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Background and purpose: The objective of this study was to explore the incidence of second malignant neoplasms (SMNs) among adult cancer patients in Finland diagnosed with their first primary cancer (FPC) in 1992-2021. Material and methods: The study used data from the population-based Finnish Cancer Registry (FCR). Risk estimates were calculated using the standardised incidence ratio (SIR), the ratio of observed second cancers compared to the expected numbers assuming the same cancer incidence as the corresponding sex-age-calendar year -split of the general population. Results: A total of 573,379 FPCs were diagnosed during 1992-2021. During the follow-up, 60,464 SMNs were diagnosed. Male cancer patients had neither a decreased nor an increased risk (SIR 1.00 [95% CI, 0.99-1.01]) and female patients had an 8% increased risk (SIR 1.08 [95% CI, 1.06-1.09]) of developing any SMN compared to a FPC in the general population. The highest SIR of any SMN was observed in patients aged 20-39 -years at FPC diagnosis, and the SIR decreased by increasing age at diagnosis. Patients with lymphoid and haematopoietic tissue neoplasms, cancers of the mouth and pharynx, endocrine glands, respiratory and intrathoracic organs, skin, and urinary organs had the highest SIRs, while patients with cancers of the male genital organs and the female breast had the lowest SIRs. Interpretation: Elevated SIRs were observed in cancer patients diagnosed at an early age and for FPCs known to be in large part attributable to lifestyle factors, which highlights the importance of monitoring and encouraging lifestyle changes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: To determine the prevalence of skin findings and skin diseases in adults aged 70 and older, and to study the association between cutaneous diseases and socioeconomic status (SES), sex, and living status in the older population. DESIGN: Cross‐sectional study of Finnish adults aged 70 to 93 as part of the Northern Finland Birth Cohort 1966 Study. SETTINGS: Skin examination data were available for 552 adults. MEASUREMENTS: A whole‐body skin examination was performed by dermatologists. The associations between skin diseases and SES, sex, and living status were analyzed. RESULTS: Nearly 80% of the adults had at least one skin disease that required further treatment or follow‐up. More than one‐third of the study cases (39.1%) had three or more simultaneous skin diseases. Skin diseases were more common in men than in women (P <.001). The most common skin diseases were tinea pedis (48.6%), onychomycosis (29.9%), rosacea (25.6%), actinic keratosis (22.3%), and asteatotic eczema (20.8%). Some association was found between skin diseases and SES and living status. CONCLUSION: A whole‐body clinical skin examination is important because it reveals important diagnoses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Monitoring regional variation in population-based cancer survival is useful for assessing equity in national health-care system. This study quantifies variation in survival between municipalities and hospital districts responsible for primary care and for specialised care, respectively, in Finland. Five-year relative survival of 11 cancers and close to 700,000 patients was estimated by municipality in Finland over 1962–2016 using hierarchical Bayesian modelling. Variation (i) between hospital districts, (ii) between municipalities within hospital districts, and (iii) between all municipalities (total variation) were quantified by the standard deviation of 5-year relative survival standardised by the average survival level. In 2007–2016, the largest variation in 5-year relative survival between all municipalities was in stomach, prostate, kidney and liver cancer and skin melanoma. In male skin melanoma, prostate, and kidney cancer and in male and female pancreatic cancer, there was substantial and statistically significant variation between hospital districts, too. Variation within hospital districts was on average 67% (95% posterior interval [58%,76%]) out of the total variation and had decreased by 18% [2%, 33%] from 1997–2006. The decrease in variation within hospital districts suggests that equity in diagnostics and primary care has improved in Finland. However, the variation between hospital districts in skin melanoma, prostate and kidney cancer reflects differences in early diagnostics. In pancreatic cancer, substantial variation between hospital districts may relate to regional differences in the accessibility and the quality of cancer treatments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Cutaneous complications related to permanent tattoos affect 2-30% of those patients who have tattooed their skin. Little is known about the cases of tattoo complications in Finland.Objective: The aim of this study was to conduct a retrospective review of a series of Finnish patients with cutaneous tattoo reactions.Methods: We collected cases of tattoo reactions from the Department of Dermatology at Helsinki University Central Hospital, from members of the Finnish dermatological society and from various other sources (author's private practice, tattooists, professional internet forum). We analysed the demographics, clinical presentation, diagnosis, and microscopic findings on the skin biopsies, and evaluated the therapeutic outcome.Results: Thirty-one patients (16 men and 15 women, mean age 37.8) were included from 9 cities, mainly from Helsinki. Fifty-two percent (16/31) presented with an allergic tattoo reaction mainly against the red colour (75%, 12/16). Reactions were