Trends in incidence of oesophageal and gastric cancer in Europe

Research proposal                                                                 

 

 

Aim

The aim of the proposed study is to update an earlier study by Botterweck et al. (1) on trends in incidence of cancers of the oesophagus and gastric cardia. This study was the first study done using the Eurocim database. In the Eurocim database more data are available, and we propose to update the analysis with more recent data and data from more cancer registries. We propose to compare trends in incidence in several areas of Europe using the Eurocim 4.0 or, if available, the most recent data of Eurocim database. The main aim is to describe trends in incidence separate for the main histological types of oesophageal cancer and for different sites and histological types of gastric cancer.

The study will be conducted in collaboration between Maastricht Cancer Registry and the department of Epidemiology of Maastricht University, the Netherlands.

 

 

Methods

36 cancer registries from 16 countries representing different regions in Europe have been selected preliminary. These cancer registries needed to have at least 15 years of continuous incidence data available. An additional selection will be made based on the quality of the data and availability of histological information. Also, as required by the ENCR, we will ask permission of the selected registries.

Trends in incidence will be investigated using graphical methods and age-standardized incidence rates. Estimated Annual Percent Changes (EAPC) will be used to describe trends. Other statistical techniques that will be used are Poisson regression and Joinpoint analysis.

Data analysis will be done using Eurocim 4.0 software and Stata 9.0 statistical software package. The study will be published in an international peer-reviewed journal.

Researchers involved in this study

 

Anita Botterweck, PhD, epidemiologist                                            Maastricht Cancer Registry

A.Botterweck@ikl.nl                                                                                             Parkweg 20

Miranda Dirx, PhD, head of the Maastricht Cancer Registry                              P.O. BOX 2208

M.Dirx@ikl.nl                                                                                            6102 HA Maastricht

                                                                                                                           The Netherlands

                                                                                                                Tel.  0031-43-325 40 59

                                                                                                                Fax. 0031-43-325 24 74

 

Jessie Steevens, MSc                                                                                 Maastricht University

Jessie.Steevens@epid.unimaas.nl                                                     Dept. of Epidemiology

Leo Schouten, MD PhD                                                                                          P.O.BOX 616

Piet van den Brandt, PhD                                                                             6200 MD Maastricht

                                                                                                                           The Netherlands

                                                                                                                 Tel. 0031-43-388 23 74

                                                                                                                Fax. 0031-43-388 41 28

 

All the authors are participating in the study and take public responsibility for the content. They have or will have a substantial contribution in design, analysis and interpretation of the results of the study. Authorship of the resulting manuscripts will determined as described in the Vancouver authorship rules. 2

 

References

1.   Botterweck AA, Schouten LJ, Volovics A, Dorant E, van den Brandt PA. Trends in incidence of adenocarcinoma of the oesophagus and gastric cardia in ten European countries. Int J Epidemiol 2000;29:645-54.

2. Uniform requirements for manuscripts submitted to biomedical journals. International Committee of Medical Journal Editors. Ann Intern Med 1997; 126:36-47.