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Summary: Statin use has been associated with reduced mortality from several cancers but also suggested, in vitro, to diminish the effectiveness of lymphoma treatments including rituximab. The present study aimed to assess the association of statin use with mortality in patients with non‐Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) and chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL). We identified all incident NHLs and CLLs in Sweden from 2007 to 2013 with subtype information in the Swedish Lymphoma and Cancer Registers. Using Cox regression, we estimated hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for the association of pre‐ or post‐diagnosis statin use (yes/no, intensity) with lymphoma‐specific, cardiovascular, or all‐cause mortality; and for follicular lymphoma (FL) by initial treatment strategy (active/watch‐and‐wait). Among 16 098 incident NHL/CLL patients, 20% used statins at diagnosis. Pre‐ and post‐diagnosis statin use, and statin intensity were not consistently associated with any mortality outcome in patients with NHL, overall or for any subtype. For actively treated patients with FL, statin use did not appear to increase lymphoma‐specific mortality (vs. non‐users, HR [95% CI]after diagnosis 0·87 [0·45–1·67]). For CLL, statin use was associated with all‐cause and cardiovascular but not consistently with lymphoma‐specific mortality. In conclusion, statin use was not associated with improved lymphoma survival but appears safe to use during lymphoma treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: There is a lack of data regarding treatment and prognosis for the growing group of oldest old patients with lymphoma. Therefore, we studied 2347 patients aged ≥85 years from the Danish and Swedish lymphoma registers 2000–2016 (Denmark) and 2007–2013 (Sweden). Outcome was assessed using relative survival (RS). The 2‐year RS overall for patients with aggressive lymphomas was 38% [95% confidence interval (CI) 35–42%], of whom 845 (66%) patients received active treatment (chemotherapy, radiotherapy, immunotherapy, other). For aggressive lymphomas, not receiving active treatment was associated with an inferior 2‐year RS of 12% (95% CI 9–17%) compared to 49% (95% CI 45–53%) for patients who received active treatment (excess mortality rate ratio 2·84, 95% CI 2·3–3·5; P < 0·0001). For patients with indolent lymphoma, the 2‐year RS was 77% (95% CI 72–82%). Here, 383 (46%) patients received active treatment at diagnosis, but did not have better 2‐year RS (75%, 95% CI 67–81%) compared to those who did not receive active treatment (83%, 95% CI 74–89%). We conclude that outcomes for the oldest old patients with lymphoma are encouraging for several subtypes and that active treatment is associated with improved outcome amongst the oldest old patients with aggressive lymphomas, indicating that age itself should not be a contraindication to treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To investigate concordance in survival time among first‐degree relatives with lymphoid malignancies. Methods: By linkage of national Swedish registers, we identified 66 430 patients diagnosed with a lymphoid malignancy 1958‐2016 with information on first‐degree relationships and follow‐up until 2017. Among these, we identified pairs of first‐degree relatives with any (N = 3326) or a similar (N = 690) lymphoid malignancy subtype. We defined survival in the first‐degree relative as good, expected, or poor based on tertiles of deviance residuals from a multivariable Cox regression model. Next, we used Cox regression to estimate hazard ratios (HR) of death with 95% confidence intervals (CI) among patients, using the survival of their first‐degree relative as exposure and adjusting for confounders. Results: There was no concordance in survival among first‐degree relatives with any lymphoid malignancy (HRgood = 1.00 (reference), HRExpected = 1.02, 95% CI: 0.89‐1.17, HRPoor = 1.12, 95% CI: 0.98‐1.27, Ptrend =.08). Among first‐degree relatives with indolent lymphoma, including chronic lymphocytic leukemia, those with a first‐degree relative to an expected or poor survival had worse outcome compared to those with a first‐degree relative with good survival (HRExpected = 1.44, 95% CI: 0.82‐2.53, HRPoor = 1.79, 95% CI: 1.07‐3.00, Ptrend =.03). Conclusion: Our results support a role of inherited factors in the outcome of indolent lymphoma, including chronic lymphocytic leukemia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Non‐Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) prognosis has improved in recent years, yet