Publications by authors named "Rafael Marcos Gragera"
Background: Multiple myeloma (MM) is an important haematological malignancy in older adults, with a relatively poor prognosis. We aimed to present the current global patterns of incidence and mortality from MM, and predict new cases and deaths by 2045.
Methods: Estimated numbers of MM cases and deaths and age-standardized (World) incidence and mortality rates per 100,000 people were obtained from the GLOBOCAN 2022 database covering 185 countries.
In 2022, leukemia ranked as the second most common hematological malignancy after non-Hodgkin lymphoma worldwide. However, updated global estimates of leukemia incidence by subtype are unavailable. We estimated leukemia incidences for different leukemia subtypes by country, world region, and human developmental index using data from the Cancer Incidence in Five Continents databases combined with the GLOBOCAN 2022 estimates of leukemia in 185 countries.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Lung cancer (LC) is Europe's primary cause of cancer-related mortality largely due to its historically low survival rates. The aim of this study was to analyze 26-year survival trends in the province of Girona, Spain, and to identify key prognostic factors.
Methods: Population-based study of LC cases collected between 1994 and 2019, with follow-up until December 31, 2021.
Burden of postmenopausal breast cancer attributable to excess body weight: comparative study of body mass index and CUN-BAE in MCC-Spain study.
J Epidemiol Community Health
December 2024
Background: 10% of postmenopausal breast cancer cases are attributed to a high body mass index (BMI). BMI underestimates body fat, particularly in older women, and therefore the cancer burden attributable to obesity may be even higher. However, this is not clear.
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- A new modeling approach was developed to better estimate the cancer cure fraction (CF) and net survival by considering patients' increased risk of dying from causes other than cancer, rather than assuming equal mortality rates with the general population.
- Data from EUROCARE-6 on head and neck, colorectal, and breast cancer patients aged 40-79 was analyzed, revealing a significant increase in CF, particularly among younger males with head and neck cancer who had a fourfold increased risk of dying from other causes.
- Ignoring the higher mortality risk from non-cancer causes leads to an underestimation of the CF, which is crucial for understanding patient survival and improving their quality of life.
Background: Management of lymphoid malignancies requires substantial health system resources. Total national health expenditure might influence population-based lymphoid malignancy survival. We studied the long-term survival of patients with 12 lymphoid malignancy types and examined whether different levels of national health expenditure might explain differences in lymphoid malignancy prognosis between European countries and regions.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFRecurrence after colorectal cancer resection is rarely documented in the general population while a key clinical determinant for patient survival. We identified 8785 patients with colorectal cancer diagnosed between 2010 and 2013 and clinically followed up to 2020 in 15 cancer registries from seven European countries (Bulgaria, Switzerland, Germany, Estonia, France, Italy, and Spain). We estimated world age-standardized net survival using a flexible cumulative excess hazard model.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: We used the comprehensive definition of AYA (age 15 to 39 years) to update 5-year relative survival (RS) estimates for AYAs in Europe and across countries and to evaluate improvements in survival over time.
Methods: We used data from EUROCARE-6. We analysed 700,000 AYAs with cancer diagnosed in 2000-2013 (follow-up to 2014).
Objectives: To investigate differences in lung cancer (LC) management and survival using data from European population cancer registries.
Methods: We analysed 4,602 lung cancer cases diagnosed in 2010-2013, followed-up to 2019 in five countries. Multivariable logistic regression was used to calculate the Odds Ratio (OR) of surgery for stages I-II LC or chemo- or radiotherapy for stages III-IV LC.
Background: Central nervous system (CNS) neoplasms are highly frequent solid tumours in children and adolescents. While some studies have shown a rise in their incidence in Europe, others have not. Survival remains limited.
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- Prostate cancer was very common in men and caused many deaths in 2020, so scientists wanted to study how it changed in Girona, Spain, over 25 years.
- They looked at data from almost 10,000 cases of prostate cancer collected from 1994 to 2018, finding that more men were getting diagnosed from 1994 to 2003, but then the numbers started to go down.
- Overall, more men were surviving prostate cancer over time, with survival rates improving from about 73% in the late 1990s to 91% in the years 2014-2018.
Article Synopsis
- The study investigates the impact of cigarette smoking on breast cancer risk, highlighting the conflicting effects it may have due to its carcinogenic and antiestrogenic properties.
- Analysis from a large population-based study involving 1733 breast cancer cases and 1903 controls revealed that smoking increases the risk of premenopausal breast cancer, especially in long-term smokers (≥30 years).
- Conversely, for postmenopausal women, smoking may lower the risk of breast cancer, particularly in those who have stopped smoking for at least 10 years, indicating that menopausal status significantly influences the relationship between smoking and breast cancer risk.
