Complex study of Cancer Morbidity and Inflammatory Markers, Presented in the Blood Serum of the Rural Population of Sachkhere District of Georgia

Aim:

The purpose of the study was to compare the morbidity from cancer (expressed as incidence) to the average levels of blood serum inflammatory markers in the population of the Sachkhere region (Georgia).

Methods:

healthy residents of the Sachkhere district were examined. In the blood serum samples of patients, the cytokines (IL-1α, IL-10, TGF-β, IL-12, IL-17, TNF-α, IL-6) and NOx content, as well as the total antioxidant activity of the non-enzymatic system (TAA) were determined; using light microscopy, buccal micronuclei (MnB) of epithelial cells of the oral mucosa, as indicators of chromosomal disorders, were studied.

Results:

Study results show, that cancer incidence in Sareki was statistically significantly higher as in Chorvila and Sairkhe (p=0.002; p=0.004); in Sareki inhabitant’s blood serum levels of the IL-6, NO are increased (p=0.004, p=0.05), and IL-17, TGFβ, and IL-10 levels are decreased (p=0.010, p=0.001, p=0.033) in comparison to data in Chorvila; in Chorvila inhabitants’ indicators of TAA of blood serum and MnB of epithelium cell levels were lower (p=0.001,p=0.045) then in Sairkhe and Sareki.

Conclusion:

The existence of statistically reliable associations between the levels of cancer incidence in the populations of the surveyed villages and the indicators of immune and oxidative status in their virtually healthy subpopulations, with a high degree of persuasiveness, allows us to assume a close causal link between them. Clarifying the reasons for the identified patterns and their significance requires more detailed studies.

Cancer Incidence in Volcanic Areas: A Systematic Review

Background:

There are more than 1,000 active volcanoes worldwide with inhabitants within 100 km of them. Volcanoes spill several toxic metals and spew pollution through gasses, causing soil and water contamination. The dangerously active volcanoes place the nearby population at risk for volcanic hazards. This review aimed to determine whether people living in these volcanic areas have higher risk of cancer and more attention should be given to this danger.

Methods:

A systematic literature search was conducted of PUBMED, Science Direct, SCOPUS, Proquest, and Google Scholar, and from citation searching. We assessed the quality of the studies and extracted the incidence rate of cancer in the volcanic areas compared to non-volcanic areas.

Results:

The search identified 360 articles, with 11 studies meeting our selection criteria. The results reported the incidence of cancer in children was predominantly in volcanic areas with girls suffering as much as 1.4 per 100,000 per year. The highest cancer age standardized incidence rates for females, males, and overall calculation in volcanic areas were reported as 31.7/100,000/year in Catania, 10.34/100,000/year in Furnas, and 38.3/100,000/year in Catania-Messina-Enna for thyroid cancer. We observed the increasing incidence of carcinoma for some types of cancer in volcanic areas.

Conclusion:

Cancer incidence in volcanic areas was higher than non-volcanic areas and it is caused by multifactorial conditions. The concentrations of hazardous elements of volcanic products vary among volcanoes and are related to the harmful risk for the inhabitants. The negative effects of volcanic products to human health should be given more consideration.

Cancer Incidence in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq: Results of a Seven-Year Cancer Registration in Erbil and Duhok Governorates

Introduction:

There are limited published data regarding the recent incidence trends of cancer in Iraqi Kurdistan.

Methods:

The present study assessed the epidemiological estimates of cancer incidence, as well providing a projection of future cancer trends in the upcoming decade by analysing the population-based cancer registry between 2013 and 2019, in both the Erbil and Duhok governorates. A retrospective analysis was performed on data retrieved from the Medical Statistics Department at the Ministry of Health, Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG).

Results:

The total number of female cancer patients was higher in both governorates, and the total incidence of patients with cancer increased by over 2x between 2013 and 2019 in Erbil and Duhok, from 73 to 174 patients/100,000 individuals for women, and 36 to 85 patients/100,000 individuals for men. Analysis indicated that the percentage of patients with cancer is projected to increase by >2x in the current decade, from 3,457 cases to 4,547 and 4,449 cases in the Erbil governorate; and from 1,365 to 2,633 and 2,737 cases in 2028 based on LSTM and bi-LTSM analysis in the Duhok governorate. Lung cancer (LC) and female breast cancer (BC) were the most prominent types of cancers diagnosed since 2013 in both the Erbil and Duhok governorates.

Conclusion:

The striking pattern of trends for both present and future cancer incidence rates require urgent solutions and comprehensive efforts to control risk factors that promote the increasing incidence of cancer in these two KRG governorates.

