 4 of seborrheic keratoses. At the end of each session, the physicians returned 2 anonymous questionnaires containing their overall assessment of the campaign (Q1) and their answers concerning the 20 evaluation photographs (proposed diagnosis and management strategy) (Q2). The questionnaires were then analyzed. The 40 evaluation photographs were also tested on 47 dermatologists. RESULTS: Three hundred and fifty physicians - 278/630 general practitioners (44%) and 72/120 occupational physicians (60%) - attended 18 medical training sessions. Response levels for questionnaires Q1 and Q2 were 88% and 90% respectively. Almost all of the physicians involved considered the campaign to be warranted. At the end of the training sessions, 96% felt they were better equipped to identify subjects at risk for melanoma and 53% (58% of general practitioners and 39% of occupational physicians, p=0.03) felt they had greatly improved their ability to diagnose pigmented lesions. The median number of correct replies concerning the evaluation photographs increased from 6/10 to 7/10 between the initial evaluation photographs and the final evaluation photographs (p<0.0001), with no difference being seen between the general practitioners and occupational physicians. The median number of correct replies from the 47 dermatologists was 35/40 (8.75/10). The most striking improvement noted during the campaign concerned the ability to identify melanomas. The figure rose from an initial 59% at the start of the session (initial evaluation photographs) (versus 86% for the dermatologists) to 84% by the end of the session (final evaluation photographs) (p<0.0001). The management strategy proposed for photographs of melanoma (irrespective of the proposed diagnosis) was judged "appropriate" in 86% of cases at the start of the session versus 94% at the end of the session (p<0.001). Seborrheic keratosis was correctly identified in 43% of cases by the general practitioners/occupational physicians versus 75% by the dermatologists, and was confused with melanoma in 22% of cases by the general practitioners/occupational physicians versus 5% by the dermatologists. No improvement was seen during the training session in terms of the ability of the general practitioners/occupational physicians to correctly identify seborrheic keratosis. The majority of participants indicated their willingness to participate in the screening program and asked to receive information on melanoma on a regular basis. DISCUSSION: This initial study shows the immediate impact of medical training sessions on general practitioners/occupational physicians to be important in terms of sensitization and moderate but significant in terms of improved diagnosis of pigmented lesions. The longer term impact, as well as the impact of the campaign on physicians not taking part in the medical training sessions, remains unknown. This study militates in favor of the involvement of general practitioners and occupational physicians in mass screening for melanoma in collaboration with dermatologists. The 2004 campaign in the Haut-Rhin Department also included information for the general public. The primary evaluation criterion of the campaign will be change in incidence of thick melanomas recorded by the departmental cancer registry.

Improved survival for patients with testicular cancer in Europe since 1978. EUROCARE Working Group.

Within the framework of EUROCARE, a population-based study on survival and care of cancer patients in Europe, we analysed survival of 7426 men with testicular cancer diagnosed between 1985 and 1989 in 17 countries. For comparison between the countries, survival rates were age-standardised to the age structure of the entire study population. Among the participating countries of Northern, Western, Central and Southern Europe and the U.K., the age-standardised 5-year relative survival rate varied from 89% (Finland) to 93% (Spain, Germany). In Eastern Europe, the rate ranged from 48% (Estonia) to 84% (Slovenia). Rates in Poland, Slovakia and Estonia were significantly lower than the summary rate for Europe (P < 0.05). Relative survival generally decreased with the age of patients at diagnosis. Based on the weighted analysis of pooled European data, the 5-year relative survival rate was 91% for patients aged 15-44 years; 85% for patients aged 55-64 years; and 59% for patients aged 75 years and over. The time trend in survival by 3-year periods between 1978 and 1989 was studied on the basis of 12,084 cases provided by 12 countries. From 1978-1980 to 1987-1989, the 5-year relative survival rate for Europe increased from 79 to 93% (P < 0.05). The inequalities in survival between the more developed European countries were more notable in the 1970s than in the 1980s, suggesting that the treatment for testicular cancer became standardised in the latter period. Poorer survival in Eastern Europe and particularly in Estonia, could be related to later introduction of the effective cytotoxic treatments, but also to longer diagnostic delay and limited availability of modern staging procedures.

Multiple primary cancers and estimation of the incidence rates and trends.

The use of different registration rules from one registry to another, both generally and also for paired organs, leads to variations in the proportion of multiple primary cancers: in men, from 0.4 to 4.9% for the colon, 0.1 to 2.7% for the lung, and 4.1 to 8.6% for the mouth and pharynx. Subjective factors, often impossible to verify, contribute to these variations. The impact on the estimation of incidence rates and trends is not negligible for cancers of the mouth and the pharynx and for all the cancers taken together. The trend towards an increase of cancers of the mouth and pharynx in the Bas-Rhin disappeared when the incidence was expressed taking only the first cancer (incidence by individual) into consideration, and the differences in incidence between the Calvados and the Bas-Rhin registries for the same site also disappeared. In the absence of harmonisation of the rules and methods followed for registration, incidence by individual is the only approach which makes it possible to compare incidence rates and trends between registries.

