Cohort profile: the South African HIV Cancer Match (SAM) Study, a national population-based cohort.

Purpose: The South African HIV Cancer Match (SAM) Study is a national cohort of people living with HIV (PLWH). It was created using probabilistic record linkages of routine laboratory records of PLWH retrieved by National Health Laboratory Services (NHLS) and cancer data from the National Cancer Registry. The SAM Study aims to assess the spectrum and risk of cancer in PLWH in the context of the evolving South African HIV epidemic.

Cohort-based association study of germline genetic variants with acute and chronic health complications of childhood cancer and its treatment: Genetic Risks for Childhood Cancer Complications Switzerland (GECCOS) study protocol.

Introduction: Childhood cancer and its treatment may lead to various health complications. Related impairment in quality of life, excess in deaths and accumulated healthcare costs are relevant. Genetic variations are suggested to contribute to the wide inter-individual variability of complications but have been used only rarely to risk-stratify treatment and follow-up care.

Cancer incidence among people living with HIV in Zimbabwe: A record linkage study.

Background: People living with HIV (PLWH) are at increased risk of developing cancer. Cancer diagnoses are often incompletely captured at antiretroviral therapy (ART) clinics.

Aim: To estimate the incidence and explore risk factors of cancer in a cohort of PLWH in Harare using probabilistic record linkage (PRL).

Predictors for participation in DNA self-sampling of childhood cancer survivors in Switzerland.

Background: Research on germline genetic variants relies on enough eligible participants which is difficult to achieve for rare diseases such as childhood cancer. With self-collection kits, participants can contribute genetic samples conveniently from their home. Demographic and clinical factors were identified previously that influenced participation in mailed self-collection.

Cancer in HIV-positive and HIV-negative adolescents and young adults in South Africa: a cross-sectional study.

Objective: To determine the spectrum of cancers in adolescents and young adults (AYAs) living with and without HIV in South Africa.

Design: Cross-sectional study with cancer records provided by the National Cancer Registry (NCR) and HIV records from the National Health Laboratory Service (NHLS).

Setting And Participants: The NHLS is the largest provider of pathology services in the South African public sector.

Data linkage to evaluate the long-term risk of HIV infection in individuals seeking post-exposure prophylaxis.

Evidence on the long-term risk of HIV infection in individuals taking HIV post-exposure prophylaxis remains limited. In this retrospective data linkage study, we evaluate the occurrence of HIV infection in 975 individuals who sought post-exposure prophylaxis in a tertiary hospital between 2007 and 2013. Using privacy preserving probabilistic linkage, we link these 975 records with two observational databases providing data on HIV events (Zurich Primary HIV Infection study and the Swiss HIV Cohort Study).

The burden of cancers associated with HIV in the South African public health sector, 2004-2014: a record linkage study.

Introduction: The impact of South Africa's high human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) burden on cancer risk is not fully understood, particularly in the context of antiretroviral treatment (ART) availability. We examined national cancer trends and excess cancer risk in people living with HIV (PLHIV) compared to those who are HIV-negative.

Methods: We used probabilistic record linkage to match cancer records provided by the National Cancer Registry to HIV data provided by the National Health Laboratory Service (NHLS).

High Cancer Burden Among Antiretroviral Therapy Users in Malawi: A Record Linkage Study of Observational Human Immunodeficiency Virus Cohorts and Cancer Registry Data.

Background: With antiretroviral therapy (ART), AIDS-defining cancer incidence has declined and non-AIDS-defining cancers (NADCs) are now more frequent among human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected populations in high-income countries. In sub-Saharan Africa, limited epidemiological data describe cancer burden among ART users.

Methods: We used probabilistic algorithms to link cases from the population-based cancer registry with electronic medical records supporting ART delivery in Malawi's 2 largest HIV cohorts from 2000-2010.

Occupational extremely low frequency magnetic fields (ELF-MF) exposure and hematolymphopoietic cancers - Swiss National Cohort analysis and updated meta-analysis.

Purpose: Previous studies have examined risks of leukaemia and selected lymphoid malignancies in workers exposed to extremely low frequency magnetic fields (ELF-MF). Most studies evaluated hematolymphopoietic malignancies as a combined category, but some analyses suggested that effects may be contained to some specific leukaemia or lymphoma subtypes, with inconsistent results.

Methods: We examined exposure to ELF-MF and mortality 1990-2008 from different types of hematolymphopoietic cancers in the Swiss National Cohort, using a job exposure matrix for occupations recorded at censuses 1990 and 2000.

HIV-1 Drug Resistance and Third-Line Therapy Outcomes in Patients Failing Second-Line Therapy in Zimbabwe.

Objectives: To analyze the patterns and risk factors of HIV drug resistance mutations among patients failing second-line treatment and to describe early treatment responses to recommended third-line antiretroviral therapy (ART) in a national referral HIV clinic in Zimbabwe.

Methods: Patients on boosted protease inhibitor (PI) regimens for more than 6 months with treatment failure confirmed by 2 viral load (VL) tests >1000 copies/mL were genotyped, and susceptibility to available antiretroviral drugs was estimated by the Stanford HIVdb program. Risk factors for major PI resistance were assessed by logistic regression.

Data management of clinical trials during an outbreak of Ebola virus disease.

