Glycemia and Gluconeogenesis With Metformin and Liraglutide: A Randomized Trial in Youth-onset Type 2 Diabetes.

Objective: Elevated rates of gluconeogenesis are an early pathogenic feature of youth-onset type 2 diabetes (Y-T2D), but targeted first-line therapies are suboptimal, especially in African American (AA) youth. We evaluated glucose-lowering mechanisms of metformin and liraglutide by measuring rates of gluconeogenesis and β-cell function after therapy in AA Y-T2D.

Methods: In this parallel randomized clinical trial, 22 youth with Y-T2D-age 15.

Reevaluating First-line Therapies in Youth-Onset Type 2 Diabetes.

The prevalence of youth-onset type 2 diabetes is growing worldwide and current first-line treatment with metformin and intensive behavior and lifestyle changes are suboptimal in over 50% of youth within 2 years of diagnosis. This perspective article is a call to action for reevaluation of existing strategies and critical appraisal of metformin as first-line therapy in youth-onset type 2 diabetes. Increased attention should be given to novel therapeutics approved in youth, including glucagon-like 1 receptor agonists, sodium glucose cotransporter-2, and sociocultural interventions that will promote diabetes self-management.

The Incidence and Prevalence of Primary Central Nervous System (CNS) Tumours in Canada (2010-2017), and the Survival of Patients Diagnosed with CNS Tumours (2008-2017).

Primary central nervous system (CNS) tumours are heterogeneous, with different treatment pathways and prognoses depending on their histological and molecular classification. Due to their anatomical location, all CNS tumours, regardless of malignancy, can be debilitating. We used vital statistics linked to Canadian Cancer Registry data to estimate the age-standardized incidence rates (ASIR), Kaplan-Meier survival rates (SR), and limited-duration prevalence proportions (PP) of 25 histology-specific CNS tumour groups that were classified based on site and histology.

Incidence and survival of primary central nervous system tumors diagnosed in 4 Canadian provinces from 2010 to 2015.

Background: The Brain Tumor Registry of Canada was established in 2016 to enhance infrastructure for surveillance and clinical research on Central Nervous System (CNS) tumors. We present information on primary CNS tumors diagnosed among residents of Canada from 2010 to 2015.

Methods: Data from 4 provincial cancer registries were analyzed representing approximately 67% of the Canadian population.

Genome Sequences of Bacteriophages Fabian, FlowerPower, Geostin, RetrieverFever, and Vorvolakos.

This paper reports the genome sequences of five bacteriophages that were isolated using Streptomyces scabiei. Phages Fabian, FlowerPower, Geostin, RetrieverFever, and Vorvolakos were assigned to actinobacteriophage cluster BF based on shared gene content, with each phage containing between 16 and 21 tRNA genes.

Brain Metastases among Cancer Patients Diagnosed from 2010-2017 in Canada: Incidence Proportion at Diagnosis and Estimated Lifetime Incidence.

The incidence of BM among Canadian cancer patients is unknown. We aimed to estimate IP of BM at the time of cancer diagnosis and during the lifetime of patients with selected primary cancers. Data on BM at diagnosis from 2010-2017 was obtained from the CCR.

Head and neck squamous cell carcinomas among males of the three largest Asian diasporas in the US, 2004-2013.

Background: Head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCC) have not been fully examined in the Asian diasporas in the US, despite certain Asian countries having the highest incidence of specific HNSCCs.

Methods: National Cancer Database was used to compare 1046 Chinese, 887 South Asian (Indian/Pakistani), and 499 Filipino males to 156,927 Non-Hispanic White (NHW) males diagnosed with HNSCC between 2004-2013. Multinomial logistic regression was used to assess the association of race/ethnicity with two outcomes - site group and late-stage diagnosis.

Clinical Uncertainty and Equipoise in the Management of Recurrent Glioblastoma.

Background: A significant proportion of glioblastoma (GBM) patients are considered for repeat resection, but evidence regarding best management remains elusive. Our aim was to measure the degree of clinical uncertainty regarding reoperation for patients with recurrent GBM.

Methods: We first performed a systematic review of agreement studies examining the question of repeat resection for recurrent GBM.

The Importance of Cancer Registry Linkage for Studying Rare Cancers in Prospective Cohorts.

Large prospective cohort studies may offer an opportunity to study the etiology and natural history of rare cancers. Cancer diagnoses in observational cohort studies are often self-reported. Little information exists on the validity of self-reported cancer diagnosis, especially rare cancers, in Canada.

A machine learning approach to predict ethnicity using personal name and census location in Canada.

Background: Canada is an ethnically-diverse country, yet its lack of ethnicity information in many large databases impedes effective population research and interventions. Automated ethnicity classification using machine learning has shown potential to address this data gap but its performance in Canada is largely unknown. This study conducted a large-scale machine learning framework to predict ethnicity using a novel set of name and census location features.