the number of patients living with the diagnosis, i.e. the prevalence, has seldom been reported. The prevalence provides a measure of the burden of disease, useful for healthcare planning and to optimise resource allocation. We provide a systematic presentation of temporal trends in absolute numbers of prevalent patients by NHL subtypes, linking them to trends in incidence, survival and mortality. Patients diagnosed 2000–2016 were identified in the national Swedish lymphoma register. Incidence and mortality rates, relative survival and prevalence were estimated for NHL overall and for major clinical and morphological subtypes. Poisson regression was used to test for temporal trends. Increasing incidence and improved survival have led to a 47% increase in the five‐year prevalence of NHL overall in 2016 compared to 2004. An increasing prevalence was observed for all investigated subtypes during the study period, but most notably for diffuse large B cell lymphomas among aggressive subtypes (66%), and marginal zone lymphomas among indolent subtypes (135%). This dramatic increase in NHL prevalence underscores the need to develop and evaluate alternative follow‐up schemes to use resources efficiently and still ensure optimal care of lymphoma survivors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Solid organ transplant recipients (OTRs) have an increased cancer risk but their survival once diagnosed with cancer has seldom been assessed. We therefore investigated cancer‐specific survival among OTRs with a wide range of cancer forms nationally in Sweden. The study included 2,143 OTRs with cancer, and 946,089 nontransplanted cancer patients diagnosed 1992–2013. Hazard ratios (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were estimated using Cox regression models adjusted for age, sex and calendar year. Median follow‐up was 3.1 (range 0–22) years. Overall, OTRs diagnosed with any cancer had a 35% higher rate of cancer death compared to nontransplanted cancer patients (HR: 1.35, 95% CI: 1.24–1.47). Specifically, higher rates of cancer‐specific death were observed among OTRs diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma (HR: 15.0, 95% CI: 5.56–40.6), high‐grade non‐Hodgkin lymphoma (HR: 2.68, 95% CI: 1.90–3.77), malignant melanoma (HR: 2.80, 95% CI: 1.74–4.52) and urothelial (HR: 2.56, 95% CI: 1.65–3.97), breast (HR: 2.12, 95% CI: 1.38–3.25), head/neck (HR: 1.55, 95% CI: 1.02–2.36) and colorectal (HR: 1.42, 95% CI: 1.07–1.88) cancer. The worse outcomes were not explained by differences in distribution of cancer stage or histologic subtypes. For other common cancer forms such as prostate, lung and kidney cancer, the prognosis was similar to that in nontransplanted cancer patients. In conclusion, several but not all types of posttransplantation cancer diagnoses are associated with worse outcomes than in the general population. Reasons for this should be further explored to optimize posttransplantation cancer management. What's new? While cancer risk increases significantly following solid organ transplant, little is known about cancer‐specific survival in transplant recipients. Here, analyses of survival among post‐transplant and non‐transplanted cancer patients in Sweden reveal significantly increased rates of death among transplant recipients diagnosed with certain cancer types, including Hodgkin lymphoma and melanoma and cancers of the breast and colorectal tract. Differences in stage or histologic subtype did not account for worse prognosis of these cancers. Common cancers, such as prostate and kidney cancer, had similar prognosis in the two groups. The findings could have implications for post‐transplantation cancer management and screening. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives This study aims to characterize the epidemiology of immunocompetent Primary central nervous system lymphoma ( PCNSL) diagnosed 2000-2013 in Sweden. Methods Cases were identified in the population-based Swedish Lymphoma Register. Incidence per 100 000 person-years and 95% confidence intervals ( CI) were calculated, and PCNSL-specific survival was estimated using relative survival. Tests for temporal trends were performed using Poisson regression. Population incidence of all brain tumors was retrieved for comparison. Results With 359 identified PCNSL cases (median age 66 years), overall incidence was 0.26 (95% CI: 0.24-0.29) and the average annual increase 4% ( P = .002). The increasing trend was primarily observed among elderly individuals (70+ years). Similarly, an increase in incidence of all brain tumors was noted only among the elderly. There was no significant