Trends in incidence, treatment and survival of aggressive B-cell lymphoma in the Netherlands 1989-2010.

Only a small number of patients with aggressive B-cell lymphoma take part in clinical trials, and elderly patients in particular are under-represented. Therefore, we studied data of the population-based nationwide Netherlands Cancer Registry to determine trends in incidence, treatment and survival in an unselected patient population. We included all patients aged 15 years and older with newly diagnosed diffuse large B-cell lymphoma or Burkitt lymphoma in the period 1989-2010 and mantle cell lymphoma in the period 2001-2010, with follow up until February 2013.

Towards better implementation of cancer screening in Europe through improved monitoring and evaluation and greater engagement of cancer registries.

Proposals to improve implementation, monitoring and evaluation of breast, cervical and colorectal cancer screening programmes have been developed in a European project involving scientists and professionals experienced in cancer registration (EUROCOURSE). They call for a clear and more active role for cancer registries through better interfaces with cancer screening programmes and adapting data contents of cancer registries for evaluation purposes. Cancer registries are recognised as essential for adequate evaluation of cancer screening programmes, but they are not involved in screening evaluation in several European countries.

Effect of surgical margin status after radical prostatectomy on health-related quality of life and illness perception in patients with prostate cancer.

Objective: The aim of the study was to evaluate the effect of positive surgical margins (PSM) on health-related quality of life and illness perception after radical prostatectomy in patients with prostate cancer.

Methods: Of all patients with prostate cancer diagnosed between 2006 and 2009 in 7 participating hospitals in the Eindhoven region of the Netherlands Cancer Registry, 197 patients who underwent radical prostatectomy were invited to fill in a questionnaire. Data from the Netherlands Cancer Registry were combined with questionnaire data (including European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer quality of life questionnaire-C30, quality of life questionnaire-Prostate Module 25, and the Brief Illness Perception Questionnaire).

Descriptive epidemiology of Kaposi sarcoma in Europe. Report from the RARECARE project.

Kaposi sarcoma (KS) is a virus-related malignancy which most frequently arises in skin, though visceral sites can also be involved. Infection with Kaposi sarcoma herpes virus (KSHV or HHV-8) is required for development of KS. Nowadays, most cases worldwide occur in persons who are immunosuppressed, usually because of HIV infection or as a result of therapy to combat rejection of a transplanted organ, but classic Kaposi sarcoma is predominantly a disease of the elderly without apparent immunosuppression.

Recurrent urinary tract infection and risk of bladder cancer in the Nijmegen bladder cancer study.

Background: Controversy exists on whether urinary tract infection (UTI) is a risk factor for urinary bladder cancer (UBC). Here, the association is investigated using data from one of the largest bladder cancer case-control studies worldwide.

Methods: Information on (i) history and age at onset of regular cystitis ('regular low-UTI') and (ii) number and age at onset of UTI treated with antibiotics ('UTI-ab') from 1809 UBC patients and 4370 controls was analysed.

Survival in anaplastic thyroid cancer in relation to pre-existing goiter: a population-based study.

Background: We investigated whether pre-existent goiter and well-differentiated thyroid cancer (WDTC) are associated with survival in anaplastic thyroid carcinoma (ATC).

Methods: We analyzed medical records from 94 ATC patients, drawn from the Netherlands Cancer Registry, diagnosed in 17 hospitals between 1989 and 2009.

Results: The 29 patients (31%) with pre-existent goiter, including 8 with WDTC, were younger than those without (median, 69 vs.

Adrenocortical carcinoma in children: first population-based clinicopathological study with long-term follow-up.

Adrenocortical carcinoma (ACC) is rare in both adult and pediatric populations. Literature suggests significant differences between children and adults in presentation, histological properties and outcome. The aim of this first nationwide study on pediatric ACC was to describe the incidence, presentation, pathological characteristics, treatment and survival in The Netherlands.

Effect of implementation of the mass breast cancer screening programme in older women in the Netherlands: population based study.

Objective: To assess the incidence of early stage and advanced stage breast cancer before and after the implementation of mass screening in women aged 70-75 years in the Netherlands in 1998.

Design: Prospective nationwide population based study.

Setting: National cancer registry, the Netherlands.

Improvement in population-based survival of stage IV NSCLC due to increased use of chemotherapy.

