Latest news with #Epidemiology
Medscape
19-05-2025
- Health
- Medscape
No Increased Mortality Seen in axSpA Patients With Cancer
TORONTO — Older patients with axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) are known to have a higher overall risk for cancer than the general population, but new evidence from a large population-based study indicated that when these patients have concurrent breast, lung, prostate, or colorectal cancer — the four most common cancer types — their rates of overall survival (OS) and cancer-specific survival (CSS) are similar to or better than those of patients with cancer alone. Results from this new analysis of data from Medicare claims linked to the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database also showed that the rates of OS and CSS were significantly higher for patients with axSpA and concomitant colorectal cancer than for patients with colorectal cancer but not axSpA, even though past evidence suggested that for older patients with some other rheumatic diseases, there are worse cancer survival outcomes — for instance, patients with rheumatoid arthritis and concomitant breast or prostate cancer and those with systemic lupus erythematosus and breast cancer. 'We're not entirely sure why survival rates were higher in colorectal cancer patients with axSpA, but it's likely the use of [nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs] NSAIDs in the treatment of axSpA played a role,' study presenter Savannah M. Bowman, MD, of Baylor College of Medicine in Houston told Medscape Medical News at the Spondyloarthritis Research and Treatment Network (SPARTAN) 2025 Annual Meeting. The hazard ratio (HR) for 5-year OS from colorectal cancer in patients with axSpA was 0.72 (95% CI, 0.62-0.83; P < .0001), and the HR for 5-year CSS was 0.73 (95% CI, 0.55-0.97; P = .03). There were also no significant differences in OS and CSS in patients with axSpA and concomitant breast, prostate, or lung cancer compared with patients with cancer alone, with HRs of 0.87, 0.97, and 0.94, respectively. When asked to comment on the study findings, John D. Reveille, MD, professor of rheumatology at the University of Texas McGovern Medical School, Houston, said that the better survival rates seen in patients with axSpA may result from the close monitoring they receive because of their increased risk for inflammatory bowel disease. 'It's likely these patients had colonoscopy [or other colorectal cancer screenings], and that this detected cancer earlier [than in patients without axSpA]. This would have resulted in better survival,' said Reveille, who was not involved in the study. For the analysis, Bowman and study co-authors examined data from 6103 patients, with and without axSpA, and a primary diagnosis of breast, prostate, colorectal, or lung cancer between 2006 and 2019. Of these patients, 2061 had breast cancer, 1988 had prostate cancer, 1234 had lung cancer, and 820 had colorectal cancer. The mean age ranged from 74 to 77 years. Patients in the axSpA cohorts were required to have two or more claims with a diagnosis of axSpA either 12 months before or after cancer diagnosis. They were matched to controls by gender, cancer type and stage, age at cancer diagnosis, and year of cancer diagnosis. Patients with diagnostic claims for connective tissue diseases were excluded from the control cohorts. Survival time was assessed using Kaplan-Meier analysis and log-rank tests. Cox proportional hazard regression models were performed for each type of cancer and adjusted for competing risks for CSS. 'Further research is needed to explore the potential reasons for longer survival in elderly patients with colorectal cancer and axSpA compared to those without axSpA,' the investigators concluded. Reveille agreed. 'The lack of previous research on colorectal cancer in axSpA patients suggests a need for further studies,' he told Medscape Medical News. Bowman said she plans to use the IQVIA claims database to conduct the same analysis in younger patients. She would also like to analyze the impact of treatment with tumor necrosis factor inhibitors, interleukin 17 inhibitors, and Janus kinase inhibitors on cancer outcomes in patients with axSpA.