improvement in relative survival across the study period although, among fit patients (with Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group, EGOC 0), survival plateaued 6 years after diagnosis. Conclusion The increasing PCNSL incidence in the elderly was consistent with an increasing incidence of brain tumors of any type and may in part be attributable to improved diagnostics and reporting in this group. New treatment options have not yet translated into general survival improvements in a population-based setting, although the presence of long-term survivors among fit patients is encouraging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The prognostic value of detailed anatomic site and ultraviolet radiation (UVR) exposure patterns has not been fully determined in cutaneous melanoma. Thus, we reviewed medical records for detailed site in a population-based retrospective Swedish patient cohort diagnosed with primary invasive melanoma 1976-2003 ( n = 5,973). We followed the patients from date of diagnosis until death, emigration or December 31st 2013, and evaluated melanoma-specific survival by subsite in a multivariable regression model adjusting for established prognostic factors. We found that melanoma on chronic UVR exposure sites (face, dorsum of hands; adjusted HR 0.6; CI 0.4-0.7) and moderately intermittent UVR sites (lateral arms, lower legs, dorsum of feet; HR 0.7; CI 0.6-0.8) were associated with a favorable prognosis compared with highly intermittent sites (chest, back, neck, shoulders and thighs). Further, melanoma on poorly visible skin sites upon self-examination (scalp, retroauricular area, back, posterior upper arms and thighs, buttocks, pubic area; HR 1.3; CI 1.1-1.5) had a worse prognosis than those on easily visible sites (face, chest, abdomen, anterior upper arms and thighs, lower arms and legs, dorsum of hands and feet, palms). In conclusion, highly intermittent UVR exposure sites and poor skin visibility presumably correlate with reduced melanoma survival, independent of established tumor characteristics. A limitation of the study was the lack of information on actual individual UVR exposure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Comorbidity increases overall mortality in patients diagnosed with hematological malignancies. The impact of comorbidity on cancer-specific mortality, taking competing risks into account, has not been evaluated.Methods: Using the Swedish Cancer Register, we identified patients aged >18 years with a first diagnosis of acute myeloid leukemia (AML, N = 2,550), chronic myeloid leukemia (CML, N = 1,000) or myeloma (N = 4,584) 2002-2009. Comorbid disease history was assessed through in- and out-patient care as defined in the Charlson comorbidity index. Mortality rate ratios (MRR) were estimated through 2012 using Poisson regression. Probabilities of cancer-specific death were computed using flexible parametric survival models.Results: Comorbidity was associated with increased all-cause as well as cancer-specific mortality (cancer-specific MRR: AML = 1.27, 95 % CI: 1.15-1.40; CML = 1.28, 0.96-1.70; myeloma = 1.17, 1.08-1.28) compared with patients without comorbidity. Disorders associated with higher cancer-specific mortality were renal disease (in patients with AML, CML and myeloma), cerebrovascular conditions, dementia, psychiatric disease (AML, myeloma), liver and rheumatic disease (AML), cardiovascular and pulmonary disease (myeloma). The difference in the probability of cancer-specific death, comparing patients with and without comorbidity, was largest among AML patients <70 years, whereas in myeloma the difference did not vary by age among the elderly. The probability of cancer-specific death was generally higher than other-cause death even in older age groups, irrespective of comorbidity.Conclusion: Comorbidities associated with organ failure or cognitive function are associated with poorer prognosis in several hematological malignancies, likely due to lower treatment tolerability. The results highlight the need for a better balance between treatment toxicity and efficacy in comorbid and elderly AML, CML and myeloma patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: To demonstrate how assessment of life expectancy and loss in expectation of life can be used to address a wide range of research questions of public health interest pertaining to the prognosis of cancer patients. Methods: We identified 135,092 cases of colon adenocarcinoma diagnosed during 1961-2011 from the population-based Swedish Cancer Register. Flexible parametric survival models for relative survival were used to estimate the life expectancy