This study aimed to investigate which factors were associated with the administration of chemotherapy for patients with stage IV non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), and their relation to survival at a population-based level. All patients with NSCLC stage IV from 2001 to 2012 were identified in the Netherlands Cancer Registry in the Eindhoven area (n = 5,428). Chemotherapy use and survival were evaluated by logistic and Cox regression analyses, respectively.

Performance indicators for lung cancer surgery in the Netherlands.

Objectives: In the Netherlands, surgery for lung cancer is traditionally performed in low-volume hospitals. To assess the need for centralization, we examined early outcome measures and compared results between hospitals and with other European countries.

Methods: Data on patient, tumour and treatment characteristics were retrieved from the Netherlands Cancer Registry.

Risk of diabetes mellitus in long-term survivors of Hodgkin lymphoma.

Purpose: Recently, an increased risk of diabetes mellitus (DM) was observed after abdominal irradiation for childhood cancer. Because many Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) survivors have also been treated with infradiaphragmatic radiotherapy, we evaluated the association between HL treatment and DM risk.

Patients And Methods: Our study cohort comprised 2,264 5-year HL survivors, diagnosed before age 51 years and treated between 1965 and 1995.

Uses of cancer registries for public health and clinical research in Europe: Results of the European Network of Cancer Registries survey among 161 population-based cancer registries during 2010-2012.

Aim: To provide insight into cancer registration coverage, data access and use in Europe. This contributes to data and infrastructure harmonisation and will foster a more prominent role of cancer registries (CRs) within public health, clinical policy and cancer research, whether within or outside the European Research Area.

Methods: During 2010-12 an extensive survey of cancer registration practices and data use was conducted among 161 population-based CRs across Europe.

Regional variation in breast cancer treatment in the Netherlands and the role of external peer review: a cohort study comprising 63,516 women.

Background: Treatment variation is an important issue in health care provision. An external peer review programme for multidisciplinary cancer care was introduced in 1994 in the Netherlands to improve the multidisciplinary organisation of cancer care in hospitals.So far the clinical impact of external quality assessment programmes such as external peer review and accreditation remains unclear.

Impact of hospital volume on breast cancer outcome: a population-based study in the Netherlands.

For low-volume tumours, high surgical hospital volume is associated with better survival. For high-volume tumours like breast cancer, this association is unclear. The aim of this study is to determine to what extent the yearly surgical hospital breast cancer volume is associated with overall survival.

Impact of active surveillance, chlorambucil, and other therapy on health-related quality of life in patients with CLL/SLL in the Netherlands.

As survival of patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia/small lymphocytic lymphoma (CLL/SLL) increases and the number of patients who live long rises, health-related quality of life (HRQoL) becomes a relevant endpoint. Few studies investigated this, mainly as a secondary endpoint in randomized clinical trials where patients with early stage CLL/SLL, and elderly/frail patients were underrepresented. The aim of our study was to assess HRQoL in a population-based setting, including these previously underrepresented patients.

Survival for haematological malignancies in Europe between 1997 and 2008 by region and age: results of EUROCARE-5, a population-based study.

Background: More effective treatments have become available for haematological malignancies from the early 2000s, but few large-scale population-based studies have investigated their effect on survival. Using EUROCARE data, and HAEMACARE morphological groupings, we aimed to estimate time trends in population-based survival for 11 lymphoid and myeloid malignancies in 20 European countries, by region and age.

Methods: In this retrospective observational study, we included patients (aged 15 years and older) diagnosed with haematological malignancies, diagnosed up to Dec 31, 2007, and followed up to Dec 31, 2008.

Self-reported acne is not associated with prostate cancer.

Objective: Some studies have suggested an inverse association between acne vulgaris and the acne-related bacterium Propionibacterium acnes and prostate cancer (PCa). Self-reported acne might be an easily obtainable marker to identify men at relatively low risk of PCa and might be incorporated into PCa risk calculators. This study aimed to evaluate the association between self-reported acne and PCa in a large case-referent study.

Cause of death the first year after curative colorectal cancer surgery; a prolonged impact of the surgery in elderly colorectal cancer patients.

Background: The 1-year mortality after colorectal cancer surgery is high and explains age related differences in colorectal cancer survival. To gain better insight in its etiology, cause of death for these patients was studied.

Methods: All 1924 patients who had a resection for stage I-III colorectal cancer from 2006 to 2008 in the Western region of the Netherlands were identified.