clinically polymorph ranging from scattered papules or nodules to complete infiltration of a colour. Lesions were itchy and sometimes painful. The reactions were lichenoid, granulomatous, pseudolymphomatous or less specific with a dermal lympho-histiocytic or plasmocytic infiltrate. Other diagnoses included tattoo blow-out (13%), melanoma within a tattoo, naevi within a tattoo (10% each), lichen planus (6%), granulomatous reaction with uveitis, sarcoidosis and dermatofibroma (3% each). Allergic tattoo reactions were mainly treated with local corticosteroid (CS) ointments, CS infiltration or surgical removal.Conclusion: This review is the largest series of tattoo complications in the Baltic area. It illustrates the wide spectrum of complications. Prospective, controlled therapeutic studies are necessary to assess the best treatment protocols for tattoo allergies and tattoo reaction management in general. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Increased incidence of skin cancers among airline cabin crew has been reported in several studies. We evaluated whether the difference in risk factor prevalence between Finnish airline cabin crew and the general population could explain the increased incidence of skin cancers among cabin crew, and the possible contribution of estimated occupational cosmic radiation exposure. A self-administered questionnaire survey on occupational, host, and ultraviolet radiation exposure factors was conducted among female cabin crew members and females presenting the general population. The impact of occupational cosmic radiation dose was estimated in a separate nested case–control analysis among the participating cabin crew (with 9 melanoma and 35 basal cell carcinoma cases). No considerable difference in the prevalence of risk factors of skin cancer was found between the cabin crew (N = 702) and the general population subjects (N = 1007) participating the study. The mean risk score based on all the conventional skin cancer risk factors was 1.43 for cabin crew and 1.44 for general population (P = 0.24). Among the cabin crew, the estimated cumulative cosmic radiation dose was not related to the increased skin cancer risk [adjusted odds ratio (OR) = 0.75, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.57–1.00]. The highest plausible risk of skin cancer for estimated cosmic radiation dose was estimated as 9% per 10 mSv. The skin cancer cases had higher host characteristics scores than the non-cases among cabin crew (adjusted OR = 1.43, 95% CI: 1.01–2.04). Our results indicate no difference between the female cabin crew and the general female population in the prevalence of factors generally associated with incidence of skin cancer. Exposure to cosmic radiation did not explain the excess of skin cancer among the studied cabin crew in this study. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Abstract: Background: Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) is a rare malignancy of the skin, and its incidence is reported to be rising. The purpose of this study was to calculate its incidence and survival ratios, and to describe the clinical characteristics of Merkel cell carcinoma patients in Finland. Methods: We calculated the incidence of MCC based on data from the Finnish Cancer Registry. In addition, patient files from hospitals and primary health care centres were reviewed for detailed data on the treatment and disease recurrence of 181 patients diagnosed with MCC in Finland during 1983–2004, and relative survival ratios were calculated for them. Results: The incidence (per 100,000) of MCC in Finland in 1989–2008 was 0.11 for men and 0.12 for women, adjusted for age to the world standard population. The mean age at diagnosis was 76years (range 27–100), and 69% of the patients were women. The most common site of the primary tumour was the head and neck (53%). No extra benefit was gained from a wide surgical margin (⩾2cm) compared to a margin of 0.1–0.19cm, but an intralesional excision was more often associated with local recurrence. None of the patients with Stage I–II disease who had received postoperative radiotherapy to the tumour bed had a local recurrence. The 5-year relative survival ratio amongst men was 36% (95% confidence interval 20–54%), and amongst women 69% (56 to −82%). Conclusions: MCC is a rare disease in Finland, with incidence rates similar to those in the other Nordic countries. Our results support the view that complete excision with clear margins and post operative radiotherapy decrease local recurrences. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Few studies of cancer mortality and incidence among flight crew have included a detailed assessment of both occupational exposures and lifestyle factors that may influence the risk of cancer. In this issue, Kojo et al. (Risk factors for skin cancer among Finnish airline cabin crew. Ann Occup. Hyg 2013; 57: 695-704) evaluated the relative contributions of ultraviolet and cosmic radiation to the incidence of skin cancer in Finnish flight attendants. This is a useful contribution, yet the reason flight crew members have an increased risk of skin cancer compared with the general population remains unclear. Good policy decisions for flight crew will depend on continued and emerging effective collaborations to increase study power and improve exposure assessment in future flight crew health studies. Improving the assessment of occupational exposures and non-occupational factors will cost additional time and effort, which are well spent if the role of exposures can be clarified in larger studies. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]