The effect of body mass index at diagnosis on survival of patients with squamous cell head and neck carcinoma.

The aim of this study is to investigate the prognostic role of body mass index (BMI) on survival from head and neck cancer (HNC). We performed a pooled analysis of studies included in the International Head and Neck Cancer Epidemiology consortium. We used Cox proportional hazards models to estimate the adjusted hazard ratios (HR) for overall survival and HNC-specific survival, and we stratified the results according to cancer site.

Poor oral health influences head and neck cancer patient survival: an International Head and Neck Cancer Epidemiology Consortium pooled analysis.

Background: Poor oral health has been identified as a prognostic factor potentially affecting the survival of patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. However, evidence to date supporting this association has emanated from studies based on single cohorts with small-to-modest sample sizes.

Methods: Pooled analysis of 2449 head and neck squamous cell carcinoma participants from 4 studies of the International Head and Neck Cancer Epidemiology Consortium included data on periodontal disease, tooth brushing frequency, mouthwash use, numbers of natural teeth, and dental visits over the 10 years prior to diagnosis.

Machine learning for predicting survival of colorectal cancer patients.

Colorectal cancer is one of the most incident types of cancer in the world, with almost 2 million new cases annually. In Brazil, the scenery is the same, around 41 thousand new cases were estimated in the last 3 years. This increase in cases further intensifies the interest and importance of studies related to the topic, especially using new approaches.

Recent changes in trends of mortality from cervical cancer in Southeastern Brazil.

Objective: To analyze the trends of cervical cancer mortality in Brazilian Southeastern states, and to compare them to Brazil and other regions between 1980 and 2020.

Methods: Time series study based on data from the Sistema de Informações de Mortalidade (Brazilian Mortality Information System). Death data were corrected by proportional redistribution of deaths from ill-defined causes and cervical cancer of unspecified portion.

Causes of death in former asbestos-cement workers in the state of São Paulo, Brazil.

Background: In low- and middle-income countries, such as Brazil, studies on the causes of death in asbestos-exposed workers are scarce.

Methods: A cohort study was performed involving 988 males who had worked in the asbestos-cement industry in the state of São Paulo, with a total of 12,217 person-years of observation between 1995 and 2016. The standardized mortality ratio (SMR) stratified by age was calculated as the ratio between the observed rate and the expected rate in the state of São Paulo.

Genome-wide association meta-analysis identifies pleiotropic risk loci for aerodigestive squamous cell cancers.

Squamous cell carcinomas (SqCC) of the aerodigestive tract have similar etiological risk factors. Although genetic risk variants for individual cancers have been identified, an agnostic, genome-wide search for shared genetic susceptibility has not been performed. To identify novel and pleotropic SqCC risk variants, we performed a meta-analysis of GWAS data on lung SqCC (LuSqCC), oro/pharyngeal SqCC (OSqCC), laryngeal SqCC (LaSqCC) and esophageal SqCC (ESqCC) cancers, totaling 13,887 cases and 61,961 controls of European ancestry.

Caesarean sections, prenatal and postnatal conditions and childhood acute lymphoblastic leukaemia: A case-control study in the State of São Paulo, Brazil.

Introduction: Brazil has high rates of caesarean sections, which has been suggested as a risk factor for acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL). In addition, some pre- and postnatal conditions have been identified as relevant in the etiology of ALL.

Objectives: Investigate the association of caesarean sections, pre- and postnatal conditions with childhood ALL in the State of São Paulo.

Alcohol drinking and head and neck cancer risk: the joint effect of intensity and duration.

Background: Alcohol is a well-established risk factor for head and neck cancer (HNC). This study aims to explore the effect of alcohol intensity and duration, as joint continuous exposures, on HNC risk.

Methods: Data from 26 case-control studies in the INHANCE Consortium were used, including never and current drinkers who drunk ≤10 drinks/day for ≤54 years (24234 controls, 4085 oral cavity, 3359 oropharyngeal, 983 hypopharyngeal and 3340 laryngeal cancers).

Occupational exposure to organophosphate pesticides and hematologic neoplasms: a systematic review.

Objective: To update findings of observational analytical studies on the association between occupational exposure to organophosphates and hematologic malignancies.

Methodology: Systematic literature review, including cohort and case-control studies, without limitation of publication time, in Portuguese and English. The articles were traced from June 2017 to July 2019 in PubMed, MEDLINE, LILACS, Web of Science, and Scopus databases.

Age at start of using tobacco on the risk of head and neck cancer: Pooled analysis in the International Head and Neck Cancer Epidemiology Consortium (INHANCE).

Background: Tobacco use is a well-established risk factor for head and neck cancer (HNC). However, less is known about the potential impact of exposure to tobacco at an early age on HNC risk.

Methods: We analyzed individual-level data on ever tobacco smokers from 27 case-control studies (17,146 HNC cases and 17,449 controls) in the International Head and Neck Cancer Epidemiology (INHANCE) consortium.

Lung Cancer Mortality Trends in a Brazilian City with a Long History of Asbestos Consumption.

There are scarce epidemiological studies on lung cancer mortality in areas exposed to asbestos in developing countries. We compared the rates and trends in mortality from lung cancer between 1980 and 2016 in a municipality that made extensive use of asbestos, Osasco, with rates from a referent municipality with lower asbestos exposure and with the rates for the State of São Paulo. We retrieved death records for cases of lung cancer (ICD-9 C162) (ICD-10 C33 C34) from 1980 to 2016 in adults aged 60 years and older.

