Breast cancer in South-Eastern European countries since 2000: Rising incidence and decreasing mortality at young and middle ages.

Background: Marked variations exist in the incidence and mortality trends of major cancers in South-Eastern European (SEE) countries which have now been detailed by age for breast cancer (BC) to seek clues for improvement.

Methods: We brought together and analysed data from 14 cancer registries (CRs), situated in SEE countries or directly adjacent. Age-standardised rate at world standard (ASRw) and truncated incidence and mortality rates during 2000-2010 by year, and for four age groups, were calculated.

Disparities in melanoma incidence and mortality in South-Eastern Europe: Increasing incidence and divergent mortality patterns. Is progress around the corner?

Introduction: Most countries in South-Eastern Europe (SEE) have lower incidence, but higher mortality rates of malignant melanoma (MM) of the skin compared to North-Western Europe (NWE). We explored trends in MM incidence and mortality in SEE countries by sex and age and compared them with the trends in NWE.

Methods: We obtained data on incident cases and deaths from MM (ICD-10 code C43) from 11 population-based cancer registries in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Malta, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia and Turkey.

Survival variations by country and age for lymphoid and myeloid malignancies in Europe 2000-2007: Results of EUROCARE-5 population-based study.

Background: Significant advances in the management of patients with lymphoid and myeloid malignancies entered clinical practice in the early 2000's. The EUROCARE-5 study database provides an opportunity to assess the impact of these changes at the population level by country in Europe. We provide survival estimates for clinically relevant haematological malignancies (HM), using the International Classification of Diseases for Oncology 3, by country, gender and age in Europe.

General Practitioners' intention to prescribe and prescribing patterns in selected European settings: The OTCSOCIOMED project.

The aim of this paper is to explore general practitioners' (GPs) prescribing intentions and patterns across different European regions using the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB). A cross-sectional study was undertaken in selected geographically defined Primary Health Care areas in Cyprus, Czech Republic (CZ), France, Greece, Malta, Sweden and Turkey. Face-to-face interviews were conducted using a TPB-based questionnaire.

Irrational prescribing of over-the-counter (OTC) medicines in general practice: testing the feasibility of an educational intervention among physicians in five European countries.

Background: Irrational prescribing of over-the-counter (OTC) medicines in general practice is common in Southern Europe. Recent findings from a research project funded by the European Commission (FP7), the "OTC SOCIOMED", conducted in seven European countries, indicate that physicians in countries in the Mediterranean Europe region prescribe medicines to a higher degree in comparison to physicians in other participating European countries. In light of these findings, a feasibility study has been designed to explore the acceptance of a pilot educational intervention targeting physicians in general practice in various settings in the Mediterranean Europe region.

Cancer incidence and mortality patterns in South Eastern Europe in the last decade: gaps persist compared with the rest of Europe.

Introduction: Cancer registration coverage and cancer control programmes in South Eastern (SE) Europe, embracing about six new EU member states, remain thin, despite a relatively high incidence and mortality burden from avoidable cancers, particularly in males. We assembled the most recent cancer registry data to estimate the burden of the 17 most common cancers in the region, from Slovenia to Cyprus and Malta.

Methods: Data were made available for analysis from Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Malta, Romania (Cluj County), Serbia, Slovenia and Turkey (Antalya and Izmir provinces).