Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic and Lockdown on Cancer Diagnoses Using Swiss Cantonal Cancer Registry Data.

This study aims to investigate differences in cancer diagnosis based on absolute case numbers and age-standardized incidence rate ratios (IRRs) in the pre-Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) years (2018/19) and the first two years of the COVID-19 pandemic (2020, 2021) in two Swiss cantons. : Data of the Swiss cantonal cancer registry of the cantons of Zurich (ZH) and Zug (ZG) were used to descriptively investigate differences in annual and monthly absolute numbers regarding all-cancer and the five most common cancer types. Directly age-standardized monthly incidence rates (IRs) were calculated.

Should workers be physically active after work? Associations of leisure-time physical activity with cardiovascular and all-cause mortality across occupational physical activity levels-An individual participant data meta-analysis.

Background: There is insufficient evidence to provide recommendations for leisure-time physical activity among workers across various occupational physical activity levels. This study aimed to assess the association of leisure-time physical activity with cardiovascular and all-cause mortality across occupational physical activity levels.

Methods: This study utilized individual participant data from 21 cohort studies, comprising both published and unpublished data.

Associations of occupational and leisure-time physical activity with all-cause mortality: an individual participant data meta-analysis.

Objective: Health effects of different physical activity domains (ie, during leisure time, work and transport) are generally considered positive. Using data, we assessed independent associations of occupational and leisure-time physical activity (OPA and LTPA) with all-cause mortality.

Design: Two-stage individual participant data meta-analysis.

Dispersal synchronizes giant kelp forests.

Spatial synchrony is the tendency for population fluctuations to be correlated among different locations. This phenomenon is a ubiquitous feature of population dynamics and is important for ecosystem stability, but several aspects of synchrony remain unresolved. In particular, the extent to which any particular mechanism, such as dispersal, contributes to observed synchrony in natural populations has been difficult to determine.

Net survival of women diagnosed with breast tumours: a population-based study in Switzerland.

Aims Of The Study: Although the incidence of breast carcinoma in situ has been increasing, the prognosis of breast carcinoma in situ patients has not been extensively investigated. Thus, we aimed to compare the characteristics of invasive breast tumours based on whether or not they were preceded by a breast carcinoma in situ and to estimate the 5-year net survival of patients diagnosed with different breast tumours.

Methods: Data from women diagnosed with breast tumours between 2003 and 2016 were used in our analyses.

Time-trends and age and stage differences in 5-year relative survival for common cancer types by sex in the canton of Zurich, Switzerland.

Background: Survival trends help to evaluate the progress made to reduce the burden of cancer. The aim was to estimate the trends in 5-year relative survival of patients diagnosed with breast, prostate, lung, colorectal cancer and skin melanoma in the time periods 1980-1989, 1990-1999, 2000-2009 and 2010-2015 in the Canton of Zurich, Switzerland. Furthermore, we investigated relative survival differences by TNM stage and age group.

Retrospective analysis of the uptake of active surveillance for low-risk prostate cancer in Zurich, Switzerland.

Objectives: Active surveillance for low-risk prostate cancer closely monitors patients conservatively instead of the pursuit of active treatment to reduce overtreatment of insignificant disease. Since 2009, active surveillance has been recommended as the primary management option in the European Association of Urology guidelines for low-risk disease. The present study aimed to investigate the use and uptake of active surveillance over 10 years in our certified prostate cancer centre (University Hospital of Zurich) compared with those derived from the cancer registry of the canton of Zurich, Switzerland.

Predicting second breast cancer among women with primary breast cancer using machine learning algorithms, a population-based observational study.

Breast cancer survivors often experience recurrence or a second primary cancer. We developed an automated approach to predict the occurrence of any second breast cancer (SBC) using patient-level data and explored the generalizability of the models with an external validation data source. Breast cancer patients from the cancer registry of Zurich, Zug, Schaffhausen, Schwyz (N = 3213; training dataset) and the cancer registry of Ticino (N = 1073; external validation dataset), diagnosed between 2010 and 2018, were used for model training and validation, respectively.

Stroke-associated infections in patients with and without cancer.

Background: Cancer in stroke patients is associated with higher levels of inflammatory biomarkers and unfavorable poststroke outcomes. We thus explored whether there is a link between cancer and stroke-associated infections.