Can we predict very short term survival in small cell lung cancer?

We retrospectively reviewed the charts of 151 consecutive patients diagnosed as small cell lung cancer in our department and who had at least one course of chemotherapy. Nineteen patients died during the first 2 months, of the probability were reported to construct a receiver operating characteristic curve i.e. 13% of the population. The probability of dying within 2 months was investigated through a stepwise logistic regression. A performance status < or = 70 (Karnofsky index), an age > 60, a platelet count < or = 150,000/mm3, elevated alkaline phosphatase and a sodium < or = 135 mmol/l were independent predictors of a very short term survival and contributed to the equation for the probability of dying within a 2-month period. Sensitivity and specificity for various cutoff points characteristic curve allowing one to determine for a given patient his risk of being a very short term survivor. Such an approach could prevent inclusion of patients with high risk of early death in clinical trials and help to choose appropriate treatments for such poor risk patients.

Prognostic value of histology in patients with non-small cell lung cancer.

To evaluate the impact of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) histological subtypes on survival, we performed a retrospective multivariate analysis of survival in 361 patients with a NSCLC diagnosed in 1987 and 1988 at the University Hospital in Strasbourg, France. There were 262 (73%) squamous cell carcinomas (SQ), 59 (16%) adenocarcinomas other than bronchioloalveolar carcinoma (ADOBAC), 24 (7%) bronchioloalveolar carcinoma (BAC) and 16 (4%) large cell carcinomas (LC). The proportion of metastatic disease was significantly higher in the ADOBAC group than in the SQ group (30% vs. 15%, P < 0.001). In operated patients, only extent of disease and age were independent prognostic factors. In patients with unresectable NSCLC, extent of disease had also the heaviest impact on survival. However, in these unresected patients, ADOBAC had a pejorative impact on survival, in contrast to BAC which was of better prognosis. If these results are confirmed by prospective studies, this will support stratification according to histological subtypes in clinical trials involving inoperable NSCLC patients.

Antiphospholipid antibodies and preeclampsia: a case-control study.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the association between the occurrence first of preeclampsia and antiphospholipid antibodies. METHODS: We conducted a prospective case-control study of 180 pregnant women with their first incidents of preeclampsia and no histories of thrombosis or systemic autoimmune diseases. Preeclampsia (n = 180) was defined as blood pressure (BP) at least 140/90 mmHg after 20 weeks' gestation and proteinuria at least 0.3 g per 24 hours. Two control subjects were matched to each case (n = 360). They were pregnant women without hypertension or proteinuria and without histories of thrombosis or systemic autoimmune disease. Lupus anticoagulant (activated partial thromboplastin time, diluted thromboplastin time, platelet neutralization procedure) and anticardiolipin antibodies (immunoenzymatic assays) were assessed in both groups, and the coagulation state (levels of thrombin-antithrombin III complexes, fragments 1 + 2 of prothrombin) was also evaluated. The analysis design was a sequential plan with 5% type I error and 95% power. RESULTS: There was no association between antiphospholipid antibodies and preeclampsia. The odds ratio for the association was 0.95 (95% confidence interval 0.45, 2.61). Antiphospholipid antibodies were detected in eight of 180 preeclamptic women and in 19 of 360 controls. In contrast, there was a clear, confirmed activation of coagulation during preeclampsia. CONCLUSION: Despite evidence of a prothrombotic state during preeclampsia, it is unlikely that antiphospholipid antibodies (lupus anticoagulant and anticardiolipin antibodies) represent risk factors for preeclampsia among women with no previous preeclampsia and no histories of thrombosis or systemic autoimmune disease.

Striking increase of thin melanomas contrasts with stable incidence of thick melanomas.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to analyze the temporal evolution of melanoma incidence in the department of the Bas-Rhin, France, and to study the evolution of tumor thickness. DESIGN: Retrospective study including all histologically proven melanomas recorded at the cancer registry of the department of the Bas-Rhin between January 1980 and December 1992 and at the Cutaneous Histopathology Department of the University Hospitals, Strasbourg, between January 1980 and December 1997. SETTING: Population-based cancer registry and academic cutaneous histopathology department. PATIENTS: A total of 1254 patients with histologically proven melanomas. INTERVENTION: None. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Temporal evolution of melanoma incidence and tumor thickness. RESULTS: The mean (SD) and median tumor thicknesses were 1.48 (1.59) mm and 0.87 mm, respectively, and they decreased during the study period. The increase in the number of melanomas was mainly related to an increase of superficial spreading melanomas in both sexes. The number of intermediate melanomas (1-2 mm) in both sexes and the number of melanomas with a Breslow index between 2 and 4 mm in women increased only slightly. The number of melanomas with a Breslow index greater than 2 mm in men and greater than 4 mm in women remained stable during the reference period. CONCLUSION: A striking increase in incidence of thin melanomas contrasts with a stable incidence of thick melanomas.

