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Purpose: Hodgkin's lymphoma (HL) survivors are known to be at substantially increased risk of solid cancers (SC). However, no investigation has used multivariate modeling to estimate the relative risk (RR), excess absolute risk (EAR), and cumulative incidence for specific attained ages and ages at HL diagnosis., Patients and Methods: We identified 18,862 5-year HL survivors from 13 population-based cancer registries in North America and Europe. Poisson regression was used to evaluate the effects of age at diagnosis, attained age, latency, sex, treatment, and year of diagnosis on the RR and EAR of SC., Results: Among 1,490 identified SC, 850 were estimated to be in excess. For most cancer sites, both RR and EAR decreased with age at HL diagnosis and showed strong dependencies on attained age. For a patient diagnosed at age 30 years and survived to > or = 40 years, modeled risks were significantly elevated for cancers of the breast (RR = 6.1), other supradiaphragmatic sites (RR = 6.0), and infradiaphragmatic sites (RR = 3.7); the largest RR (20-fold) was observed for malignant mesothelioma. Thirty-year cumulative risks of SC for men and women diagnosed at 30 years were 18% and 26%, respectively, compared with 7% and 9%, respectively, in the general population. For young HL patients, risks of breast and colorectal cancers were elevated 10 to 25 years before the age when routine screening would be recommended in the general population., Conclusion: Multivariable modeling demonstrates for the first time temporal changes in SC risk not evident in unadjusted analyses, and can facilitate the development of individualized risk assessment and the creation of screening strategies for early detection.

Efforts to reduce global cancer disparities begin with an understanding of geographic patterns in cancer incidence, mortality, and prevalence. Using the GLOBOCAN (2002) and Cancer Incidence in Five Continents databases, we describe overall cancer incidence, mortality, and prevalence, age-adjusted temporal trends, and age-specific incidence patterns in selected geographic regions of the world. For the eight most common malignancies-cancers of lung, breast, colon and rectum, stomach, prostate, liver, cervix, and esophagus-the most important risk factors, cancer prevention and control measures are briefly reviewed. In 2002, an estimated 11 million new cancer cases and 7 million cancer deaths were reported worldwide; nearly 25 million persons were living with cancer. Among the eight most common cancers, global disparities in cancer incidence, mortality, and prevalence are evident, likely due to complex interactions of nonmodifiable (ie, genetic susceptibility and aging) and modifiable risk factors (ie, tobacco, infectious agents, diet, and physical activity). Indeed, when risk factors among populations are intertwined with differences in individual behaviors, cultural beliefs and practices, socioeconomic conditions, and health care systems, global cancer disparities are inevitable. For the eight most common cancers, priorities for reducing cancer disparities are discussed.

Purpose: To quantify the relative and absolute excess risks (AER) of site-specific second cancers, in particular solid tumors, among long-term survivors of Hodgkin's disease (HD) and to assess risks according to age at HD diagnosis, attained age, and time since initial treatment., Patients and Methods: Data from 32,591 HD patients (1,111 25-year survivors) reported to 16 population-based cancer registries in North America and Europe (1935 to 1994) were analyzed., Results: Two thousand one hundred fifty-three second cancers (observed-to-expected ratio [O/E] = 2.3; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 2.2 to 2.4), including 1,726 solid tumors (O/E = 2.0; 95% CI, 1.9 to 2.0) were reported. Cancers of the lung (observed [Obs] = 377; O/E = 2.9), digestive tract (Obs = 376; O/E = 1.7), and female breast (Obs = 234; O/E = 2.0) accounted for the largest number of subsequent malignancies. Twenty-five years after HD diagnosis, the actuarial risk of developing a solid tumor was 21.9%. The relative risk of solid neoplasms decreased with increasing age at HD diagnosis, however, patients aged 51 to 60 years at HD diagnosis sustained the highest cancer burden (AER = 79.2/10,000 patients/year). After a progressive rise in relative risk and AER of all solid tumors over time, there was an apparent downturn in risk at 25 years. Temporal trends and treatment group distribution for cancers of the esophagus, stomach, rectum, female breast, bladder, thyroid, and bone/connective tissue were suggestive of a radiogenic effect., Conclusion: Significantly increased risks of second cancers were observed in all HD age groups. Although significantly elevated risks of stomach, female breast, and uterine cervix cancers persisted for 25 years, an apparent decrease in relative risk and AER of solid tumors at other sites is suggested.