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Purpose Rare cancers represent 22% of all tumors in Europe; however, the quality of the data of rare cancers may not be as good as the quality of data for common cancer. The project surveillance of rare cancers in Europe (RARECARE) had, among others, the objective of assessing rare cancer data quality in population-based cancer registries (CRs). Eight rare cancers were considered: mesothelioma, liver angiosarcoma, sarcomas, tumors of oral cavity, CNS tumors, germ cell tumors, leukemia, and malignant digestive endocrine tumors. Methods We selected data on 18,000 diagnoses and revised, on the basis of the pathologic and clinical reports (but not on pathologic specimens), unspecified morphology and topography codes originally attributed by CR officers and checked the quality of follow-up of long-term survivors of poor prognosis cancers. Results A total of 38 CRs contributed from 13 European countries. The majority of unspecified morphology and topography cases were confirmed as unspecified. The few unspecified cases that, after the review, changed to a more specific diagnosis increased the incidence of the common cancer histotypes. For example, 11% of the oral cavity epithelial cancers were reclassified from unspecified to more specific diagnoses: 8% were reclassified as squamous cell carcinoma (commoner) and only 1% as adenocarcinoma (rarer). The revision confirmed the majority of long-term survivors revealing a relative high proportion of mesothelioma long-term survivors. The majority of appendix carcinoids changed behavior from malignant to borderline lesions. Conclusions Our study suggests that the problem of poorly specified morphology and topography cases is mainly one of difficulty in reaching a precise diagnosis. The awareness of the importance of data quality for rare cancers should increase among registrars, pathologists, and clinicians.

Kaposi sarcoma (KS) is a virus-related malignancy which most frequently arises in skin, though visceral sites can also be involved. Infection with Kaposi sarcoma herpes virus (KSHV or HHV-8) is required for development of KS. Nowadays, most cases worldwide occur in persons who are immunosuppressed, usually because of HIV infection or as a result of therapy to combat rejection of a transplanted organ, but classic Kaposi sarcoma is predominantly a disease of the elderly without apparent immunosuppression. We analyzed 2667 KS incident cases diagnosed during 1995-2002 and registered by 75 population-based European cancer registries contributing to the RARECARE project. Total crude and age-standardized incidence rate was 0.3 per 100,000 per year with an estimated 1642 new cases per year in the EU27 countries. Age-standardized incidence rate was 0.8 per 100,000 in Southern Europe but below 0.3 per 100,000 in all other regions. The elevated rate in southern Europe was attributable to a combination of classic Kaposi sarcoma in some Mediterranean countries and the relatively high incidence of AIDS in several countries. Five-year relative survival for 2000-2002 by the period method was 75%. More than 10,000 persons were estimated to be alive in Europe at the beginning of 2008 with a past diagnosis of KS. The aetiological link with suppressed immunity means that many people alive following diagnosis of KS suffer comorbidity from a pre-existing condition. While KS is a rare cancer, it has a relatively good prognosis and so the number of people affected by it is quite large. Thus it provides a notable example of the importance of networking in diagnosis, therapy and research for rare cancers.

With the increasing drain on natural resources and resulting aim to reduce the environmental impact of road engineering, the use of reclaimed asphalt in fresh asphalt becomes more and more important. Despite the experience in using RAC, there are still many questions regarding the effect of RAC on the technical and environmental performance of mixes, especially with high RAC content. For the true impact of RAC to be quantified, a methodology is needed for the evaluation of the possible environmental and other benefits of asphaltic mixes containing high percentages of RAC (HighRAC). For such a methodology to be precise, it will require reliable data about the durability of pavements constructed with these new types of mixtures. The HighRAC Workshop aimed to serve as a venue for a gathering of a select group of national and international experts to exchange knowledge, ideas and experience on : (i) appraisal of the long-term performance characteristics of HighRAC mixtures (ii) enhancement of the engineering properties of HighRAC mixtures by constituent material selection and/or modification at various length scales (iii) comparison and validation of current mix design procedures for mixtures containing HighRAC (iv) a holistic Life Cycle Assessment based approach for evaluation of long term pavement life including environmental and sustainability considerations

Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) form a diverse group, ranging from simple crafts manufacturers to innovative high-tech companies. According to the European Union’s definition, these can include one-person firms to 250-strong companies. Many SMEs could derive greater benefit from standardization, although standards are sometimes perceived as a burden rather than an advantage. This article highlights the obstacles that prevent SMEs from profiting from standards and standardization and offers solutions.