Qatar Tribune
18-05-2025
- Health
- Qatar Tribune
WCM-Q probes link between insulin resistance and colorectal cancer
Tribune News Network Doha Researchers at Weill Cornell Medicine-Qatar (WCM-Q) have explored the possible links between insulin resistance and early-onset colorectal cancer (EOCRC) in a new article published in Cancer Cell (Cell Press), a leading scientific journal. Cancer, regardless of type, is generally considered a disease that occurs later in life, typically after 50-60 years of age. Data from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Programme of the National Cancer Institute (NCI), USA, indicates that the median age of a cancer diagnosis is 66. However, more recently, younger individuals under the age of 45-50 have been diagnosed with cancers (early-onset cancers; EOCs). Although this shifting trend in cancer epidemiology has been reported previously, this occurrence gained significant attention in early 2024, with many major news outlets and research/medical institutions reporting a rise in EOCs. Among the various EOCs, gastrointestinal cancers, particularly colorectal cancer (CRC), seem to be rapidly increasing among the younger population. This trend appears similar for countries in the MENA region, including Qatar. 'As cancer researchers, we were captivated by the question of 'why this is happening?'' said Prof. Dietrich Büsselberg, professor of physiology and biophysics, one of the co-corresponding authors of the article. 'It is well known that genetic mutations that cause CRC and hereditary CRC-associated syndromes are highly penetrant and increase the risk of CRC. However, it is unlikely that this risk factor alone has changed so dramatically in successive generations of the population to account for the significant increase in EOCRC in recent years.' Dr. Samson Mathews Samuel, research associate in physiology and biophysics and co-corresponding author of the article, said: 'Our in-depth review of existing literature led us to identify a possible culprit behind this occurrence, namely insulin resistance.' A growing body of evidence points to insulin resistance, a hallmark of common metabolic diseases such as obesity, diabetes, and metabolic syndrome, as a possible key risk factor contributing to the incidence and progression of EOCRC. Insulin resistance, defined as the inability of cells to respond to normal insulin, results in hyperinsulinemia (an increase in circulating insulin levels in the blood) much earlier in life than is typically recognized. Surprisingly, insulin resistance can drive metabolic changes very early in life and depends on several early-life external factors to which the individual is exposed. Elizabeth Varghese, a senior research specialist, is the other author of the paper, titled 'Complexity of insulin resistance in early-onset colorectal cancer'. The paper also infers that managing insulin resistance through dietary and/or lifestyle changes and therapeutic interventions is likely to be effective in reducing the incidence of colorectal cancer among young individuals.
Scottish Sun
03-05-2025
- Health
- Scottish Sun
The 6 signs of bum cancer often mistaken for less serious conditions – as experts warn of surging cases
ANAL cancer rates have been rising globally - and now scientists have identified a group of people most at risk. Since the early 1990s, anal cancer incidence rates have increased by more than three-quarters (77 per cent) in the UK, with about 1,500 people diagnosed with it each year. Advertisement 2 Anal cancer cases have been rising globally - particularly among older women A similar trend had been seen in the US, with researchers noting the biggest rise among older women Lead author Ashley Robinson, a second-year internal medicine resident at Advocate Lutheran General Hospital, explained: "Rates of anal cancer are rising fastest among white and Hispanic women over 65 — groups not traditionally considered high risk "While the exact reasons behind this trend remain unclear, most older women were beyond the recommended age for human papillomavirus vaccination when it first became widely available.' Human papillomavirus, known as HPV, causes 90 per cent of anal cancers. Advertisement As part of the study, the researchers analysed data from the National Cancer Institute's Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database from 2917 to 2021. They found anal cancer increased by 2.9 per cent for women and 1.6 per cent for men. Anal cancers increased fastest among white women over 65, who saw 4.3 per cent increase during the five-year study period, reaching 11.4 cases per 100,000 in 2021. If the trend were to continue, the researchers said the incidence of anal cancer in women over age 65 would double in less than 17 years. Advertisement Hispanic women over age 65 had the second-highest rate of anal cancer, with 7.5 cases per 100,000 people in 2021 and a slower annual increase of 1.7 per cent. "It's crucial that we promote HPV vaccination as a key tool for preventing anal cancer, while also keeping health care providers informed as screening guidelines evolve,' Dr. Robinson said. I thought my mouth ulcer was work stress but it was killer disease - my new tongue's made from skin from my tattooed arm 'These findings highlight specific patient groups who may benefit from targeted screening for anal HPV and anal cancer.' Anal cancer is considered rare, making up around 2 per cent to 2.5 per cent of gastrointestinal cancers. Advertisement Approximately 90 per cent of cases are linked to HPV infections, making it the most significant risk factor. There's no national screening programme for anal cancer in the UK because the cancer is rare. While most cases of anal cancer are linked to HPV, there isn't currently a reliable test to check for HPV in the anus. Anal cancer symptoms 2 Needing to poo more often can be a sign of anal cancer Credit: Getty Advertisement One of the best things to do is to look out for symptoms. Anal cancer symptoms can be difficult to spot, as they often mimic more common and less serious conditions like hemorrhoids or anal fissures. Some individuals may experience no symptoms at all in the early stages. The NHS says to watch out for the following six signs: Advertisement bleeding from your bottom itching and pain around your anus small lumps around and inside your bottom a discharge of mucus from your bottom having problems controlling when you poo (bowel incontinence) needing to poo often with looser, runnier poos You may be more likely to get anal cancer if you: have anal sex are over the age of 75 smoke have had cervical, vaginal or vulval cancer have a weakened immune system, such as from HIV or an organ transplant Find out how you can reduce your risk below...
