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Objective: The aim of the study was to evaluate the role of alcohol drinking and patterns of consumption in oral cancer incidence and mortality in a cohort study using data from the Trivandrum Oral Cancer Screening Study, India. Methods: At baseline, the study participants completed a lifestyle questionnaire including items on frequency and duration of alcohol consumption. They were followed up for oral cancer incidence and mortality. Data from 32 347 subjects, of whom 134 eventually developed oral cancer, were analysed to estimate risk of oral cancer incidence and mortality according to drinking patterns, using a Cox regression model adjusted for age, religion, education, occupation, body mass index (BMI), standard of living index, chewing habits, smoking habits, and vegetable and fruit intake. Results: Current and past drinkers were each associated with significantly increased risk of developing oral cancer. The hazard ratio increased significantly by 49% (95% CI = 1–121%) among current drinkers and 90% (95% CI = 13–218%) among past drinkers. A significant dose–response relationship between intake frequency, duration and oral cancer risk (incidence and mortality) was observed. Conclusions: As with other lifestyle factors, alcohol intake plays an important role in oral carcinogenesis in this population, and understanding this role is relevant to developing public health policies targeting at-risk population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dietary factors such as fruit and vegetables are thought to reduce the risk of cancer incidence and mortality. We investigated the effect of a diet rich in fruit and vegetables against the long-term effects of radiation exposure on the risk of cancer. A cohort of 36,228 atomic-bomb survivors of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, for whom radiation dose estimates were currently available, had their diet assessed in 1980. They were followed for a period of 20 years for cancer mortality. The joint-effect of fruit and vegetables intake and radiation exposure on risk of cancer death was examined, in additive (sum of effects of diet alone and radiation alone) and multiplicative (product of effects of diet alone and radiation alone) models. In the additive model, a daily intake of fruit and vegetables significantly reduced the risk of cancer deaths by 13%, compared to an intake of once or less per week. Radiation exposure of 1 Sievert (Sv) increased significantly the risk of cancer death by 48–49%. The additive joint-effects showed a lower risk of cancer among those exposed to 1 Sv who had a diet rich in vegetables (49%-13%=36%) or fruit (48%-13%=35%). The multiplicative model gave similar results. The cancer risk reduction by vegetables in exposed persons went from 52% (effect of radiation alone) to 32% (product of effect of vegetables and radiation), and cancer risk reduction by fruit was 52% (radiation alone) to 34% (product of effect of fruit and radiation). There was no significant evidence to reject either the additive or the multiplicative model. A daily intake of fruit and vegetables was beneficial to the persons exposed to radiation in reducing their risks of cancer death. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Le fardeau du cancer reste mal connu en Mauritanie. Il n'est basé que sur des extrapolations de l'incidence des cancers des pays avoisinants. Les données du registre de l'hôpital national permettent de décrire les cas avec un diagnostic histologique. Tous les cas de cancers enregistrés par le service d'anatomo-pathologie de l'hôpital national de Nouakchott de 2000 à 2009 ont été analysés. En 10 ans, 3305 prélèvements histologiques ont été analysés (hommes:42%, femmes:58%). Chez l'homme, le cancer le plus fréquemment analysé était le cancer de la peau (218 cas au total, 189 cas en excluant mélanome), suivi de la prostate (203), des cancers digestifs (179, colorectal et 'sophage), et des lymphomes (151). Chez la femme, un quart des biopsies était des cancers du sein (485), suivi du col utérin (344), de la sphère gynécologique (218, ovaire et corps utérin), et de la peau (114). Les cancers du foie, du poumon ou de la vessie étaient peu fréquents. Ces résultats ne reflètent pas l'incidence ni l'actuel fardeau du cancer en Mauritanie puisque de nombreux patients diagnostiqués avec un cancer ne reçoivent pas d'examen anatomopathologique. Si, comme dans les pays avoisinants du Maroc et du Mali, les cancers du col et du sein sont les pathologies les plus fréquentes chez la femme, la distribution des cancers chez l'homme dans ce registre hospitalier diffère des résultats des registres de population du Maroc et du Mali où les cancers du poumon, du foie, de la prostate et de la vessie dominent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Gastrointestinal (GI) neoplasms are among the most common cancers in Iran. This study aimed to measure annual trends in mortality rates from GI cancers in Iran between 1990 and 2015. Methods: This study was part of an ongoing study termed the 'National and Subnational Burden of Diseases' study in Iran. Data used in this study was obtained from the Iranian Death Registration System (1995 to 2010) and from 2 major cemeteries in Tehran (1995 to 2010) and Isfahan (2007 to 2010). All-cause mortality rates were estimated using the spatio-temporal model and the Gaussian process regression model. Age-standardized mortality rates (ASMR) per 100 000 person-years was calculated using data from Iran and the standard world population for comparison. Results: Among GI cancers, gastric