Cancer Incidence and Mortality in Firefighters: A State-of-the-Art Review and Meta-َAnalysis

Objective:

A systematic literature review and meta-analysis was conducted on the association between firefighting and cancer.

Methods:

A comprehensive literature search of databases including Medline, EMBASE, Biosis, NIOSHTIC2, Web of Science, Cancerlit, and HealthStar, for the period between 1966 to January 2007, was conducted. We also retrieved additional studies by manual searching.

Results:

A total of 49 studies were included in the meta-analysis. We found statistically significant associations between firefighting and cancers of bladder, brain and CNS, and colorectal cancers, consistent with several previous risk estimates. We also found statistically significant associations of firefighting with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, skin melanoma, prostate, and testicular cancer. For kidney, Hodgkin’s lymphoma, leukemia, lymphosarcoma and reticulosarcoma, multiple myeloma, and pancreatic cancer, we found some statistically significant but less consistent results. For all other cancers evaluated (esophageal, laryngeal, oral and pharyngeal, liver and gallbladder, lung, lymphatic and hematopoietic, non-melanoma skin cancer, stomach, and urinary cancer) we did not find any statistically significant associations.

Conclusions:

Although our meta-analysis showed statistically significant increased risks of either cancer incidence or mortality of certain cancers in association with firefighting, a number of important limitations of the underlying studies exist, which, precluded our ability to arrive at definitive conclusions regarding causation.

Patterns of Cancer Related Health Disparities in Arizona

Cancer incidence rates vary regionally among American Indians (AIs) and Latinos. The goal of this was to identify areas of research necessary to reduce cancer health disparities in AIs and Latinos, the two major racial/ethnic minority groups in Arizona. In an effort to better understand cancer health disparities, cancer incidence rates in AIs and Latinos in Arizona were compared to non-Hispanic Whites (NHWs). Age-adjusted incidence rates (per 100,000) were obtained from the Arizona Cancer Registry and the North American Association of Central Cancer Registries. Spearman's rank test was used to examine correlation between county-level cancer incidence rates and socio-demographic factors. AIs and Latinos had lower incidence rates of screening for detectable cancers than NHWs. Among older men (age ≥65), however, AIs and Latinos had similar prostate cancer incidence rates to NHWs. Some of less common cancers, such as kidney, stomach, liver, and gallbladder, were more frequently diagnosed in AIs and Latinos than NHWs. AIs and Latinos were more likely to be diagnosed with advanced cancer stage, except for cervical cancer. Correlations between prostate and breast cancer incidence rates and percent urban residents as well as correlations between incidence rates of these two cancer types and population size were significantly positive. Poverty levels were inversely correlated with colorectal and lung cancer incidence rates. Our review of cancer incidence rates suggests that socio-demographic factors, such as population size (rural/urban) and poverty levels, have influenced cancer detection and incidence rates in Arizona.

Pulmonary tuberculosis and lung cancer risk in current smokers: the Seoul Male Cancer Cohort Study

Authors evaluated pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) history as a risk factor for lung cancer in current male smokers in a prospective, population-based cohort study. The subjects were the 7,009 males among the participants in the Seoul Male Cancer Cohort Study for whom there was full information on PTB history and smoking habits. With a 16-yr follow-up, 93 cases of lung cancer occurred over the 99,965 person-years of the study. The estimated relative risk (RR) of PTB history of current smokers in lung cancer after adjusting for three confounders - intake of coffee and tomatoes, and age at entry - was 1.85 (95% CI: 1.08-3.19). The observed joint RRs and attributable risks (ARs) across strata of three confounders were greater than the expected, indicating a positive interaction. Thus a history of PTB in current smokers may be another risk factor for lung cancer. Based on a synergic interaction, a heavy male smoker with a PTB history would be expected to belong to the group at high risk of lung cancer.

Lung cancer incidence by smoking status in Korean men: 16-years of observations in the Seoul Male Cancer Cohort study

The relative risk (RR) of smoking and mortality of lung cancer in British doctors was previously reported to have increased throughout a 40-yr period. Here, we evaluated this RR based on the incidence of lung cancer in Korean men using a longer follow-up period. We compared our data to the RR reported in a study using a 10-yr follow-up period; the subjects and methods were identical to those of the previous paper with the exception of the follow-up period, which ended on December 31, 2008. We found that the RR of smoking habits in patients with lung cancer did not increase, and that the data showed narrowing 95% confidence intervals over a longer observation in Korean men. Estimated lung cancers attributable to smoking were 55.6%. These results highlight the need for an intervention program to help patients quit smoking in Korea.