Las pymes constituyen un grupo diverso de organizaciones que agrupa desde sencillos fabricantes de artesanía a empresas innovadoras de tecnología punta. Según la definición de la Unión Europea, pueden incluir desde empresas de una sola persona hasta compañías formadas por 250 empleados. Muchas pymes podrían obtener mayores beneficios a través de la normalización. Sin embargo, en algunas ocasiones, las normas no siempre se perciben como una ventaja. Este artículo destaca los obstáculos que impiden a las pymes beneficiarse de la actividad de normalización y ofrece soluciones.

Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) form a diverse group, ranging from simple crafts manufacturers to innovative high-tech companies. According to the European Union’s definition, these can include one-person firms to 250-strong companies. Many SMEs could derive greater benefit from standardization, although standards are sometimes perceived as a burden rather than an advantage. This article highlights the obstacles that prevent SMEs profiting from standards and standardization and offers solutions.

Item does not contain fulltext The aim of this study was to determine the incidence and survival of Extramammary Paget's disease (EMPD) and to describe the possible increased risk of tumours after EMPD. All invasive cases diagnosed between 1990 and 2002 were selected from the RARECARE database. Incidence was expressed in European standardized rates. Relative survival was calculated for the period 1995-1999, with a follow-up until 31st December 2003. Standardized incidence ratios of second primary tumours were calculated to reveal possible increased risk after EMPD. European age standardized Incidence of EMPD within Europe is 0.6 per 1000,000 person years. Five-year relative survival for invasive EMPD was 91.2% (95%CI; 83.5-95.4), 8.6 percent of the EMPD patients developed other malignancies. The highest increased risk of developing a second primary tumour was found in the first year of follow-up (SIR:2.0 95%CI; 1.3-2.9), living in the South European region (SIR:2.3 95%CI; 1.5-3.5) or being female (SIR:1.5 95%CI; 1.1-1.9). Female genital organs displayed greatest increased risk of developing a second primary tumour after EMPD (SIR:15,1 95%CI; 0.38-84.23). Due to the increased risk of a second primary tumour after EMPD a thorough search for other tumours during their follow-up is recommended. 01 maart 2012

Sarcomas are a heterogeneous group of malignant neoplasms arising from mesenchymal cells which encompass dozens of histological types and can occur in virtually any anatomic site. They form one of the principal groups of rare cancers in Europe as defined in the RARECARE project. We analysed 45,568 incident cases diagnosed during 1995-2002 and registered by 76 population-based cancer registries. Total crude incidence was 5.6 per 100,000 per year with an estimated 27,908 new cases per year in the EU27 countries, of which 84% were soft tissue sarcomas and 14% were bone sarcomas. Gastrointestinal stromal tumours (GIST) were only widely recognised as an entity in the late 1990s and consequently were under-registered. Their true incidence is believed to be about 1.5 per 100,000. Age-standardised incidence of soft tissue sarcomas ranged from 3.3 per 100,000 in Eastern Europe to 4.7 per 100,000 in Northern Europe. About 280,000 persons were estimated to be alive at the beginning of 2003 with a past diagnosis of sarcoma, of which 83% were soft tissue sarcomas and 16% were bone sarcomas. Five-year relative survival for 2000-2002 by the period was 58% for soft tissue sarcomas and 62% for bone sarcomas. The diversity and rarity of sarcomas combined with the quite large number of people affected by them mean that they provide a classic example of the importance of networking in diagnosis, therapy and research for rare cancers.

International audience; PURPOSE: Epidemiologic information on rare cancers is scarce. The project Surveillance of Rare Cancers in Europe (RARECARE) provides estimates of the incidence, prevalence and survival of rare cancers in Europe based on a new and comprehensive list of these diseases. MATERIALS AND METHODS: RARECARE analysed population-based cancer registry (CR) data on European patients diagnosed from 1988 to 2002, with vital status information available up to 31st December 2003 (latest date for which most CRs had verified data). The mean population covered was about 162,000,000. Cancer incidence and survival rates for 1995-2002 and prevalence at 1st January 2003 were estimated. RESULTS: Based on the RARECARE definition (incidence

