Impact of subtypes and comorbidities on breast cancer relapse and survival in population-based studies.

Objective: To study the impact of subtypes and comorbidities on breast cancer (BC) relapse and survival in the heterogeneous patients of the real world.

Methods: We identified patients diagnosed with BC between January 2003 and December 2005 from six population-based Swiss cancer registries. Clinicopathologic data was completed with information on locoregional and distant relapse and date and cause of death for over 10-years.

Impact of mammography screening programmes on breast cancer mortality in Switzerland, a country with different regional screening policies.

Introduction: In the past decades, mortality due to breast cancer has declined considerably in Switzerland and other developed countries. The reasons for this decline remain controversial as several factors occurred almost simultaneously, including important advances in treatment approaches, breast cancer awareness and the introduction of mammography screening programmes in many European countries. In Switzerland, mammography screening programmes (MSPs) have existed in some regions for over 20 years but do not yet exist in others.

Lower hospital volume is associated with higher mortality after oesophageal, gastric, pancreatic and rectal cancer resection.

Background: In various countries, the association of lower hospital volume and higher mortality after oesophageal, gastric, pancreatic and rectal cancer resection has been clearly demonstrated. However, scientific evidence regarding the volume-outcomes relationship for high-risk visceral surgical procedures in Switzerland is lacking. The a priori hypothesis of this retrospective population-based cohort study analysis was that low-volume hospitals in Switzerland have a higher rate of postoperative mortality after oesophageal, gastric, pancreatic and rectal cancer resection.

Using lung cancer mortality to indirectly approximate smoking patterns in space.

Smoking is the leading cause of lung cancer. Non-smoking factors have been associated with the disease. Existing Swiss survey data only capture the country partially and temporal coverage does not allow for a time lag between exposure to tobacco and lung cancer outbreak.

40 years of progress in female cancer death risk: a Bayesian spatio-temporal mapping analysis in Switzerland.

Background: In the past decades, mortality of female gender related cancers declined in Switzerland and other developed countries. Differences in the decrease and in spatial patterns within Switzerland have been reported according to urbanisation and language region, and remain controversial. We aimed to investigate geographical and temporal trends of breast, ovarian, cervical and uterine cancer mortality, assess whether differential trends exist and to provide updated results until 2011.

Prognostic significance of histology after resection of brain metastases and whole brain radiotherapy in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

Brain metastases from non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) are associated with a poor prognosis. In selected cases, surgical resection of brain metastases may be indicated, but the identification of patients suitable for surgery remains difficult. We collected data on patient and tumour characteristics known or suspected to be associated with survival by chart review.

Breast cancer in younger women in Switzerland 1996-2009: a longitudinal population-based study.

Background: Breast cancer (BC) is the most commonly diagnosed cancer and a leading cause of death in younger women.

Methods: We analysed incidence, mortality and relative survival (RS) in women with BC aged 20-49 years at diagnosis, between 1996 and 2009 in Switzerland. Trends are reported as estimated annual percentage changes (EAPC).

Impact of clinical risk scores and BRAF V600E mutation status on outcome in papillary thyroid cancer.

Background: To evaluate the relationship between the BRAF V600E mutation and clinicopathologic parameters and to assess the impact of the BRAF V600E mutation and established risk scores on survival in patients with papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC).

Methods: Retrospective analysis of a consecutive, single-institutional cohort of patients with PTC larger than 1 cm. Clinical risk scores according to the Metastases, Age, Completeness of Resection, Invasion, Size (MACIS), European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC), and tumor, node, metastases (TNM) scoring systems were determined.

A Bayesian generalized age-period-cohort power model for cancer projections.

Age-period-cohort (APC) models are the state of art in cancer projections, assessing past and recent trends and extrapolating mortality or incidence data into the future. Nordpred is a well-established software, assuming a Poisson distribution for the counts and a log-link or power-link function with fixed power; however, its predictive performance is poor for sparse data. Bayesian models with log-link function have been applied, but they can lead to extreme estimates.

Outcome of mantle cell lymphoma patients treated at a single institution over the past decade.

Mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) is a rare non-Hodgkin's lymphoma entity with a heterogeneous clinical presentation. Various therapeutic considerations in MCL for younger and elderly patients were used over the past decade. We retrospectively analyzed all 44 patients consecutively treated in a tertiary hospital between 2000 and 2010 with newly diagnosed MCL.

Risk factors for anal cancer in persons infected with HIV: a nested case-control study in the Swiss HIV Cohort Study.

Although persons infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), particularly men who have sex with men, are at excess risk for anal cancer, it has been difficult to disentangle the influences of anal exposure to human papillomavirus (HPV) infection, immunodeficiency, and combined antiretroviral therapy. A case-control study that included 59 anal cancer cases and 295 individually matched controls was nested in the Swiss HIV Cohort Study (1988-2011). In a subset of 41 cases and 114 controls, HPV antibodies were tested.

Tobacco-related cancer mortality: projections for different geographical regions in Switzerland.