cancer represented the leading cause of mortality followed by cancers of the esophagus, liver, and colorectal cancers with the ASMR of 20.5, 5.8, 4.4, and 4.0 per 100 000 persons-years, respectively, between 1990 and 2015. While a decreasing trend occurred in mortality of esophageal, gastric, and colorectal cancers, particularly in the recent decade, we recorded an upward pattern and steady rise in mortality rates from liver, pancreatic, and gallbladder cancers during the study period. The ASMR of all studied causes were enhanced by advancing age and were found to be more prominent in adults aged 50 or older. Among all age-groups, higher death rates were detected in males versus females for all studied cancers except for gallbladder and biliary tract cancers. Conclusion: Gastric cancer mortality is still high and death rates from several other GI cancers are increasing in the nation. Interventions for cancer prevention, early detection, and access to high quality cancer treatment services are needed to reduce GI cancer burden and death rates in Iran and in the region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most common cancer in Iran, where there is no mass screening for the disease yet. We aimed to measure the feasibility of a pilot CRC screening program based on fecal immunochemical test (FIT) in Iranian population and the implications for scaling-up at the national level. Methods: A single quantitative FIT was offered by health navigators to individuals aged between 45 and 75 years in primary health centers in rural and urban areas in Tehran. Participants who had a positive FIT were referred for colonoscopy. Results: A total of 1044 asymptomatic average-risk individuals were enrolled. The mean age (SD) was 54.1 ± 7.0 years and nearly 63.0% (n = 657) were female. Only a small fraction of the participants had a prior screening practice (2.2%) and were aware of colon cancer (13.7%). In sum, 1002 returned the FIT kit, of whom the stool sample was unsatisfactory for testing in six participants (0.6%). The FIT uptake was 96.0%, positivity rate was 9.1% and the detection rates were 11.9% for adenomas and 7.1% for advanced adenomas. No cancer was detected. The positive predictive value (PPV) of the FIT was about 17% for any colonic neoplasms. Conclusion: This is the first study that reports minimal quality metrics within a CRC screening process. FIT modality as a test of choice for colon cancer screening in average-risk people is a safe and highly acceptable method of screening in Iranian people. The results of the current study may not be limited to Iranians, and could have implications to other developing countries with similar trends of CRC epidemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: New rapid and low-cost molecular tests for cervical cancer screening, such as the OncoE6 Cervical Test, are emerging and could be alternatives for low-income and middle-income countries. To this end, we evaluated the clinical performance of the OncoE6 Cervical Test in detecting cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) among HIV-infected women in Bujumbura, Burundi., Methods: From June to December 2017, a cross-sectional study was conducted in 680 HIV-positive women at the University Hospital. Women aged 25-65 years who declared having had vaginal intercourse were consecutively recruited, and cervical specimens for OncoE6, liquid-based cytology and human papillomavirus (HPV) genotyping were obtained and visual inspection with acetic acid performed. Thereafter, participants underwent a colposcopic examination. The sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values of the different tests were calculated with reference to 'colposcopic-histological' diagnoses, and areas under the receiver operating curves of OncoE6 and cytology tests were compared., Results: The prevalence of CIN was 4.9%, and OncoE6 positivity was 3.1%. OncoE6 sensitivity varied from poor to low with increasing disease severity (42.1%, 95% CI 19.9% to 64.3% at CIN2+ threshold; and 58.3%, 95% CI 30.4% to 86.2% at CIN3+ threshold). OncoE6 had the highest specificity compared with all other tests used together. The performance of the OncoE6 test was significantly lower compared with cytology at atypical squamous cell of undetermined significance (ASCUS+) cut-off (AUC=0.68 vs 0.85, p=0.03) and low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (LSIL+) cut-off (AUC=0.68 vs 0.83, p=0.04) for CIN2+ diagnoses. However, the performance of the OncoE6 test was similar to that of cytology at high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (HSIL+) cut-off (AUC=0.68 vs 0.76; p=0.30) for CIN2+ diagnoses and was also similar to that of cytology at all cut-offs (ASCUS+, LSIL+ and HSIL+) for CIN3+ diagnoses (p1=0.76, p2=0.95 and p3=0.50, respectively)., Conclusion: The current OncoE6 test proved to be a point-of-care test. However, given its poor performance for CIN2+ diagnoses, we do not recommend it for primary screening. We recommend to enrich it with more oncogenic HPV types, which may improve the performance of the test akin to that of cytology., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2019. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

