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Objective. To briefly describe the process of establishment and preliminary results of the Mérida Population-based Cancer Registry (Mérida-PBCR) Materials and methods. Mérida-PBCR started in 2016 as a research project in the IMSS, with a gradual increase in its information sources. It covers a population of 908 536 inhabitants. Data collection is active and passive, international standards are used; CanReg5 software enables data entry, storage and analysis. Results. Current data include 71.5% of sources. For the period 2015- 2016, a total of 2 623 new cancer cases were registered, the majority of these (60.1%) among females. 81.5% of the cases had morphological verification. Prostate (17.4%), colorectal (8.5%) and stomach (8.1%) cancers were the most common among males, and breast (31.6%), cervix (12%) and corpus uteri (7.6%) cancers, the most common among females. Ageadjusted cancer incidence rates (per 100 000) for all sites combined were 114.9 among males and 145.1 among females. Conclusion. The implementation of the Mérida-PBCR has followed particular parameters, with important efforts to include new information sources. Although the data are still preliminary and must be interpreted with great caution, the main cancers follow a similar pattern to that of the national and regional estimates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Vertigo is rarely reported as a primary symptom associated with brain metastasis. • Vertigo accompanied mainly with headache or ataxia should raise suspicion. • In patients with cancer, vertigo and red flags symptoms, use of MRI is mandatory. Vertigo is a common condition occurring in the general population and is usually self-limited. Reports studying vertigo in patients with brain metastasis (BM), are scarce. Therefore, the aim of this study was to analyze if the presence of vertigo in cancer patients is associated with the presence of BM. This study was conducted in a cancer referral center, where patients with confirmed systemic cancer sent for a neuro-oncologic consultation from May 2012 to March 2018 were included for review. Of 3220 patients, 723 were diagnosed with BM, and 204 had vertigo. Of these patients, 22.5% of those who had vertigo were diagnosed to have BM and 6% of those with BM had vertigo as an initial symptom (odds ratio [OR] 0.9; p = 0.9). An additional symptom was present in 104 patients with vertigo. Bivariate regression analysis disclosed a higher risk of having BM in patients with vertigo accompanied by headache (OR18.6; p < 0.0001), ataxia (OR12.1; p < 0.0001), seizures (OR10.9; p = 0.04), visual symptoms (OR10.4; p < 0.0001), speech impairment (OR6.3; p = 0.01), altered mental status (OR7.4; p < 0.0001), and focal weakness (OR7.4; p = 0.001), or focal sensitive complaint (OR6.9; p = 0.003). Vertigo with headache or ataxia remained statistically significant after multivariate analysis. In this cohort, a higher risk of having BM was associated with the presence of vertigo coexistent with headache, ataxia, seizures, visual symptoms, speech impairment, altered mental status, focal weakness, or focal sensitive complaint. On the basis of these results, these accompanying symptoms must be considered as red flags in patients with systemic cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

COVID-19 is associated with systemic inflammation. This inflammatory response is further deregulated by oncological treatments increasing mortality in this population. However, there is conflicting information regarding the clinical factors that increase mortality in patients with severe COVID-19. The aim of this study was to identify prognostic factors associated with mortality during severe COVID-19 in patients with active cancer. In addition, the correlation between oncologic codes and mortality related to severe COVID-19 was evaluated. We analyzed a cohort of Mexican patients with active cancer and severe COVID-19 between March 2020 and February 2021. We collected information on patient demographic characteristics, COVID-19 symptoms, clinical and laboratory data, and treatments. Patients were classified according to oncologic code. We defined the oncological code based on clinical stage, treatment intention, performance status before COVID-19, and median overall survival with palliative treatment. A log-rank test was performed to determine survival. A multivariate logistic regression model was used to adjust for potential confounders. One hundred fifty-two patients with severe COVID-19 were analyzed. The red oncologic code was associated with an increased risk of mortality OR 22.8 (CI 95% 5.0–105.1, p <0.001), low oxygen saturation OR 5.4 (CI 95% 1.7–17.4, p = 0.005), chronic corticosteriod use OR 4.3 (CI 95% 1.0–18.1, p = 0.050) and high D-dimer level OR 3.2 (CI 95% 1.2–8.2, p = 0.019). The survival of patients with active cancer and severe COVID-19 was possible to identify, at the time of admission, specific oncological characteristics. Based on this code, decreased oxygen saturation, increased D-dimer levels, and chronic corticosteroid use were the main predictive factors related to mortality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose Cancer in a country like Mexico is a challenge for the current health system and for public health. However, the statistics about cancer in Mexico are scarce, so epidemiologic surveillance needs to be improved. The objectives of this article were to describe the extent of cancer and to estimate the national burden of cancer through 2020. Materials and Methods To meet this objective, an analysis of secondary official sources was performed. The cancer cases through 2020 were estimated on the basis of trends in mortality and the projection of incident cases reported by GLOBOCAN. Results In 2013, cancer was the cause of 12.84%of all deaths in Mexico. It is projected that the prevalence of cancer will be 904,581 by 2017 and will reach 1,262,861 by early in the next decade (ie, 2020). Conclusion Available data for cancer are incomplete. The development and implementation of population-based cancer registries in Mexico are essential. Assessment of the future outlook of cancer in Mexico will provide awareness of future challenges and can help health systems prepare to face them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Mexico, the number of cancer cases has more than doubled in a period of 23 years. This increased incidence may be explained by the greater exposure to risk factors and non-healthy lifestyles, such as tobacco consumption, higher intake of hypercaloric diets, exposure to viral and bacterial infectious agents, exposure to environmental and occupational carcinogens, and increased exposure to ultraviolet light and sedentary lifestyle. These factors of exposure vary in each region of the world, therefore the distribution of prevalent malignant tumors differs among different countries. For this reason, each region, country and locality must establish public policies that can influence the prevention of certain diseases, mainly chronic noncommunicable ones, whose risk factors can be modified, and thus achieve a reduction in their incidence and mortality. In the world, and in Mexico, the most frequent malignant tumors such as breast cancer, prostate cancer, colon cancer, lung cancer, and cervical cancer, among others, are strongly related to these modifiable risk factors; so, their control could reduce morbidity and mortality for these causes. The population has the right to enjoy well-being and to have the best conditions to reduce the risk of getting sick. There are several actors involved in achieving these goals, for example: Government, industry, health professionals, the media, civil society, population, schools and workplaces. Conclusion: At present, there is a crisis in public health, in both children and adult population, due to overweight and obesity, which are linked to the sedentary lifestyle and the addiction caused by tobacco smoke. These conditions lead many countries to have as major diseases myocardial infarction, cerebral thrombosis, type 2 diabetes mellitus, and cancer, and they all constitute a real public health problem. That is why establishing public policies that can influence our society to create healthy lifestyles and prevention measures to significantly reduce cancer mortality and health spending is a priority. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chronic noncommunicable diseases (NCDs), including cancer, have become the leading cause of human morbidity and mortality. In Mexico, cancer is the third leading cause of death, with a high incidence among the economically active population, a high proportion of advanced stages at diagnosis and limited care coverage for patients. However, no public policy aimed at managing this important public health problem has been developed and implemented to date. This manuscript describes the first interinstitutional proposal of a National Program for Cancer Control, considering the known risk factors, early detection, treatment, palliative care and patient rehabilitation. This manuscript also outlines a series of thoughts on the difficulties and needs that the Mexican health system faces in achieving the main objectives of the program: to decrease the incidence of cancer, to increase survival and to improve the quality of life for this group of patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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