Rectal squamous cell carcinoma in immunosuppressed populations: is this a distinct entity from anal cancer?

Objective: Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the rectum is rare, but as with anal cancer, risk may be increased among immunosuppressed individuals. We assessed risk of rectal SCC in HIV-infected people.

Design: Population-based registry.

Risk of merkel cell carcinoma after solid organ transplantation.

Background: Solid organ transplant recipients have elevated risks of virus-related cancers, in part because of long-term immunosuppression. Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) is an aggressive skin cancer recently found to have a viral origin, but little is known regarding the occurrence of MCC after transplant.

Methods: We linked the US Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients with data from 15 population-based cancer registries to ascertain MCC occurrence among 189498 solid organ transplant recipients from 1987 to 2009.

The impact of National Death Index linkages on population-based cancer survival rates in the United States.

Background: In order to ensure accurate survival estimates, population-based cancer registries must ascertain all, or nearly all, patients diagnosed with cancer in their catchment area, and obtain complete follow-up information on all deaths that occurred among registered cancer patients. In the US, linkage with state death records may not be sufficient to ascertain all deaths. Since 1979, all state vital statistics offices have reported their death certificate information to the National Death Index (NDI).

Spectrum of cancer risk among US solid organ transplant recipients.

Context: Solid organ transplant recipients have elevated cancer risk due to immunosuppression and oncogenic viral infections. Because most prior research has concerned kidney recipients, large studies that include recipients of differing organs can inform cancer etiology.

Objective: To describe the overall pattern of cancer following solid organ transplantation.

Impact of using multiple causes of death codes to compute site-specific, death certificate-based cancer mortality statistics in the United States.

Background: Cancer mortality statistics, an important indicator for monitoring cancer burden, are traditionally restricted to instances when cancer is determined to be the underlying cause of death (UCD) based on information recorded on standard certificates of death. This study's objective was to determine the impact of using multiple causes of death codes to compute site-specific cancer mortality statistics.

Methods: The state cancer registries of California, Colorado and Idaho provided linked cancer registry and death certificate data for individuals who died between 2002 and 2004, had at least one cancer listed on their death certificate and were diagnosed with cancer between 1993 and 2004.

The accuracy of cancer mortality statistics based on death certificates in the United States.

Background: One measure of the accuracy of cancer mortality statistics is the concordance between cancer defined as the underlying cause of death from death certificates and cancer diagnoses recorded in central, population-based cancer registries. Previous studies of such concordance are outdated.

Objective: To characterize the accuracy of cancer mortality statistics from the concordance between cancer cause of death and primary cancer site at diagnosis.

Factors associated with initial treatment and survival for clinically localized prostate cancer: results from the CDC-NPCR Patterns of Care Study (PoC1).

Background: Despite the large number of men diagnosed with localized prostate cancer, there is as yet no consensus concerning appropriate treatment. The purpose of this study was to describe the initial treatment patterns for localized prostate cancer in a population-based sample and to determine the clinical and patient characteristics associated with initial treatment and overall survival.

Methods: The analysis included 3,300 patients from seven states, diagnosed with clinically localized prostate cancer in 1997.

The impact of socioeconomic status on survival after cancer in the United States : findings from the National Program of Cancer Registries Patterns of Care Study.

Background: Understanding the ways in which socioeconomic status (SES) affects mortality is important for defining strategies to eliminate the unequal burden of cancer by race and ethnicity in the United States.

Methods: Disease stage, treatment, and 5-year mortality rates were ascertained by reviewing medical records, and SES was determined by analyzing income and education at the census tract level for 4844 women with breast cancer, 4332 men with prostate cancer, and 4422 men and women with colorectal cancer who were diagnosed in 7 U.S.

Cancer risk in people infected with human immunodeficiency virus in the United States.

Data are limited regarding cancer risk in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected persons with modest immunosuppression, before the onset of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). For some cancers, risk may be affected by highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) widely available since 1996. We linked HIV/AIDS and cancer registries in Colorado, Florida and New Jersey.

Rising incidence of oropharyngeal cancer and the role of oncogenic human papilloma virus.

Objectives/hypothesis: To document the increasing incidence of oropharyngeal (OP) cancer and to provide evidence that this increase is caused by oncogenic human papilloma virus (HPV).

Study Design: Epidemiologic review and retrospective case series analysis.

Methods: We collected data from Colorado and the United States comparing the average annual age-adjusted incidence rates of OP and non-OP head and neck cancer between the periods 1980 to 1990 and 1991 to 2001.