Case-Completeness of Nonmalignant Central Nervous System Tumors in the Canadian Cancer Registry, 2011-2015.

Introduction: The public health burden of nonmalignant central nervous system tumors (NMCNSTs) in Canada is unclear because casefinding and registration have historically been incomplete. The primary objective of this study is to quantify case-completeness of NMCNSTs in the Canadian Cancer Registry (CCR) using US Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results Program (SEER) rates as the standard.

Methods: Counts, distributions, and age-standardized incidence rates (ASIRs) for malignant central nervous system tumors (MCNSTs) and NMCNSTs by sex, age, site, histology, tumor size, World Health Organization (WHO) grade, and year of diagnosis were estimated for the United States and Canada (excluding Quebec) for the time period 2011-2015 using SEER and CCR data, respectively.

The Impact of Hospital Discharge Linkage on Case Ascertainment of Brain Tumors in the Alberta Cancer Registry, 2010-2015.

Background: Concern has been raised regarding the underreporting of nonmalignant central nervous system tumors. This study addressed this issue with 2 objectives: (1) evaluate the impact of linkage with hospital discharges, as recorded in the Discharge Abstract Database (DAD), on supplementing case ascertainment for brain tumors, and (2) identify potential barriers for initial registration of brain tumors in the Alberta Cancer Registry.

Methods: All patients with a brain tumor diagnosed and residing in Alberta from 2010 to 2015 were extracted, after the DAD review, from the Alberta Cancer Registry (ACR).

Malignant primary brain and other central nervous system tumors diagnosed in Canada from 2009 to 2013.

Background: We present a national surveillance report on malignant primary brain and other central nervous system (CNS) tumors diagnosed in the Canadian population in 2009-2013.

Methods: Patients were identified through the Canadian Cancer Registry, an administrative dataset that includes cancer incidence data from all provinces/territories in Canada. Tumor types were classified by site and histology using the definitions from the Central Brain Tumor Registry of the United States (CBTRUS).

Renal cell carcinoma risk associated with lower intake of micronutrients.

Kidney cancer incidence in African Americans (AA) is higher than among European Americans (EA); reasons for this disparity are not fully known. Dietary micronutrients may have a protective effect on renal cell carcinoma (RCC) development by inhibiting oxidative DNA damage and tumor growth. We evaluated whether any micronutrient associations differed by race in the US Kidney Cancer Study.

Application of mutagen sensitivity assay in a glioma case-control study.

Few risk factors for glioma have been identified other than ionizing radiation. The alkylating agent acrylamide is a compound found in both occupational and the general environment and identified as one of the forty known or suspected neurocarcinogens in animal models. The mutagen sensitivity assay (MSA) has been used to indirectly show reduced DNA repair capacity upon exposure to ionizing radiation in those with glioma compared to controls.

On Capturing Radiological Diagnoses of Brain Tumors to Provide Complete Population Data in Cancer Registries in Canada.

Nonmalignant brain tumors are underreported by an estimated 60% in Canadian cancer registries. One explanation is that radiology facilities or their databases may not be adequately included in the cancer reporting infrastructure. A multidisciplinary stakeholder team met for 1 day, followed by teleconferences, to discuss the evidence for the importance of incorporating radiology diagnoses in brain tumor reports.

Genome-wide association study of glioma subtypes identifies specific differences in genetic susceptibility to glioblastoma and non-glioblastoma tumors.

Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have transformed our understanding of glioma susceptibility, but individual studies have had limited power to identify risk loci. We performed a meta-analysis of existing GWAS and two new GWAS, which totaled 12,496 cases and 18,190 controls. We identified five new loci for glioblastoma (GBM) at 1p31.

Measures of economic advantage associated with HPV-positive head and neck cancers among non-Hispanic black and white males identified through the National Cancer Database.

Background: National trends show dramatic increases in the incidence of HPV-related head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCCs) among black and white males. Using cases identified through the National Cancer Data Base, we assessed factors associated with HPV 16- or 16/18 positive HNSCCs among non-Hispanic black and white males diagnosed in the U.S.

Antihypertensive medication use and risk of renal cell carcinoma.

Purpose: Use of antihypertensive medications has been associated with renal cell carcinoma (RCC), but it is unclear whether specific types of medications increase RCC risk independent of the effect of hypertension, or whether the association varies by histologic subtype. To address this question, we analyzed data from a U.S.

Case Ascertainment of Pediatric Brain Tumours: The Alberta Experience.

Estimates suggest that brain tumors are underreported in the Alberta Cancer Registry (ACR). While the reporting of malignant tumors is thought to be complete in cancer registries across Canada, the reporting of benign tumors is estimated at 33 percent of the actual number of cases expected within the country.6 There are many international studies that highlight the issues of underreporting of benign brain tumors in cancer registries.