The Sun
03-05-2025
- Health
- The Sun
The 6 signs of bum cancer often mistaken for less serious conditions – as experts warn of surging cases
ANAL cancer rates have been rising globally - and now scientists have identified a group of people most at risk. Since the early 1990s, anal cancer incidence rates have increased by more than three-quarters (77 per cent) in the UK, with about 1,500 people diagnosed with it each year. A similar trend had been seen in the US, with researchers noting the biggest rise among older women Lead author Ashley Robinson, a second-year internal medicine resident at Advocate Lutheran General Hospital, explained: "Rates of anal cancer are rising fastest among white and Hispanic women over 65 — groups not traditionally considered high risk "While the exact reasons behind this trend remain unclear, most older women were beyond the recommended age for human papillomavirus vaccination when it first became widely available.' Human papillomavirus, known as HPV, causes 90 per cent of anal cancers. As part of the study, the researchers analysed data from the National Cancer Institute's Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database from 2917 to 2021. They found anal cancer increased by 2.9 per cent for women and 1.6 per cent for men. Anal cancers increased fastest among white women over 65, who saw 4.3 per cent increase during the five-year study period, reaching 11.4 cases per 100,000 in 2021. If the trend were to continue, the researchers said the incidence of anal cancer in women over age 65 would double in less than 17 years. Hispanic women over age 65 had the second-highest rate of anal cancer, with 7.5 cases per 100,000 people in 2021 and a slower annual increase of 1.7 per cent. "It's crucial that we promote HPV vaccination as a key tool for preventing anal cancer, while also keeping health care providers informed as screening guidelines evolve,' Dr. Robinson said. I thought my mouth ulcer was work stress but it was killer disease - my new tongue's made from skin from my tattooed arm 'These findings highlight specific patient groups who may benefit from targeted screening for anal HPV and anal cancer.' Anal cancer is considered rare, making up around 2 per cent to 2.5 per cent of gastrointestinal cancers. Approximately 90 per cent of cases are linked to HPV infections, making it the most significant risk factor. There's no national screening programme for anal cancer in the UK because the cancer is rare. While most cases of anal cancer are linked to HPV, there isn't currently a reliable test to check for HPV in the anus. Anal cancer symptoms 2 One of the best things to do is to look out for symptoms. Anal cancer symptoms can be difficult to spot, as they often mimic more common and less serious conditions like hemorrhoids or anal fissures. Some individuals may experience no symptoms at all in the early stages. The NHS says to watch out for the following six signs: bleeding from your bottom itching and pain around your anus small lumps around and inside your bottom a discharge of mucus from your bottom having problems controlling when you poo (bowel incontinence) needing to poo often with looser, runnier poos You may be more likely to get anal cancer if you: Find out how you can reduce your risk below... How to reduce your anal cancer risk You cannot always prevent anal cancer, but the HPV vaccination is one of the best ways to protect against anal cancer. All children aged 12 to 13 are offered the HPV vaccine. It helps protect against cancers caused by HPV, as well as genital warts. The HPV vaccine is also recommended for other groups at higher risk of getting HPV, including: men aged 45 years old and under who have sex with men trans men and trans women aged 45 years old and under if their risk of getting HPV is the same as men who have sex with men sex workers people with HIV There are also healthy changes you can make to lower your chances of getting anal cancer: use a condom when having sex to lower your chances of getting HPV keep sex toys clean and do not share them try to quit smoking Source: NHS
Yahoo
02-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
RFK Jr. said his agency will find the cause of autism. These researchers have actually been looking
The annual meeting of the International Society for Autism Research took place in Seattle this week. The field's premiere scientific conference was scheduled to be held in the Emerald City five years ago, until COVID-19 dashed those plans. This time, U.S. autism researchers face a very different kind of crisis: massive cuts to federal funding, Cabinet members making false statements about the complex neurological condition they study, and a series of confusing and potentially worrisome policy announcements about autism research. In April, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services disclosed that it's planning a $50-million 'comprehensive research effort aimed at understanding the causes of [autism spectrum disorder] and improving treatments,' a department spokesperson said. The effort was spurred by Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s stated goal of determining the cause of autism, a neurological and developmental condition whose symptoms cluster around challenges with communication, social interaction and sensory processing. At his first news conference last month, Kennedy made