and the loss in expectation of life. Results: The loss in expectation of life for males aged 55 at diagnosis was 13.5 years (95 % CI 13.2-13.8) in 1965 and 12.8 (12.4-13.3) in 2005. For males aged 85 the corresponding figures were 3.21 (3.15-3.28) and 2.10 (2.04-2.17). The pattern was similar for females, but slightly greater loss in expectation of life. The loss in expectation of life is reduced given survival up to a certain time point post diagnosis. Among patients diagnosed in 2011, 945 life years could potentially be saved if the colon cancer survival among males could be brought to the same level as for females. Conclusion: Assessment of loss in expectation of life facilitates the understanding of the impact of cancer, both on individual and population level. Clear improvements in survival among colon cancer patients have led to a gain in life expectancy, partly due to a general increase in survival from all causes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cancer incidence, survival and mortality are essential population-based indicators for public health and cancer control. Confusion and misunderstanding still surround the estimation and interpretation of these indicators. Recurring controversies over the use and misuse of population-based cancer statistics in health policy suggests the need for further clarification. In our article, we describe the concepts that underlie the measures of incidence, survival and mortality, and illustrate the synergy between these measures of the cancer burden. We demonstrate the relationships between trends in incidence, survival and mortality, using real data for cancers of the lung and breast from England and Sweden. Finally, we discuss the importance of using all three measures in combination when interpreting overall progress in cancer control, and we offer some recommendations for their use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Large age-dependant differences in temporal trends in 1- and 5-year relative survival have been observed in patients with acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) in Sweden. This investigation used an alternative approach to studying patient survival that simultaneously estimated the proportion of patients cured from their cancer and the survival of the ‘uncured’. We conducted a population-based study including 6439 AML patients aged 19–80 years in Sweden between 1973 and 2001. Mixture cure models were estimated, with age at diagnosis categorised (19–40, 41–60, 61–70 and 71–80) and year of diagnosis modelled using splines. In 1975 the cure proportion was ≤6% in all age groups and the median survival time for ‘uncured’ patients was <0·5 years. In 2000 the cure proportion was 68% (95% confidence interval 56–77%) in the youngest group, and 32% (25–39%), 8% (3–21%), and 4% (2–8%) in the other groups, respectively. The median survival times for ‘uncured’ were 0·74 (0·43–1·26), 0·71 (0·53–0·97), 0·69 (0·51–0·95) and 0·37 (0·31–0·44) years, respectively. A dramatic improvement in the cure proportion was seen in younger patients, whereas improvement in older ages was mainly within the survival of the ‘uncured’. This novel approach of analysing survival data could be a valuable tool for physicians, patients, health care planners and health economists. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: A large proportion of patients with cutaneous malignant melanoma (CMM) do not experience excess mortality due to their disease. This group of patients is referred to as the cure proportion. Few studies have examined the possibility of cure for CMM. The aim of this study was to estimate the cure proportion of patients with CMM in a Swedish population. Methods: We undertook a population-based study of 5850 CMM patients in two Swedish health care regions during 1996-2005. We used flexible parametric cure models to estimate cure proportions and median survival times (MSTs) of uncured by stage, sex, age and anatomical site. Results: Disease stage at diagnosis was the most important factor for the probability of cure, with a cure proportion of approximately 1.0 for stage IA. While the probability of cure decreased with older age, the influence of age was smaller on the MST of uncured. Differences in prognosis between males and females were mainly attributed to differences in cure as opposed to differences in MST of uncured. Conclusions: This population-based study showed approximately 100% cure among stage IA disease. Almost 50% of patients had stage IA disease and the high cure proportion for this large patient group is reassuring. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]