Methods: Medical records of patients with ischemic stroke in 2014-2016 registered in the Swiss Stroke Registry of Zurich were retrospectively analyzed.

A risk model for prediction of diagnosis of cancer after ischemic stroke.

It remains controversial which characteristics may predict occult cancer in stroke patients. Characteristics of patients with ischemic stroke registered in the Zurich Swiss Stroke Registry (2014 to 2016) were tested for associations with cancer diagnosis after stroke with consideration of death as competing risk for cancer diagnosis. Among 1157 patients, 34 (3%) and 55 patients (5%) were diagnosed with cancer within 1 and 3 years after stroke.

Global survival trends for brain tumors, by histology: analysis of individual records for 556,237 adults diagnosed in 59 countries during 2000-2014 (CONCORD-3).

Background: Survival is a key metric of the effectiveness of a health system in managing cancer. We set out to provide a comprehensive examination of worldwide variation and trends in survival from brain tumors in adults, by histology.

Methods: We analyzed individual data for adults (15-99 years) diagnosed with a brain tumor (ICD-O-3 topography code C71) during 2000-2014, regardless of tumor behavior.

Is Season of Diagnosis a Predictor of Cancer Survival? Results from the Zurich Cancer Registry.

In Switzerland, there is a large seasonal variation in sunlight, and vitamin D deficiency is relatively common during winter. The season of diagnosis may be linked to cancer survival via vitamin D status. Using data from the Cancer Registry of Zurich, Zug, Schaffhausen, and Schwyz with more than 171,000 cancer cases registered since 1980, we examined the association of the season of diagnosis with survival for cancers including prostate (ICD10 code C61; International Categorization of Diseases, version 10), breast (C50), colorectal (C18-21), lung (C34), melanoma (C43), and all sites combined.

Feasibility of an individualised, task-oriented, video-supported home exercise programme for arm function in patients in the subacute phase after stroke: protocol of a randomised controlled pilot study.

Introduction: Stroke rehabilitation guidelines suggest a high-frequency task-oriented training at high intensity. A targeted and self-paced daily training with intermittent supervision is recommended to improve patients' self-management and functional output. So far, there is conflicting evidence concerning the most effective home-training delivery method.

Incidence and mortality trends of thyroid cancer from 1980 to 2016.

Aims Of The Study: Thyroid cancer incidence rates have been increasing globally over past decades. However, no study examining those trends in the canton of Zurich, Switzerland exists. In this study, we describe the incidence and mortality trends of thyroid cancer in the canton of Zurich during a 37-year period (1980-2016) including factors such as sex, histological subtypes and age at diagnosis.

Impact of comorbidities at diagnosis on the 10-year colorectal cancer net survival: A population-based study.

Background: It is established that comorbidities negatively influence colorectal cancer (CRC)-specific survival. Only few studies have used the relative survival (RS) setting to estimate this association, although RS has been proven particularly useful considering the inaccuracy in death certification. This study aimed to investigate the impact of non-cancer comorbidities at CRC diagnosis on net survival, using cancer registry data.

Cancer is associated with inferior outcome in patients with ischemic stroke.

Background: Whether patients with stroke and cancer exhibit specific characteristics has remained controversial.

Methods: Medical records of patients with ischemic stroke in 2014 or 2015 registered in the Swiss Stroke Registry of Zurich were retrospectively analyzed and integrated with regional cancer registry data. Associations of clinical and outcome parameters with cancer diagnosed up to 5 years prior to stroke were tested.

Identifying classes of the pain, fatigue, and depression symptom cluster in long-term prostate cancer survivors-results from the multi-regional Prostate Cancer Survivorship Study in Switzerland (PROCAS).

Purpose: Aside from urological and sexual problems, long-term (≥5 years after initial diagnosis) prostate cancer (PC) survivors might suffer from pain, fatigue, and depression. These concurrent symptoms can form a cluster. In this study, we aimed to investigate classes of this symptom cluster in long-term PC survivors, to classify PC survivors accordingly, and to explore associations between classes of this cluster and health-related quality of life (HRQoL).

Risk for Invasive Cancers in Women With Breast Cancer : Results From a Population Not Covered by Organized Mammographic Screening.