Principles: Switzerland is divided into 26 cantons of variable population size and cultural characteristics. Although a federal law to protect against passive smoking and a national tobacco control programme exist, details of tobacco-related policies are canton-specific. This study aimed to project gender-specific tobacco-related cancer mortality in Switzerland at different geographical levels for the periods 2009-2013 and 2014-2018.

Cancer survivors in Switzerland: a rapidly growing population to care for.

Background: Cancer survivors are a heterogeneous group with complex health problems. Data concerning its total number and growing dynamics for Switzerland are scarce and outdated.

Methods: Population and mortality data were retrieved from the Swiss Federal Statistical Office (FSO).

Bayesian spatio-temporal modelling of tobacco-related cancer mortality in Switzerland.

Tobacco smoking is a main cause of disease in Switzerland; lung cancer being the most common cancer mortality in men and the second most common in women. Although disease-specific mortality is decreasing in men, it is steadily increasing in women. The four language regions in this country might play a role in this context as they are influenced in different ways by the cultural and social behaviour of neighbouring countries.

A population-based study on the patterns of use of different chemotherapy regimens in Swiss patients with early breast cancer.

Background: There is considerable heterogeneity in the use of chemotherapy in early breast cancer (BC), despite international recommendations issued from the NCCN, NIH and the St.Gallen bi-annual conference.

Methods: We included 1,535 patients from seven Swiss cancer registries between 2003 and 2005 receiving chemotherapy for stage I to III BC.

A population-based study on the implementation of treatment recommendations for chemotherapy in early breast cancer.

Background: There is considerable heterogeneity in the use of chemotherapy for patients with early breast cancer (BC), despite international recommendations issued from the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN), National Institutes of Health (NIH), and the St. Gallen biannual conference. This population-based study assessed the patterns of chemotherapy use in early BC.

Extrapulmonary small cell carcinoma: An indication for prophylactic cranial irradiation? A single center experience.

Background: Information about extrapulmonary small cell carcinoma (EPSCC) is limited and the role of prophylactic cranial irradiation (PCI) is unknown.

Patients And Methods: Disease presentation and outcome of all EPSCC at our hospital between 1990 and 2009 were retrospectively analyzed.

Results: Of 30 EPSCC, the male:female ratio was 58%:42%; 83% had a performance status of 0-2.

Premature deaths in Switzerland from 1995-2006: causes and trends.

Purpose: Mortality expressed as potential years of life lost (PYLL) underscores premature and preventable mortality. We analysed causes of and trends in premature death in Switzerland to highlight the areas which provide the greatest potential outcome for preventive measures.

Methods: Premature mortality rates and trends from 1995-2006 were examined by reviewing potential years of life lost between age 1 and 70, as the upper age limit, considering 4 main categories: circulatory diseases, cancer, external causes of mortality and other causes, and 19 specific causes of death.

Lung cancer in the Canton of St. Gallen, Eastern Switzerland: sex-associated differences in smoking habits, disease presentation and survival.

Background: The aim of this study was to assess sex-associated differences in lung cancer patients in Eastern Switzerland.

Methods: All 670 lung cancer patients referred to the cancer center in St. Gallen between January 2000 and December 2005 were retrospectively analyzed.

Impact of obesity on diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer.

In this population-based study, we evaluated the impact of obesity on presentation, diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer. Among all women diagnosed with invasive breast cancer in the canton Geneva (Switzerland) between 2003 and 2005, we identified those with information on body mass index (BMI) and categorized them into normal/underweight (BMI <25 kg/m(2)), overweight (BMI > or =-<30 kg/m(2)) and obese (BMI > or =30 kg/m(2)) women. Using multivariate logistic regression, we compared tumour, diagnosis and treatment characteristics between groups.

Hodgkin lymphoma in the Swiss HIV Cohort Study.

Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) risk is elevated among persons infected with HIV (PHIV) and has been suggested to have increased in the era of combined antiretroviral therapy (cART). Among 14,606 PHIV followed more than 20 years in the Swiss HIV Cohort Study (SHCS), determinants of HL were investigated using 2 different approaches, namely, a cohort and nested case-control study, estimating hazard ratios (HRs) and matched odds ratios, respectively. Forty-seven incident HL cases occurred during 84,611 person-years of SHCS follow-up.

Prevalence and direct medical costs of end-stage renal disease in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus in Switzerland for 2001.

Background: The prevalence of end-stage renal disease (ESRD) in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (type 2 DM) has increased in recent decades throughout the world. In most industrialised countries, diabetic nephropathy in type 2 diabetics is the most frequent cause of ESRD.

Aims: The prevalence and direct medical costs for the insurance funds in Switzerland were determined for ESRD in patients with type 2 DM.

Cost-effectiveness of a pneumococcal conjugate immunisation program for infants in Switzerland.

Objective: To compare projected economic costs and health benefits associated with using pneumococcal conjugate heptavalent vaccine as routine immunisation in healthy children in Switzerland.

Design: A cost-utility analysis was performed from both the societal as well as the sickness funds' perspective.

Setting: Simulated birth cohorts of 80,000 children (the approximate size of a birth cohort in Switzerland) were followed from birth up to age of 5.