Occupations and the Risk of Head and Neck Cancer: A Pooled Analysis of the International Head and Neck Cancer Epidemiology (INHANCE) Consortium.

Objective: To investigate the associations between head and neck cancer (HNC) risk and occupations.

Methods: We harmonized data on occupations in a pooled analysis of 8839 HNC cases and 13,730 controls in International Head and Neck Cancer Epidemiology (INHANCE) consortium. Logistic regression was used to estimate odds ratios (ORs) for associations of occupations and HNC risk.

Joint effects of intensity and duration of cigarette smoking on the risk of head and neck cancer: A bivariate spline model approach.

Objectives: This study aimed at re-evaluating the strength and shape of the dose-response relationship between the combined (or joint) effect of intensity and duration of cigarette smoking and the risk of head and neck cancer (HNC). We explored this issue considering bivariate spline models, where smoking intensity and duration were treated as interacting continuous exposures.

Materials And Methods: We pooled individual-level data from 33 case-control studies (18,260 HNC cases and 29,844 controls) participating in the International Head and Neck Cancer Epidemiology (INHANCE) consortium.

Epidemiological science and cancer control.

Epidemiological methods are essential for the discovery of cancer risks and prognostic factors as well as for the evaluation of cancer prevention measures. In this review, we discuss epidemiological surveillance procedures for data collection and processing to guide and evaluate the consequences of anticancer efforts for populations, assess the identification of cancer risk factors, examine barriers to cancer screening and recommended rules for early diagnosis programs. Epidemiological studies have shown that hindrances to cancer information assessment are currently encountered in developing countries.

Fraction of head and neck cancer attributable to tobacco and alcohol in cities of three Brazilian regions.

Objectives: To estimate the fraction of head and neck cancer (HNC) attributable to tobacco and alcohol in cities in the Midwest, Southeast and South regions of Brazil.

Methods: Case-control study including 1,594 cases of HNC and 1,292 hospital controls. The association of HNC with tobacco and alcohol was estimated by the odds ratio and respective 95% confidence intervals through non-conditional logistic regression, adjusted for age, sex, schooling, consumption of fruits and vegetables, alcohol drinking (to examine the tobacco effect), and tobacco smoking (to examine the alcohol effect).

Mendelian Randomization and mediation analysis of leukocyte telomere length and risk of lung and head and neck cancers.

Background: Evidence from observational studies of telomere length (TL) has been conflicting regarding its direction of association with cancer risk. We investigated the causal relevance of TL for lung and head and neck cancers using Mendelian Randomization (MR) and mediation analyses.

Methods: We developed a novel genetic instrument for TL in chromosome 5p15.

Proximity to overhead power lines and childhood leukaemia: an international pooled analysis.

Background: Although studies have consistently found an association between childhood leukaemia risk and magnetic fields, the associations between childhood leukaemia and distance to overhead power lines have been inconsistent. We pooled data from multiple studies to assess the association with distance and evaluate whether it is due to magnetic fields or other factors associated with distance from lines.

Methods: We present a pooled analysis combining individual-level data (29,049 cases and 68,231 controls) from 11 record-based studies.

Tumour stage and gender predict recurrence and second primary malignancies in head and neck cancer: a multicentre study within the INHANCE consortium.

Recurrence and second primary cancer (SPC) continue to represent major obstacles to long-term survival in head and neck cancer (HNC). Our aim was to evaluate whether established demographics, lifestyle-related risk factors for HNC and clinical data are associated with recurrence and SPC in HNC. We conducted a multicentre study by using data from five studies members of the International Head and Neck Cancer Epidemiology consortium-Milan, Rome, Western Europe, Sao Paulo, and Japan, totalling 4005 HNC cases with a median age of 59 (interquartile range 52-67).

Living on a farm, contact with farm animals and pets, and childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia: pooled and meta-analyses from the Childhood Leukemia International Consortium.

The associations between childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) and several factors related to early stimulation of the immune system, that is, farm residence and regular contacts with farm animals (livestock, poultry) or pets in early childhood, were investigated using data from 13 case-control studies participating in the Childhood Leukemia International Consortium. The sample included 7847 ALL cases and 11,667 controls aged 1-14 years. In all studies, the data were obtained from case and control parents using standardized questionnaires.

Genomic analysis of head and neck cancer cases from two high incidence regions.

We investigated how somatic changes in HNSCC interact with environmental and host risk factors and whether they influence the risk of HNSCC occurrence and outcome. 180-paired samples diagnosed as HNSCC in two high incidence regions of Europe and South America underwent targeted sequencing (14 genes) and evaluation of copy number alterations (SCNAs). TP53, PIK3CA, NOTCH1, TP63 and CDKN2A were the most frequently mutated genes.

Parental alcohol consumption and risk of leukemia in the offspring: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Parental alcohol consumption before and during pregnancy has been linked to adverse outcomes in the offspring including leukemogenesis. We, therefore, aimed to systematically assess and quantitatively synthesize published data on the association of paternal consumption during preconception and maternal consumption during pregnancy with leukemia risk in childhood (0-14 years). Following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines, we searched PubMed (until February 2016) and the reference lists of the relevant studies.