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Background: More people than ever before are currently living with a diagnosis of cancer and the number of people concerned is likely to continue to rise. Cancer survivors are at risk of developing a second primary cancer (SPC). This study aims to investigate the risk of SPC in Switzerland.Methods: The study cohort included all patients with a first primary cancer recorded in 9 Swiss population-based cancer registries 1981-2009 who had a minimum survival of 6 months, and a potential follow-up until the end of 2014. We calculated standardized incidence ratios (SIR) to estimate relative risks (RR) of SPC in cancer survivors compared with the cancer risk of the general population. SIR were stratified by type of first cancer, sex, age and period of first diagnosis, survival period and site of SPC.Results: A total of 33,793 SPC were observed in 310,113 cancer patients. Both male (SIR 1.18, 95%CI 1.16-1.19) and female (SIR 1.20, 95%CI 1.18-1.22) cancer survivors had an elevated risk of developing a SPC. Risk estimates varied substantially according to type of first cancer and were highest in patients initially diagnosed with cancer of the oral cavity and pharynx, Hodgkin lymphoma, laryngeal, oesophageal, or lung cancer. Age-stratified analyses revealed a tendency towards higher RR in patients first diagnosed at younger ages. Stratified by survival period, risk estimates showed a rising trend with increasing time from the initial diagnosis. We observed strong associations between particular types of first and SPC, i.e. cancer types sharing common risk factors such as smoking or alcohol consumption (e.g. repeated cancer of the oral cavity and pharynx (SIRmales 20.12, 95%CI 17.91-22.33; SIRfemales 37.87, 95%CI 30.27-45.48).Conclusion: Swiss cancer survivors have an increased risk of developing a SPC compared to the general population, particularly patients first diagnosed before age 50 and those surviving more than 10 years. Cancer patients should remain under continued surveillance not only for recurrent cancers but also for new cancers. Some first and SPCs share lifestyle associated risk factors making it important to promote healthier lifestyles in both the general population and cancer survivors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Socioeconomic inequalities in cancer stage at diagnosis and survival are important public health issues. This study investigates the association between socioeconomic position (SEP) and colorectal cancer (CRC) stage at diagnosis and survival in Switzerland, a European country with highest level of medical facilities and life expectancy. We used population‐based CRC data from seven Swiss cantonal cancer registries 2001–2008 (N = 10,088) linked to the Swiss National Cohort (SNC). Follow‐up information was available until the end of 2013. SEP was estimated based on education. The association between cancer stage and SEP was assessed using logistic regression models including cancer localization (colon/rectum), sex, age, civil status, urbanity of residence, language region, and nationality (Swiss/non‐Swiss). Survival was analyzed using competing risk regressions reporting subhazard ratios (SHRs) for the risk of dying due to CRC. We observed a social gradient for later stage CRC with adjusted odds ratios (ORs) of 1.11 (95% CI: 0.97–1.19) and 1.28 (95% CI: 1.08–1.50) for middle and low SEP compared to high SEP. Further, single compared to married people had elevated odds of being diagnosed at later stages. Survival was lower in patients with CRC with low SEP in the unadjusted model (SHR: 1.18, 95% CI: 1.07–1.30). After adjustment for stage at diagnosis and further sociodemographic characteristics, significant survival inequalities by SEP disappeared but remained for non‐Swiss compared to Swiss citizens and for patients living in nonurban areas compared to their urban counterparts. Swiss public health strategies should facilitate equal access to CRC screening and optimal CRC care for all social groups and in all regions of Switzerland. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Due to an improving prognosis, and increased knowledge of intervention effects over time, long-term well-being among prostate cancer (PC) survivors has gained increasing attention. Yet, despite a variety of available PC interventions, experts currently disagree on optimal intervention course based on survival rates.Methods: In January 2017, we searched multiple databases to identify relevant articles. Studies were required to assess at least two different dimensions of health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in PC survivors ≥5 years past diagnosis with validated measures.Results: Identified studies (n = 13) were mainly observational cohort studies (n = 10), conducted in developed countries with a sample size below 100 per study arm (n = 6). External-beam radiation therapy was the most common intervention (n = 12), whereas only three studies included patients on active surveillance or on watchful waiting. Studies were largely heterogeneous in cancer stage at diagnosis, intervention groups and instruments. All identified studies either used the EORTC QLQ-C30 (n = 5) or the SF-36 (n = 7) to assess generic HRQoL, yet 11 different instruments were employed to assess PC specific urinary, bowel and sexual symptoms. Overall, no consistent pattern between intervention and HRQoL was observed. Results from two randomized-controlled-trials (RCTs) and one observational study, comparing HRQoL by primary intervention in localized PC survivors suggest that long-term HRQoL does not differ by intervention. However, observational studies that included a combination of localized and locally advanced stage PC survivors identified HRQoL differences for various scales including physical well-being, social and role function, vitality, and role emotional.Conclusion: This review reveals the number of publications comparing HRQoL by primary intervention in long-term PC survivors is currently limited. Robust data from two RCTs and one observational study suggest that HRQoL does not seem to differ by intervention. However, the heterogeneity of studies' methodologies and results hindered our ability to draw a clear conclusion. Therefore, in order to answer the question of which primary intervention is superior with respect to long-term HRQoL in PC patients, more high-quality, large-scale prospective cohort studies, or RCTs with repeated HRQoL assessments, are urgently needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: