A multidisciplinary problem
Olaf Dammann in Etiological Explanations, 2020
Modern epidemiology is “the study of the distribution and determinants of disease frequency in human populations” (Rothman et al. 2008b:32). It is one of the foundations of the health sciences in that it provides the methods to gather knowledge about constellations of candidate causes of illness, based on detailed observations in populations.4 Since the 1940s and 1950s, “modern” epidemiology has developed from mainly infectious disease-oriented research into health risk research, broadly construed. Today, epidemiological research encompasses both population-based and clinical research, designed to elucidate occurrence patterns of health phenomena in so-called observational studies, as well as information about intervention effectiveness in so-called clinical trials. The intention is to help us understand the etiology of disease, improve treatment strategies, and predict the outcome of disease. Epidemiology includes multiple subspecialties defined by exposure (environmental, occupational, nutritional epidemiology, among others), by outcome (e.g., cancer epidemiology and neuroepidemiology), by population (e.g., pediatric and perinatal epidemiology), or by scientific perspective (e.g., molecular, genetic, and genomic epidemiology).
STATISTICS OF CASE-CONTROL STUDIES
Richard G. Cornell in Statistical Methods for Cancer Studies, 2020
individual histories differ widely with respect to the onset, duration and intensity of exposure, and whether it was continuous or intermittent. Nevertheless it is often possible to make a crude classification into an exposed versus a non-exposed group, for example by comparing confirmed cigarette smokers with lifelong non-smokers or urban with rural residents. In cancer epidemiology the most appropriate measure of disease is incidence, informally defined here as the probability that a disease-free person becomes ill during a specified time interval. The incidence of particular cancers varies remarkably according to a wide range of factors including age, sex, calendar time, geography and ethnicity. Thus, whatever measure is used to associate incidence with exposure, this may also vary with age, sex and time. It is desirable to have a measure of association which is as stable as possible since there is then greater justification for expressing the effect of exposure in a single summary number. The more the measure varies, the greater is the need to describe how the effect of exposure interacts with, i.e., is modified by, demographic and other extraneous factors.
Introduction
Sol Levine, Abraham M. Lilienfeld in Epidemiology and Health Policy, 1987
In beginning their analysis of cancer epidemiology, Prout, Colton, and Smith stress that cancer is many diseases, that policy construction is difficult because of gaps in knowledge about the precise mechanisms which culminate in clinical cancers, and no single best strategy has been devised to control or prevent the various cancers. Accordingly, the authors suggest three main approaches: a primary prevention approach for cancers which cannot be treated effectively.screening programs for cancers which can be treated effectively if detected early.prompt referral to treatment and rehabilitation facilities for cancers amenable to effective treatment but not to primary prevention or screening.
Evaluation of the influence of chronic low-dose radiation on DNA repair gene polymorphisms [XRCC1, XRCC3, PRKDC (XRCC7), LIG1, NEIL1] in individuals from normal and high level natural radiation areas of Kerala Coast
Published in International Journal of Radiation Biology, 2020
Divyalakshmi Saini, K. R. Sudheer, P. R. Vivek Kumar, D. C. Soren, Vinay Jain, P. K. M. Koya, G. Jaikrishan, Birajalaxmi Das
LNT hypothesis is used for extrapolating the risk assessed at high dose to low-dose exposures and forms the basis of radiation protection science. In fact, it did not consider DNA repair mechanism or individual radio-sensitivity in carcinogenesis at low dose exposure below 100mGy. As revealed from cancer epidemiology data of HLNRA of Kerala coast (Nair et al. 2009), none of the cancer types have shown increased incidence in this area in response to prevailing chronic low dose exposure. SNPs of DNA repair genes provide a better understanding of the genetic basis of an individual in response to IR (Vodicka et al. 2004). Studies have shown DNA repair gene polymorphisms were associated with cell cycle delay, DNA damages including strand breaks, increased frequency of chromosome aberrations and micronuclei in response to IR.
Prognostic value of baculoviral IAP repeat containing 5 expression as a new biomarker in lung adenocarcinoma: a meta-analysis
Published in Expert Review of Molecular Diagnostics, 2021
Dingxiu He, Kaisen Huang, Zongan Liang
Cancer has always been the number one threat to human life and health. According to the latest worldwide cancer epidemiology statistics, by 2020, there will be an estimated 19.3 million new cancer cases and nearly 10 million cancer-related deaths worldwide. Female breast cancer has surpassed lung cancer as the most common cancer, but lung cancer is still the main cause of cancer-related death, with an estimated 1.8 million people dying [1]. The incidence rate of cancer in China is lower than that in developed countries, but the mortality rate is significantly higher than that in developed countries such as Britain and the United States. Lung cancer has the highest incidence and mortality rate in China. Its incidence rate continues to increase [2]. Nonsmall cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is the most common pathological type of lung cancer, among which lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) is the most common subtype of NSCLC [3].
Breast cancer-related mortality in Central and Eastern Europe: years of life lost and productivity costs
Published in Journal of Medical Economics, 2023
Goran Bencina, Nour Chami, Robert Hughes, Georgie Weston, Carl Baxter, Adam Maciejczyk, Lazar Popovic, Eugenia Karamousouli, Stina Salomonsson
There are striking variations in cancer epidemiology between European countries, including significant differences in the cancer incidence and mortality8. Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) generally have higher incidence of cancers than other areas9. Excess mortality can be seen in CEE versus western European countries, with a study estimating that over 55,000 cancer deaths could be avoided by closing the mortality gap10. A number of attributable factors could be associated with these regional variations, including: different prevalence of underlying risk factors, inadequacies in screening and early diagnosis, the distribution of cancer types, and different treatment options and follow-up care11. Furthermore, it has been reported that CEE countries spend less per person on pharmaceuticals, and fewer EMA-approved drugs are reimbursed in CEE countries than in other European countries, which could add to the burden of mortality due to later diagnosis and limited treatment options. Although there is a growing body of evidence that recognizes the importance of the clinical and humanistic burden of BC in CEE countries12, few studies have investigated the economic burden of this disease in these regions13.
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