Increases in antihypertensive prescriptions and reductions in cardiovascular events in Canada.

The Canadian Hypertension Education Program, an extensive professional education program to improve the management of hypertension, was started in 1999. There were very large increases in diagnosis and treatment of hypertension in the first 4 years after initiation of the program. The purpose of this study was to examine the association between the changes in antihypertensive therapy with changes in hospitalization and death from major hypertension-related cardiovascular diseases in Canada between 1992 and 2003.

Gender differences in colorectal cancer incidence, mortality, hospitalizations and surgical procedures in Canada.

Background: Over the past few decades there have been changes in incidence and mortality of colorectal cancer.

Objective: To examine gender differences in incidence, hospitalization, hospital-based procedures and mortality for colorectal cancer.

Methods: Data were derived from the Hospital Morbidity Database, Canadian Cancer Registry and the Canadian Mortality Database.

The changing age distribution of prostate cancer in Canada.

Background: Prostate cancer incidence rates are still increasing steadily; mortality rates are levelling, possibly decreasing; and hospitalization rates for many diagnoses are decreasing. Our objective is to examine changes in age distributions of prostate cancer during these times of change.

Methods: Prostate cancer cases were derived from the Canadian Cancer Registry, prostate cancer deaths from Vital Statistics, hospitalizations from the Hospital Morbidity File.

Trends in prostate cancer incidence, hospital utilization and surgical procedures, Canada, 1981-2000.

Background: Numbers of new prostate cancer cases in Canada continue to increase because of increasing prostate cancer incidence, population growth, aging of the population, and earlier detection methods such as PSA (prostate-specific antigen) testing. Concern has been expressed that PSA-related increases in incidence will make unaffordable demands on Canadian hospital resources. Our objective is to relate increases in prostate cancer incidence to trends in hospitalizations and in- patient treatment.

Trends in in-patient hospital utilization and surgical procedures for breast, prostate, lung and colorectal cancers in Canada.

Objective: To analyse population-based trends of in-patient surgical procedures for breast (female), prostate, lung and colorectal cancers.

Methods: The Hospital Morbidity Files supplied hospital data and the Canadian Cancer Registry, incidence data. Age-adjusted rates were standardized to the 1991 Canadian population.

Shorter hospital stays for breast cancer.

Objectives: This article examines trends in and factors influencing the length of stay for female breast cancer patients who were hospitalized between 1981 and 2000.

Data Sources: The hospital data are from the Hospital Morbidity Database and the Health Person-oriented Information Database, both maintained by Statistics Canada. Data on new cases of breast cancer are from the Canadian Cancer Registry and the National Cancer Incidence Reporting System.

Declining use of mastectomy for invasive breast cancer in Canada, 1981-2000.

Objective: To evaluate the rate and magnitude of change in surgical practice for breast cancer in Canada in relation to publication dates of clinical trials and consensus conferences.

Methods: Hospital separations with a diagnosis of invasive breast cancer were extracted from the Hospital Morbidity File from 1981 to 2000. Age-standardized rates of in-patient procedures for breast-conserving surgery and mastectomy were analyzed by province and age group and by geographic region.

Influenza vaccination.

Objectives: This article compares influenza vaccination rates in 1996/97 and 2000/01 and describes the characteristics of adults who were vaccinated.

Data Sources: The data on influenza vaccination are from the 1996/97 National Population Health Survey and the 2000/01 Canadian Community Health Survey, both conducted by Statistics Canada. Data on hospitalizations and deaths are from the Hospital Mortality Data Base and the Canadian Mortality Data Base, respectively.

Screening of infants and mortality due to neuroblastoma.

Background: Neuroblastoma, the most common extracranial solid tumor that occurs in early childhood, can be identified in the preclinical stages by the detection of catecholamines in the urine. However, it is unknown whether routine screening for neuroblastoma reduces mortality due to this disease.

Methods: Through their parents, we offered screening for neuroblastoma at three weeks and six months of age to all 476,654 children born in the province of Quebec, Canada, during a five-year period (May 1, 1989, through April 30, 1994).