Introduction: Clinical trial data management (DM) conducted during outbreaks like that of Ebola virus disease (EVD) in West Africa, 2014-2016, has to adapt to specific, unique circumstances. CTU Bern was asked to set up a safe data capture/management system that could be launched within a few weeks and cover two different vaccine trials. This article describes some of the challenges we faced and our solutions during the two different trials.

Parental occupational exposure to benzene and the risk of childhood cancer: A census-based cohort study.

Background: Previous studies on occupational exposures in parents and cancer risks in their children support a link between solvents and paints with childhood leukaemia. Few studies have focused specifically on benzene.

Objectives: To examine whether parental occupational exposure to benzene is associated with an increased cancer risk in a census-based cohort of children.

On the plausibility of socioeconomic mortality estimates derived from linked data: a demographic approach.

Background: Reliable estimates of mortality according to socioeconomic status play a crucial role in informing the policy debate about social inequality, social cohesion, and exclusion as well as about the reform of pension systems. Linked mortality data have become a gold standard for monitoring socioeconomic differentials in survival. Several approaches have been proposed to assess the quality of the linkage, in order to avoid the misclassification of deaths according to socioeconomic status.

Bioimpedance-Derived Phase Angle and Mortality Among Older People.

Background: Phase angle measured by bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) may be a marker of health state.

Objective: This historical cohort study of prospectively collected BIA measurements aims to investigate the link between phase angle and mortality in older people and evaluate whether a phase angle cutoff can be defined.

Design: We included all adults aged ≥65 years who underwent a BIA measurement by the Nutriguard device at the Geneva University Hospitals.

Adherence to Antiretroviral Therapy During and After Pregnancy: Cohort Study on Women Receiving Care in Malawi's Option B+ Program.

Background: Adherence to antiretroviral therapy (ART) is crucial to preventing mother-to-child transmission of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and ensuring the long-term effectiveness of ART, yet data are sparse from African routine care programs on maternal adherence to triple ART.

Methods: We analyzed data from women who started ART at 13 large health facilities in Malawi between September 2011 and October 2013. We defined adherence as the percentage of days "covered" by pharmacy claims.

Impact of body composition changes on risk of all-cause mortality in older adults.

Purpose: This study evaluates the relationship between body mass index (BMI), fat mass index (FMI) and fat-free mass index (FFMI) changes and mortality in persons ≥65 years.

Methods: Adults ≥65 years with at least two body composition measurements (BCM) between 1990 and 2011 were included. We excluded persons who died within one month of the second BCM and who had two single BCM in a one-month timeframe.

Record linkage to correct under-ascertainment of cancers in HIV cohorts: The Sinikithemba HIV clinic linkage project.

The surveillance of HIV-related cancers in South Africa is hampered by the lack of systematic collection of cancer diagnoses in HIV cohorts and the absence of HIV status in cancer registries. To improve cancer ascertainment and estimate cancer incidence, we linked records of adults (aged ≥ 16 years) on antiretroviral treatment (ART) enrolled at Sinikithemba HIV clinic, McCord Hospital in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) with the cancer records of public laboratories in KZN province using probabilistic record linkage (PRL) methods. We calculated incidence rates for all cancers, Kaposi sarcoma (KS), cervix, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and non-AIDS defining cancers (NADCs) before and after inclusion of linkage-identified cancers with 95% confidence intervals (CIs).

Retention in care during the first 3 years of antiretroviral therapy for women in Malawi's option B+ programme: an observational cohort study.

Background: Studies of Malawi's option B+ programme for HIV-positive pregnant and breastfeeding women have reported high loss to follow-up during pregnancy and at the start of antiretroviral therapy (ART), but few data exist about retention during breastfeeding and after weaning. We examined loss to follow-up and retention in care in patients in the option B+ programme during their first 3 years on ART.

Methods: We analysed two data sources: aggregated facility-level data about patients in option B+ who started ART between Oct 1, 2011, and June 30, 2012, at 546 health facilities; and patient-level data from 20 large facilities with electronic medical record system for HIV-positive women who started ART between Sept 1, 2011, and Dec 31, 2013, under option B+ or because they had WHO clinical stages 3 or 4 disease or had CD4 counts of less than 350 cells per μL.

Incidence of AIDS-defining and Other Cancers in HIV-positive Children in South Africa: Record Linkage Study.

Background: Little is known on the risk of cancer in HIV-positive children in sub-Saharan Africa. We examined incidence and risk factors of AIDS-defining and other cancers in pediatric antiretroviral therapy (ART) programs in South Africa.

Methods: We linked the records of 5 ART programs in Johannesburg and Cape Town to those of pediatric oncology units, based on name and surname, date of birth, folder and civil identification numbers.

Socioeconomic disparities in childhood cancer survival in Switzerland.

In this study, we investigated whether childhood cancer survival in Switzerland is influenced by socioeconomic status (SES), and if disparities vary by type of cancer and definition of SES (parental education, living condition, area-based SES). Using Cox proportional hazards models, we analyzed 5-year cumulative mortality in all patients registered in the Swiss Childhood Cancer Registry diagnosed 1991-2006 below 16 years. Information on SES was extracted from the Swiss census by probabilistic record linkage.

Independent at heart: persistent association of altitude with ischaemic heart disease mortality after consideration of climate, topography and built environment.

Background: Living at higher altitude was dose-dependently associated with lower risk of ischaemic heart disease (IHD). Higher altitudes have different climatic, topographic and built environment properties than lowland regions. It is unclear whether these environmental factors mediate/confound the association between altitude and IHD.