Background: Even though breast cancer (BCIS) incidence has been increasing, the prognosis of BCIS patients has not been extensively investigated. According to the literature, women with BCIS have a higher risk of developing subsequent invasive breast cancer; conflicting information has been reported regarding their potential risk for a subsequent invasive non-breast cancer.

Methods: Data from 1,082 women, whose first-ever cancer diagnosis was primary BCIS between 2003 and 2015 and were living in the canton of Zurich, were used.

37-year incidence and mortality time trends of common cancer types by sex, age, and stage in the canton of Zurich.

Aims Of The Study: The Cancer Registry Zurich, Zug, Schaffhausen and Schwyz is one of the oldest cancer registries in Switzerland, first registering tumours in 1980 for the canton of Zurich. The aim of this study was to analyse trends in incidence and mortality for the most common types of cancer in the canton of Zurich from 1981 to 2017.

Methods: In this analysis of population-based cancer registry data, we included malignant tumours of the breast (ICD10 C50), prostate (C61), colon/rectum (C18–C21), lung (C33–C34), and melanoma (C43), diagnosed between 1981 and 2017.

Geographical variation in malignant and benign/borderline brain and CNS tumor incidence: a comparison between a high-income and a middle-income country.

Purpose: There is large variability in reported incidence rates of primary brain/CNS tumors across the world, with mostly higher rates in higher-income countries. The aim was to compare malignant and benign brain/CNS tumor incidence between Zurich (Switzerland), a high-income country, and Georgia, a lower middle-income country.

Methods: For the period March 2009 to February 2012, we extracted the following tumors based on topography according to ICD-O3: C70.

Health-related quality of life in long-term prostate cancer survivors after nerve-sparing and non-nerve-sparing radical prostatectomy-Results from the multiregional PROCAS study.

Background: Nerve-sparing (NS) surgery was developed to improve postoperative sexual and potentially urological outcomes after radical prostatectomy (RP). However, it is largely unknown how NSRP affects health-related quality of life (HRQoL) including urinary and sexual outcomes in prostate cancer (PC) survivors 5-10 years after diagnosis in comparison with Non-NSRP.

Methods: The study population included 382 stage pT2-T3N0M0 PC survivors 5-10 years post diagnosis, who were identified from the multiregional Prostate Cancer Survivorship in Switzerland (PROCAS) study.

Progressive Disease in Sentinel-negative Melanoma Patients: Biological Differences and Importance of Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy.

Background/aim: Among the most important prognostic factors in melanoma is the sentinel lymph node (SLN) status.

Materials And Methods: Using our electronic database we identified 109 of 890 SLN-negative patients with progressive disease (PD). These patients were characterized for melanoma type, molecular type, sequence and extent of metastatic spread.

Healthy lifestyle is inversely associated with mortality in cancer survivors: Results from the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES III).

Individual lifestyle behaviors have been associated with prolonged survival in cancer survivors, but little information is available on the association between combined lifestyle behaviors and mortality in this population. Data from 522 cancer survivors participating in the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES III) were analyzed. Behaviors pertaining to lifetime healthy body weight maintenance, physical activity, smoking, diet quality (assessed by the Healthy Eating Index) and moderate alcohol consumption were combined in a lifestyle score (range 0-5).

Occupational physical activity and all-cause and cardiovascular disease mortality: Results from two longitudinal studies in Switzerland.

Background: Research regarding the effects of occupational physical activity on health remains inconsistent. We analyzed the association of occupational physical activity with all-cause and cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality.

Methods: We analyzed two cohorts with baseline assessments from 1977 to 1993 ("National Research Program 1A" (NRP1A) and "MONItoring of trends and determinants in CArdiovascular disease" [MONICA]) and mortality follow-up until 2015 using adjusted Cox regression models.

Increasing trends in in situ breast cancer incidence in a region with no population-based mammographic screening program: results from Zurich, Switzerland 2003-2014.

Purpose: Increase in in situ breast cancer (BCIS) incidence has been reported across Europe and the USA. However, little is known about the trends in BCIS incidence in regions without population-based mammographic screening programs. We set out to investigate these trends in Zurich, Switzerland, where only opportunistic mammographic screening exists.