Background: This study documented the performance of providers of visual inspection with acetic acid (VIA) at primary health centers, assessing their compliance with the VIA skills checklist and determinants of non-compliance, and exploring their perceptions of VIA training sessions., Materials and Methods: A cross- sectional study was conducted among VIA providers in the Meknes-Tafilalet region of Morocco. Structured observation of their performance was conducted through supervisory visits and multiple focus group discussions (FGDs)., Results: Performance of all the recommended steps for effective communication was observed in a low proportion of procedures (36.4%). Midwives/nurses had higher compliance than general practitioners (GPs) (p<0.001). All recommended steps for VIA examination were performed for a high proportion of procedures (82.5%). Compliance was higher among midwives/nurses than among GPs (p<0.001) and among providers in rural areas than those in urban areas (p<0.001). For pre-VIA counselling, all recommended steps were performed for only 36.8% of procedures. For post-VIA counseling, all recommended steps were performed in a high proportion (85.5% for VIA-negative and 85.1% for VIA-positive women). Midwives/nurses had higher compliance than GPs when advising VIA-positive women (p=0.009). All infection prevention practices were followed for only 14.2% of procedures, and compliance was higher among providers in rural areas than those in urban areas (p<0.001). Most FGD participants were satisfied with the content of VIA training sessions. However, they suggested periodic refresher training and supportive supervision., Conclusions: Quality assurance of a cervical cancer screening program is a key element to ensure that the providers perform VIA correctly and confidently.

Objective: To describe the effectiveness of cryotherapy for treating women who were histologically confirmed to have cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) in India., Methods: Data were analyzed retrospectively from screening projects that collected data from January 2001 to May 2008 in Trivandrum, India. Women with CIN were appropriately treated with cryotherapy by a trained nurse or physician and followed up for cure, adverse events, and complications. Cure was defined as absence of CIN during any follow-up visit at least 1 year after treatment., Results: Among 236 women identified with CIN and appropriately treated with cryotherapy, 173 (81.6%) were followed up (158 CIN 1 and 15 CIN 2 cases). The percentage cure for CIN 1 and 2 lesions was 93.0% and 86.7% respectively. An odds ratio of 0.2 (95% confidence interval, 0.0-0.9) was observed for treatment received more than 2 months after screening as compared with treatment received within 2 months. Complications were observed in 1.2% of treated women and adverse events (discharge and mild pain) in 26.6%., Conclusion: The study affirms that trained mid-level providers can appropriately perform cryotherapy in primary healthcare services and that expanding such services in low-resource settings would increase the availability and accessibility of precancer treatment., (© 2013.)

Background: Conspicuous differences in participation rates for breast self-examination (BSE), clinical breast examination (CBE), and referral for further investigations have been observed indicating involvement of a number of different factors. This study analysed determinants for participation in different levels of the breast cancer screening process in Indian females., Materials and Methods: An intervention group of 52,011 women was interviewed in a breast cancer screening trial in Trivandrum district, India. In order to assess demographic, socio-economic, reproductive, and cancer-related determinants of participation in BSE, CBE, and referral, uni- and multi-variate logistic regression was employed., Results: Of the interviewed women, 23.2% reported practicing BSE, 96.8% had attended CBE, and 49.1% of 2,880 screen-positives attended referral. Results showed an influence of various determinants on participation; women who were currently not married or who had no family history of cancer were significantly less likely to attend the screening process at any level., Conclusions: Increasing awareness about breast cancer, early detection methods, and the advantages of early diagnoses among women, and their families, as well as health care workers offering social support, could help to increase participation over the entire screening process in India.

Background and Aims: It has been hypothesized that some aspect of a traditional 'Asian' diet, that is low in animal products and high in soya, may be associated with a reduced risk of prostate cancer. This study aimed to examine the association between dietary intake and prostate cancer risk among 18,115 men in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan, using prospective data from the Life Span Study., Methods: Subjects completed a food-frequency questionnaire at baseline (1963, 1965 and/or 1979) and were followed for incident prostate cancer until the end of 1996. During this time, 196 incident prostate cancer cases were identified after 252,602 person-years of observation. Poisson regression was used to calculate incidence rates for each dietary factor after adjustment for age, calendar period, city of residence, radiation dose and education level., Results: Fish intake was significantly associated with an increased risk of prostate cancer; men who consumed fish more than four times per week had a 54 increased risk of developing prostate cancer compared with men who ate fish less than twice per week (RR = 1.54; 95% CI, 1.03-2.31). No other food items, including soya products, were significantly associated with prostate cancer risk., Conclusions: These data suggest that dietary factors may not be strong determinants of prostate cancer in these Japanese men, although the increased risk associated with a high consumption of fish warrants further study.