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Purpose: Lifestyle-related conditions such as obesity are associated with prostate cancer progression, but the associations with hyperglycemia and dyslipidemia are unclear. This study, therefore, aims to examine the association of glucose, triglycerides, and total cholesterol with prostate cancer death Methods: From the Swedish AMORIS cohort, we selected 14,150 men diagnosed with prostate cancer between 1996 and 2011 who had prediagnostic measurements of serum glucose, triglycerides, and total cholesterol. Multivariable Cox proportional hazards regressionmodels were used to determine the hazard ratios for death in relation to the aforementioned metabolic markers. Results: Using clinical cut-off points, a non-significant positive association was observed between glucose and prostate cancer death. When compared to those with glucose in the lowest quartile, those in the highest quartile had greater risk of prostate cancer death (HR 1.19; 95% CI 1.02-1.39). However, neither total cholesterol nor triglycerides were associated with prostate cancer death. Glucose and triglycerides were positively associated with overall, cardiovascular, and other deaths. Hypercholesterolemia was only associated with risk of CVD death. Conclusion: Our results suggest that glucose levels may influence prostate cancer survival, but further studies using repeated measurements are needed to further elucidate how glucose levels may influence prostate cancer progression.

Introduction: Approximately, 10–15% of lung cancer patients have never smoked. Previous epidemiological studies on non-tobacco associated lung cancer have been hampered by selected data from a small number of hospitals or limited numbers of patients. By use of data from large population-based registers with national coverage, this study aims to compare characteristics and survival of patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with different smoking histories. Methods: Swedish national population-based registers were used to retrieve data on patients diagnosed with primary NSCLC between 2002 and 2016. The Kaplan–Meier method and Cox proportional hazard models were used to estimate overall survival and lung cancer-specific survival by smoking history. Results: In total, 41,262 patients with NSCLC were included. Of those, 4624 (11%) had never smoked. Never-smokers were more often women and older compared to ever smokers (current and former). Adenocarcinoma was proportionally more common in never-smokers (77%) compared to current (52%) and former smokers (57%). Stage IV disease was more common in never-smokers (57%) than in current (48%) and former smokers (48%). Epidermal growth factor receptor mutation was observed more in never-smokers (37%) compared to current (5%) and former smokers (9%). Both lung cancer-specific and overall survival were higher for never-smokers compared to current smokers. Conclusions: The observed differences in characteristics between never-smokers and smokers, and the higher survival in never-smokers compared to smokers from this large population-based study provide further evidence that lung cancer in never-smokers is clinically different to tobacco-associated lung cancer. The findings from this study emphasise the need for an improved understanding of genetics, pathogenesis, mechanisms and progression of non-tobacco associated lung cancer that may help prevent lung cancer or identify individually targeted treatments.

Objectives: We examined associations between educational level and clinical presentation, patterns of management and mortality in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) in Sweden, a country with a National Health Care System. Materials and Methods: We identified 39,671 patients with a NSCLC diagnosis 2002-2016 in Lung Cancer Data Base Sweden (LCBaSe), a population-based research database. In analyses adjusted for comorbidity and other prognostic factors, odds Ratios (OR) and hazard Ratios (HR) were estimated to examine associations between patients' educational level and aspects of management and mortality. Results: Stage at diagnosis and waiting times did not differ between educational groups. In multivariable analysis, the likelihood to undergo PET/CT and assessment in a multidisciplinary team setting were higher in patients with high compared to low education (aOR 1.14; CI 1.05-1.23 and aOR 1.22; CI 1.14-1.32, respectively). In patients with early stage IA-IIB disease, the likelihood to undergo stereotactic radiotherapy was elevated in patients with high education (aOR 1.40; CI 1.03-1.91). Both all-cause (aHR 0.86; CI 0.77-0.92) and cause specific mortality (aHR 0.83; CI 0.74-0.92) was lower in patients with high compared to low education in early stage disease (IA-IIB). In higher stage NSCLC no differences were observed. Patterns were similar in separate assessments stratified by sex and histopathology. Conclusions: While stage at diagnosis and waiting times did not differ between educational groups, we found socioeconomic differences in diagnostic intensity, multidisciplinary team assessment, stereotactic radiotherapy and mortality in patients with NSCLC. These findings may in part reflect social gradients in implementation and use of novel diagnostic and treatment modalities. Our findings underscore the need for improved adherence to national guidelines.

Objectives: Women diagnosed with breast cancer during working age are at increased risk of permanent absence from work, but the underlying medical causes have rarely been studied. We examined the risk of cause-specific sick leave, disability pension, and the competing event death after a breast cancer diagnosis in a population-based cohort study. Materials and methods: From the Breast Cancer Data Base Sweden, we identified 16,603 women diagnosed with stage I-III breast cancer between 2000 and 2012, and 63,773 control women. Using multi-state modelling, we calculated probabilities and durations of sick leave, disability pension, and death by registered cause, together with cause-specific hazard ratios. Results: Five years after diagnosis, causes other than cancer accounted for around half of all sick leave (3.5% out of 6.8% of women) and disability pension (1.4% out of 2.6%) in women with breast cancer. Compared with control women, women with breast cancer were at increased risk of sick leave and disability pension due to mental disorders (HR 1.24, 95% CI 1.15-1.33 and HR 1.54, 95% CI 1.29-1.85, respectively) and disability pension due to inflammatory diseases (HR 1.46, 95% CI 1.05-2.03). The risk of sick leave and disability pension due to cardiovascular disease was also elevated, although only statistically significant for disability pension in women diagnosed after 2005 (HR 2.24, 95% CI 1.22-4.13). Conclusion: Follow-up, support, and rehabilitation programs for women diagnosed with breast cancer must address a wide range of psychological and physical conditions to limit the consequences on working life.

Publicerad 2019-05-28 på www.lakartidningen.se