Type 2 diabetes mellitus: association study of five candidate genes in an Indian population of Guadeloupe, genetic contribution of FABP2 polymorphism.

We studied by PCR-RFLP 6 polymorphisms in these 5 candidate genes: Ala54Thr in the fatty acid binding protein 2 gene (FABP2), A to G substitution in the uncoupling protein type 1 gene (UCP1), Asp905Tyr in the protein phosphatase type 1 gene (PP1G), Trp64Arg in the human beta 3 adrenergic receptor gene (beta 3AR) and 2 RFLP sites of the vitamin D receptor (VDR) gene (VDRTaq1 and VDRApa1). This study was conducted among 89 cases and 100 controls matched according to age, gender and absence of first degree family link (11 triplets with 2 controls for 1 case and 78 pairs with 1 control for 1 case). Cases and controls were taken among a sample of 429 individuals selected for the study of the prevalence of diabetes in this ethnic group from Guadeloupe. By conditional logistic regression analysis, there was a significant relation (p = 0.02) between the Ala54Thr FABP2 polymorphism and Type 2 DM. Multivariate analysis discriminate the FABP2 polymorphism (p = 0.10), a triglyceridemia over 2 g/l (p < 10(-3)) and high blood pressure (p = 10(-2)) as variables associated with Type 2 DM in this population. These findings suggest that FABP2 does not represent a major gene for Type 2 DM in this migrant Indian population living in Guadeloupe, but seems to be related to the metabolic insulin resistance syndrome.

Ten-year trends of dietary intake in a middle-aged French population: relationship with educational level.

OBJECTIVE: To compare dietary intakes at a 10 y interval of a population aged 35-64 living in France. Trends in nutrient intake and food consumption were examined with a special emphasis on the relationships between educational level and dietary behaviour. DESIGN: Two independent surveys conducted in 1985-1987 (S1) and 1995-1997 (S2) in the framework of the WHO MONICA project. Dietary intake was assessed with a 3-day record method and a food frequency questionnaire. The samples analysed included 416 men and 446 women for S1, 393 men and 409 women for S2. RESULTS: A significant improvement of the quality of fat intake was observed between S1 and S2, independently of educational level, with an increase of the age adjusted P/S ratio from 0.42 to 0.50 in men (P=10(-4)) and from 0.41 to 0.50 in women (P=10(-4)), whereas the daily cholesterol intake dropped from 552.0 to 466.9 mg and from 447.2 to 384.6 mg in men and women, respectively (P=10(-4)). These variations were associated with a decrease in the consumption of high-fat foods and an increase in that of low-fat products (poultry, low-fat dairy foods, fish) in all educational classes. By contrast, the consumption of fruit and vegetables, which was highly associated with educational level, varied little over time. CONCLUSIONS: Our results indicate slight improvement in fat quality, independently of educational level, while fruit and vegetable intake, which appeared more dependent on educational level, was only poorly modified over the 10 y interval.

Caries prevalence and salt fluoridation among 9-year-old schoolchildren in Strasbourg, France.

The 9-year-old group (236 children) of an epidemiological study carried out in 1991 in Strasbourg on children aged 6 to 15 years was selected with the aim of determining if the caries prevalence reduction observed could be related to the use of salt fluoridation (FS) introduced in France in 1987. From these 236 children, 143 answered a questionnaire which showed that 36 of them were fluoridated salt users and 107 were not. The dft index was significantly lower in the FS consumers which showed 35.5% dft reduction compared to the non-FS-consuming children. When using the Generalized Linear Model, this reduction was significant (P = 0.03). Although lower in the FS group, the DMFT and DMFS indices showed no statistical significant difference. It appeared that 72.2% of the users took simultaneously fluoride tablets but no dental fluorosis was observed. The use of fluoride tablets had a significant effect on the DMFS (P = 10(-2)). The children who consumed FS used more frequently fluoridated mouthrinses (P = 10(-3)) and had more frequent professional application of fluoridated gel and varnishes than non-consumers (P = 0.02). The DMFS index increased with the number of meals (P = 10(-6)), which was the most significant variable entered into the Generalized Linear Model. The children who brushed their teeth once a day had a DMFS value 2.6 times higher than those who brushed regularly three times a day (P = 10(-3)). The DMFS value was 4.4 times higher among the children who brushed their teeth irregularly when compared with those who brushed three times a day (P = 10(-2)).