Purpose: To build models combining circulating microRNAs (miRNAs) able to identify women with breast cancer as well as different types of breast cancer, when comparing with controls without breast cancer.
Method: miRNAs analysis was performed in two phases: screening phase, with a total n = 40 (10 controls and 30 BC cases) analyzed by Next Generation Sequencing, and validation phase, which included 131 controls and 269 cases. For this second phase, the miRNAs were selected combining the screening phase results and a revision of the literature.
Background: The head and neck cancers (HNCs) incidence differs between Europe and East Asia. Our objective was to determine whether survival of HNC also differs between European and Asian countries.
Methods: We used population-based cancer registry data to calculate 5-year relative survival (RS) for the oral cavity, hypopharynx, larynx, nasal cavity, and major salivary gland in Europe, Taiwan, and Japan.
Background: Hematological neoplasms (HNs) are the first and most common childhood cancers globally. Currently, there is a lack of updated population-based data on the incidence of these cancers in the Spanish pediatric population. This study aimed to describe the incidence and incidence trends of HNs in children (0-14 years) in Spain using data from the Spanish Network of Cancer Registries and to compare the results with other southern European countries.
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- The study investigated the link between artificial sweeteners (AS) like aspartame and certain cancers, using a population sample from the MCC-Spain study, which included various cancer cases and controls.
- Overall, the research found no significant association between AS consumption and cancer risk; however, some links were observed specifically for participants with diabetes.
- High consumption of aspartame was correlated with an increased risk of stomach cancer, while a lower risk was noted for breast cancer in the same group, highlighting the need for cautious interpretation due to small sample sizes for certain cancers.
Article Synopsis
- * A study investigated whether 41 of these genetic variants could predict overall survival (OS) and time to first treatment (TTFT) in 1,039 CLL patients but found only weak associations that lacked significance after adjusting for multiple tests.
- * The findings indicated that genetic risk variants do not significantly affect survival or disease progression in CLL patients, with polygenic risk scores providing only modest predictive ability for patient outcomes.
Objective: To analyze the incidence, incidence trends, and survival of marginal zone lymphomas (MZLs) in Girona and to describe these indicators based on the location in the case of extranodal MZLs.
Methods: Population-based study of MZL collected in the Girona Cancer Registry, 1994-2018. Sociodemographic data, tumor location, and stage were obtained from clinical records.
Population-based cancer registries are responsible for collecting incidence and survival data on all reportable neoplasms within a defined geographical area. During the last decades, the role of cancer registries has evolved beyond monitoring epidemiological indicators, as they are expanding their activities to studies on cancer aetiology, prevention, and quality of care. This expansion relies also on the collection of additional clinical data, such as stage at diagnosis and cancer treatment.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMortality from cardiovascular disease (CVD), second tumours, and other causes is of clinical interest in the long-term follow-up of breast cancer (BC) patients. Using a cohort of BC patients (N = 6758) from the cancer registries of Girona and Tarragona (north-eastern Spain), we studied the 10-year probabilities of death due to BC, other cancers, and CVD according to stage at diagnosis and hormone receptor (HR) status. Among the non-BC causes of death (N = 720), CVD (N = 218) surpassed other cancers (N = 196).
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- Breast and prostate cancers have been linked to circadian disruption, but previous research on sleep duration's impact on cancer risk has shown inconsistent results.
- This study, part of the MCC-Spain project, analyzed a large population of breast (1738 cases) and prostate cancer (1112 cases) patients alongside matched controls, focusing on various sleep characteristics like duration, quality, and napping habits.
- The findings indicated no strong associations between sleep patterns and cancer risk, but a notable positive relationship was found between breast cancer risk and taking habitual siestas, especially when frequency or duration increased, alongside correlations between recent sleep problems and both cancer types.
Introduction: The aim of this study was to describe incidence, incidence trends and survival patterns of lymphoid neoplasms (LNs) and its subtypes in Spain in the period 2002-2013 using data from the Spanish Network of Cancer Registries (REDECAN).
Materials And Methods: Data were extracted from 13 Spanish population-based cancer registries. LNs incident cases were codified using the International Classification of Diseases for Oncology, third edition (ICD-O-3) and grouped according to the WHO 2008 classification.
Background: The EUROCARE-5 study revealed disparities in childhood cancer survival among European countries, giving rise to important initiatives across Europe to reduce the gap. Extending its representativeness through increased coverage of eastern European countries, the EUROCARE-6 study aimed to update survival progress across countries and years of diagnosis and provide new analytical perspectives on estimates of long-term survival and the cured fraction of patients with childhood cancer.
Methods: In this population-based study, we analysed 135 847 children (aged 0-14 years) diagnosed during 2000-13 and followed up to the end of 2014, recruited from 80 population-based cancer registries in 31 European countries.
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.