a number of scientifically inaccurate statements about autism: that it is preventable (there is no evidence that it is); that studying its genetic underpinnings is a 'dead end' (genes play a significant role); that children with autism "will never hold a job" (autism presents in myriad different ways and many autistic people work) and, perhaps most significantly, that 'we know it's an environmental exposure' (this is, to put it mildly, far from an established fact.) On Thursday, an HHS spokesperson said that the agency was developing 'a secure data repository' of 'large-scale, de-identified data to better understand the causes of conditions like autism and chronic diseases,' similar to the National Cancer Institute's Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program. This was a clarification of National Institutes of Health Director Dr. Jay Bhattacharya's statement during an April 21 meeting with NIH advisors that the study would draw in part from personal health information gathered across a variety of sources, including insurance claims, pharmacy chain medication records and fitness tracker data, a plan widely reported as an 'autism registry.' HHS has otherwise offered minimal detail on the research effort, which Kennedy initially said would return results as early as September. (Bhattacharya has since pushed back on that timeline, saying that grants would only start to go out to participating researchers by the end of summer.) A half-dozen senior scientists interviewed for this article said that neither they nor anyone they knew of had been consulted. 'I'm someone who knows a lot of people in this field,' said Helen Tager-Flusberg, professor emerita at Boston University and director of its Center for Autism Research Excellence, and 'not a single person I know has been approached.' Tager-Flusberg is a member of HHS' Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee, which advises the agency and Congress on autism research. Since Trump took office in January, she said, the committee has not received any communications from HHS, and has not been informed or consulted about the latest research initiative. 'With one hand, [Kennedy's] offering $50 million in new research, and with the other hand, they have already removed a significantly large number of grants that are already carrying out cutting-edge research on autism,' she said. 'NIH has invested hundreds of millions of dollars into [studying] causes of autism over the last three decades, and so it's disturbing to hear that it's all being dismissed.' The U.S. government is by far the nation's biggest investor in autism research. In 2019 and 2020, the most recent period for which data are available, federal grants totaling $350 million supported 82.5% of U.S. autism research, with the remainder coming from private sources. 'Federal funding is the engine by which research runs, and it is certainly the engine by which autism research has made the incredible advances that it has over the last 25 years,' said Matthew Lerner, an associate professor at Drexel University's AJ Drexel Autism Institute and a board member of the International Society for Autism Research. Several researchers also said that they found Kennedy's insistence that autism stems from exposure to an undetermined environmental source perplexing. The role of environmental factors in autism is already a major focus area for government-funded research, they said, albeit in a more nuanced way. When scientists speak of 'environmental exposures,' they are referring to any nongenetic influence before or after birth. These can range from prenatal stress hormones to neighborhood pollutants to the school a child attends. 'Any scientist will tell you that this is such a complex thing that you can't just be looking at one [cause], that you have to be thinking about the role of environment, the role of genetics, how they interact, and how that changes over the lifespan,' said Alycia Halladay, chief science officer of the nonprofit Autism Science Foundation. 'We do know that there are a lot of environmental exposures that have not been studied. We can't say it is an environmental toxin.' Dr. Shafali Jeste was more blunt. 'This is what we dedicate our lives to,' the Los Angeles pediatric neurologist said. 'If we knew there could be one environmental cause, wouldn't we all be out there hunting for it, and maybe having already found it, given that we've been doing research for 20 years?' The cuts and chaos of the second Trump administration are already having an affect on the research community. Several people interviewed for this article asked not to be quoted by name for fear of retaliation, or specified that they could only speak on behalf of themselves and not their employer, at the institution's request. In late April, Tager-Flusberg founded the Coalition of Autism Scientists, a group of senior researchers united around the shared goals of pushing back on disinformation and advocating for evidence-based research approaches. More than 200 fellow scientists signed up immediately, she said. But when younger researchers have asked to join, she has discouraged them from doing so. Speaking out could cost them their jobs. 'I don't really have anything to lose,' she said. But 'the last thing I would want is to put anyone's career in jeopardy.' This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