[Incidence of colorectal cancer in Bas-Rhin, trend and prediction in 2009]. / Incidence du cancer colorectal dans le Bas-Rhin: tendance et projection jusqu'en 2009.

The colorectal cancer is one of the three most frequent cancers. It concerns more and more men and women and is a of heavy consequence for mortality and treatment. This study attempted to predict the incidence and the number of incident cases of colorectal cancer. The analysis is a Poisson regression based on an age-period-cohort model. The predicted value of the incidence of colon cancer, standardized on the world population (25-89 years old), is increasing with time: it is, in 2005-2009, 41.5 for 100,000 for the women and 104.9 for 100,000 for the men. For rectum cancer, the predicted value of incidence is, in 2005-2009, 22.9 for 100,000 for the women and 37.2 for 100, 000 for the men. During the period 2005-2009, the number of incident cases is, for colon, 1,195 women (the mean increase, every ten years, is 31%) and 2,254 men (the mean increase, every ten years, is 65%). During the same period, the number of incident cases is, for rectum, 640 women (the mean increase, every ten years, is 24%) and 807 men (the mean increase every ten years is 14%). These results are similar to those of other studies in Europe and in the World.

[Incidence of cancers and socio-professional status: data from the Bas-Rhin tumor Registry from 1975 to 1979]. / Incidence des cancers et statut socio-professionnel: données du Registre des tumeurs du Bas-Rhin de 1975 à 1979.

Data recorded in the Bas-Rhin cancer registry from 1975 to 1979 were used for studying the relationship between the incidence of some categories of cancer and social class. The relative risks associated with specific standardized incidence ratio (SIOR) of each cancer and social class were measured. Most of the results do not differ from other studies in developed countries. This study shows a positive gradient for colorectal cancers (SIOR = 58.4 in the lower class, 144.5 (non significant) in the upper class) and a negative gradient for cancers of the upper respiratory tract (SIOR = 51.5 in the upper class, 140.9 in the lower class). Urinary cancers (kidney, bladder) are not distributed as usual (SIOR = 201.5 in the upper class, 63.6 in the lower class). The validity of the measurement indices (SIR, SIOR, SPIR) is discussed.

[Influence of knowledge relative to cancer on prevention behavior in the population of Bas-Rhin]. / Influence des connaissances relatives au cancer sur les comportements de prévention dans la population du Bas-Rhin.

The tendency today is to make the population more aware of health in order to encourage their use of prevention activities. The aim of our telephone survey which was performed on a representative sample of the population (1,010) in the Bas-Rhin department in France, was to study the relationship between the level of knowledge of cancer and the use of screening techniques to prevent it. Eighty-two percent of the males and 78% of the females surveyed, show a profound understanding of cancer in general, the associated risk factors and its prevention. The level of awareness of males did not influence a specific behaviour (p = 0.68) towards cancer prevention. It was shown that in smokers, the more they smoke, the more they underestimate the chances of cure from all categories of cancer (p = 0.01). They both overestimate the number of cigarettes needed daily before smoking becomes toxic (p < 0.01) and are less active physically than nonsmokers (p < 0.007). Heavy smokers live in larger communities (p < 0.02) and smokers are younger than non-smokers (p < 0.0001). In the female population, the level of awareness did indeed influence their behaviour towards cancer prevention (p < 0.04). The level of knowledge was higher in both those who consciously attend cancer screening clinics (cervical Papanicolaou smears and faecal tests) and those who are opposed to faecal tests. Younger females are significantly less aware than those who are older (p = 0.0001) and more than two-thirds of these would not consider a cervical Papanicolaou smear as a preventative diagnostic tool. Females who conscientiously attend cancer screening clinics and who are very much aware of cancer, are generally older in age (p < 0.05). The occurrence of mammography as a preventative measure is both high and dependent on age. In conclusion, the level of knowledge of cancer cannot explain alone human behaviour towards the prevention of this disease. Other determinants responsible for influencing human behaviour towards cancer prevention will be better understood once the social sciences, epidemiology and anthropology units work together and combine resources to achieve a common goal.

Use of the generalised linear model with Poisson distribution to compare caries indices.

In dental epidemiological studies, an analysis of variance assuming a normal distribution is commonly used to compare caries indices, which are often not normally distributed. As these indices represent discontinuous data, it would be preferable to use the negative binomial or the Poisson distribution. In this study, in order to compare the DMFS indices of adults working in the confectionery manufacturing industry in France, the results of the generalised linear model obtained using the normal and the Poisson distribution with identity or log built-in link function were compared. The negative binomial distribution was not used because it is very often unavailable in the most used statistical software. Analysis of the caries indices showed that the use of the normal distribution could lead to an incorrect interpretation of the data. Therefore it is concluded that the generalised linear model with Poisson distribution and over dispersion is to be preferred when comparing caries levels.