International audience; The WeNMR (http://www.wenmr.eu) project is an EU-fundedinternational effort to streamline and automate structuredetermination from Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) data.Conventionally calculation of structure requires the use of varioussoftwares, considerable user expertise and ample computationalresources. To facilitate the use of NMR spectroscopy in life sciencesthe eNMR/WeNMR consortium has set out to provide protocolizedservices through easy-to-use web interfaces, while still retainingsufficient flexibility to handle more specific requests. Thus far, anumber of programs often used in Structural Biology have beenmade available through portals, including HADDOCK, XPLOR-NIH,CYANA and CS-ROSETTA, MARS, MDDNMR. The implementationof these services, in particular the distribution of calculations to theGrid, involves a novel mechanism for submission and handling ofjobs that is independent of the type of job being run. With over 280registered users (April 2011), eNMR/WeNMR is currently one of thelargest Virtual Organization (VO) in life sciences. With its large andworldwide user community, WeNMR has become the first VirtualResearch

The WeNMR (http://www.wenmr.eu) project is an EU-funded international effort to streamline and automate structure determination from Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) data. Conventionally calculation of structure requires the use of various softwares, considerable user expertise and ample computational resources. To facilitate the use of NMR spectroscopy in life sciences the eNMR/WeNMR consortium has set out to provide protocolized services through easy-to-use web interfaces, while still retaining sufficient flexibility to handle more specific requests. Thus far, a number of programs often used in Structural Biology have been made available through portals, including HADDOCK, XPLOR-NIH, CYANA and CS-ROSETTA, MARS, MDDNMR. The implementation of these services, in particular the distribution of calculations to the Grid, involves a novel mechanism for submission and handling of jobs that is independent of the type of job being run. With over 280 registered users (April 2011), eNMR/WeNMR is currently one of the largest Virtual Organization (VO) in life sciences. With its large and worldwide user community, WeNMR has become the first Virtual Research Community officially recognized by the European Grid Infrastructure (EGI)

We present estimates of population-based 5-year relative survival for adult Europeans diagnosed with central nervous system tumors, by morphology (14 categories based on cell lineage and malignancy grade), sex, age at diagnosis and region (UK and Ireland, Northern, Central, Eastern and Southern Europe) for the most recent period with available data (2000-2002). Sources were 39 EUROCARE cancer registries with continuous data from 1996 to 2002. Survival time trends (1988 to 2002) were estimated from 24 cancer registries with continuous data from 1988. Overall 5-year relative survival was 85.0% for benign, 19.9% for malignant tumors. Benign tumor survival ranged from 90.6% (Northern Europe) to 77.4% (UK and Ireland); for malignant tumors the range was 25.1% (Northern Europe) to 15.6% (UK and Ireland). Survival decreased with age at diagnosis and was slightly better for women (malignant tumors only). For glial tumors, survival varied from 83.5% (ependymoma and choroid plexus) to 2.7% (glioblastoma); and for non-glioma tumors from 96.5% (neurinoma) to 44.9% (primitive neuroectoderm tumor/medulloblastoma). Survival differences between regions narrowed after adjustment for morphology and age, and were mainly attributable to differences in morphology mix; however UK and Ireland and Eastern Europe patients still had 40% and 30% higher excess risk of death, respectively, than Northern Europe patients (reference). Survival for benign tumors increased from 69.3% (1988-1990) to 77.1% (2000-2002); but survival for malignant tumors did not improve indicating no useful advances in treatment over the 14-year study period, notwithstanding major improvement in the diagnosis and treatment of other solid cancers.

The e-NMR project is an European e-infrastructure that aims at providing the bio-NMR community with a software platform integrating and streamlining computational approaches necessary for NMR data analysis. The infrastructure is grid enabled with fteen gLite based partners sharing computational resources. A main focus of the consortium is to provide protocoled services through easy-to-use web interfaces, while retaining su cient exibility to handle speci c requests by expert users. Various programs relevant for structural biology scientists are grid ported and already available through the e-NMR web portal, including HADDOCK, XPLORNIH, CYANA and CS-ROSETTA among others. A general overview of the project current status toward EGEE/EGI integration, as well as brief guidelines on how to become an e-NMR site/user will be considered. With more than 170 registered users, enmr.eu is currently the second largest virtual organization in the life sciences. The state of the project can be found on the web page http://www.enmr.eu.

Document(en) uit de collectie Chemische Procestechnologie