There is a need to assess risk of second primary cancers in prostate cancer (PCa) patients, especially since PCa treatment may be associated with increased risk of second primary tumours. Methods: We calculated standardized incidence ratios (SIRs) for second primary tumours comparing men diagnosed with PCa between 1980 and 2010 in the Canton of Zurich, Switzerland (n = 20,559), and the general male population in the Canton. Results: A total of 1,718 men developed a second primary tumour after PCa diagnosis, with lung and colon cancer being the most common (15 and 13% respectively). The SIR for overall second primary cancer was 1.11 (95%CI: 1.06–1.17). Site-specific SIRs varied from 1.19 (1.05–1.34) to 2.89 (2.62–4.77) for lung and thyroid cancer, respectively. When stratified by treatment, the highest SIR was observed for thyroid cancer (3.57 (1.30–7.76)) when undergoing surgery, whereas liver cancer was common when treated with radiotherapy (3.21 (1.54–5.90)) and kidney bladder was most prevalent for those on hormonal treatment (3.15 (1.93–4.87)). Stratification by time since PCa diagnosis showed a lower risk of cancer for men with PCa compared to the general population for the first four years, but then a steep increase in risk was observed. Conclusion: In the Canton of Zurich, there was an increased risk of second primary cancers among men with PCa compared to the general population. Increased diagnostic activity after PCa diagnosis may partly explain increased risks within the first years of diagnosis, but time-stratified analyses indicated that increased risks remained and even increased over time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: In a population-based study of chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) patients in Switzerland, we confirmed an increase in relative survival for all age groups over the last decades. This was primarily based on the stable age-adjusted rate of incidence and a substantial decrease of the age-adjusted mortality rate. Investigating data from four different study periods, before and after introduction of tyrosine kinase inhibitors and their more potent second- and third-generation compounds, we found higher increases in relative survival for older patients at later time periods compared to younger CML patients. However, for the last study period (2013–2017), the five-year relative survival (RS) in the elderly population reached only 53% compared to 89% in younger patients, implicating additional potential to improve CML therapy, especially in the elderly population. Background: Tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKI) substantially improved chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) prognosis. We aimed to describe time period- and age-dependent outcomes by reporting real-world data of CML patients from Switzerland. Methods: Population-based incidence, mortality, and survival were assessed for four different study periods and age groups on the basis of aggregated data from Swiss Cantonal Cancer Registries. Results: A total of 1552 new CML cases were reported from 1995 to 2017. The age-standardized rate (ASR) for the incidence remained stable, while the ASR for mortality decreased by 50–80%, resulting in a five-year RS from 36% to 74% over all four age groups. Importantly, for patients <60 years (yrs), the five-year RS increased only in earlier time periods up to 92%, whereas for older patients (+80 yrs), the five-year RS continued to increase later, however, reaching only 53% until 2017. Conclusions: This is the first population-based study of CML patients in Switzerland confirming similar data compared to other population-based registries in Europe. The RS increased significantly in all age groups over the last decades after the establishment of TKI therapy. Interestingly, we found a more prominent increase in RS of patients with older age at later observation periods (45%) compared to patients at younger age (10%), implicating a greater benefit from TKI treatment for elderly occurring with delay since the establishment of TKI therapy. Our findings suggest more potential to improve CML therapy, especially for older patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Following publication of the original article [1], an error was reported in the author group. The correct author group should read as follows. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The original article [1] contains errors whereby some information provided in Tables 2 and 5 in the online version is missing in the PDF version; in addition, some details regarding the study by Mols et al., Johnstone et al. and Fransson et al. (2008) in Tables 1 and 5 require correction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Aside from urological and sexual problems, long-term (≥5 years after initial diagnosis) prostate cancer (PC) survivors might suffer from pain, fatigue, and depression. These concurrent symptoms can form a cluster. In this study, we aimed to investigate classes of this symptom cluster in long-term PC survivors, to classify PC survivors accordingly, and to explore associations between classes of this cluster and health-related quality of life (HRQoL). Methods: Six hundred fifty-three stage T1-T3N0M0 survivors were identified from the Prostate Cancer Survivorship in Switzerland (PROCAS) study. Fatigue was assessed with the EORTC QLQ-FA12, depressive symptoms with the MHI-5, and pain with the EORTC QLQ-C30 questionnaire. Latent class analysis was used to derive cluster classes. Factors associated with the derived classes were determined using multinomial logistic regression analysis. Results: Three classes were identified: class 1 (61.4%) – "low pain, low physical and emotional fatigue, moderate depressive symptoms"; class 2 (15.1%) – "low physical fatigue and pain, moderate emotional fatigue, high depressive symptoms"; class 3 (23.5%) – high scores for all symptoms. Survivors in classes 2 and 3 were more likely to be physically inactive, report a history of depression or some other specific comorbidity, be treated with radiation therapy, and have worse HRQoL outcomes compared to class 1. Conclusion: Three distinct classes of the pain, fatigue, and depression cluster were identified, which are associated with treatment, comorbidities, lifestyle factors, and HRQoL outcomes. Improving classification of PC survivors according to severity of multiple symptoms could assist in developing interventions tailored to survivors' needs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]