Biomedical subjects

Christoffer Johansen

Publications and source records attributed to Christoffer Johansen.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

PubMed2004

Risk for cancer in parents of patients with schizophrenia.

OBJECTIVE: This study attempted to determine whether a genetic protection against cancer might be manifest in parents of offspring with schizophrenia. METHOD: Using data from the Danish Central Population Registry, the authors identified 1,999,072 parents of offspring born after 1935. By linking this nationwide population-based parent cohort to the Danish Psychiatric Central Register, they identified 19,856 parents of offspring with schizophrenia. Follow-up for cancer in the Danish Cancer Registry began on the date of birth of the oldest child or April 1, 1969, and ended on the date of cancer diagnosis, death, or Dec. 31, 1997, yielding a total of 48,343,430 person-years at risk and 211,681 cases of cancer. The relative risk for cancer among parents with schizophrenic offspring compared to parents with no schizophrenic offspring was estimated by Poisson regression analysis and adjusted for age, period, and number of children. RESULTS: The risk for all cancer was 1.01 for fathers and 1.00 for mothers of schizophrenics. Mothers of schizophrenic patients had an increased risk of 1.20 for lung cancer and a nonsignificant risk of 1.14 for tobacco-related cancers combined. Apart from a reduced risk for leukemia in both mothers and fathers of schizophrenics, there was no difference in risk for any other cancer. DISCUSSION: This study does not confirm a previously reported reduced risk for cancer in parents of schizophrenic patients and provides no support for genetic protection against cancer in families with schizophrenia.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2004

Cancer incidence of Nordic asphalt workers.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of the study was to investigate cancer risk following employment in the asphalt industry. METHODS: Cancer incidence was studied among 22 362 male asphalt workers employed for more than one season in jobs entailing exposure to bitumen (mainly road pavers) in Denmark, Finland, Norway, and Sweden. These workers are part of a European cohort of asphalt workers, for which results on mortality have been reported. The follow-up was almost complete, and reference rates were obtained from national cancer registries. RESULTS: The incidence of cancer was reduced in all four countries [overall standardized incidence ratio (SIR) 0.89, 95% confidence interval (95% CI) 0.86-0.94]. Lung cancer incidence was increased in all four countries, yielding an overall SIR of 1.21 (95% CI 1.07-1.36), but no trend was detected according to time since first employment. No overall increased incidence of bladder cancer was observed, but there was a suggestion of a tendency towards higher risk with longer time since first employment, with a relative risk of 1.85 (95% CI 0.90-3.78) for more than 30 years versus 1-14 years (P-value for trend 0.1). The incidence of lip and stomach cancer was nonsignificantly increased, and the excess was present mainly in Denmark. No increased incidence was detected for other neoplasms, notably malignant melanoma, nonmelanoma skin cancer, and kidney cancer. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study confirm the pattern of cancer risk detected in the mortality analysis of the European cohort; in addition, they provide suggestive evidence of an excess risk of bladder cancer among asphalt workers.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2004

Electromagnetic fields and health effects--epidemiologic studies of cancer, diseases of the central nervous system and arrhythmia-related heart disease.

This epidemiologic investigation comprised separate studies of the risk of cancer, cause-specific mortality rates, risks for neurodegenerative diseases, and the risk of arrhythmia-related heart disease among employees exposed to extremely low-frequency (50-Hz) electromagnetic fields (EMF) in the Danish utility industry. All the employees in this industry were followed-up in several registers. The risk of disease was analyzed in relation to occupational exposure to EMF, latency, and duration of employment. A specific job-exposure matrix was developed and validated by comparison with direct measurements of EMF during a workday. Linkage with the Danish Cancer Register did not identify increased risks for the cancers suggested a priori to be associated with exposure to EMF, including leukemia, brain tumors, and breast cancer. Significantly increased risks for lung cancer and mesothelioma were identified for workers highly exposed to asbestos. Linkage with the National Mortality Register revealed a significantly increased overall mortality rate from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), with an increasing trend with duration of employment and EMF exposure. In addition, a significantly increased mortality rate from electric accidents was observed. It was hypothesized that the observation of increased mortality from ALS was associated with exposure to EMF or electric shocks. No increased mortality rate from cardiovascular or cerebrovascular disease was observed. Linkage with the National Hospital Register also revealed an increased risk of ALS and, thereby confirmed the finding of an increased mortality rate for this disease in the previous study. Linkage of the cohort with the Multiple Sclerosis Register revealed an increased risk of multiple sclerosis, which was not, however, significant. Linkage with the Pacemaker Register showed no increased risk of severe arrhythmia-related heart disease. The second part of the study included the establishment of a large, nationwide cohort of mobile phone subscribers comprising some 420 000 persons. No increased risk was observed for the cancers considered a priori to be possibly associated with the radiofrequency fields emitted by mobile phones, which were brain tumors, including acoustic neuroma, salivary gland tumors, and leukemia. The data were analyzed by duration of phone use, latency, system used (NMT, GSM or both) and age at first subscription. A study of the incidence of ocular malignant melanoma in comparison with the annual increase among the mobile phone subscribers showed a highly stable incidence rate for this rare cancer in Denmark over close to 50 years of registration. On the basis of these studies and the scientific literature, it is concluded that occupational exposure to 50-Hz EMF is not associated with an increased risk of cancer, but that these fields, electric shocks, or some other unknown factor related to alternating current electricity may be associated with the risk of ALS. There is no clear evidence that 50-Hz EMF is associated with other neurodegenerative or cardiovascular diseases. At present, there is little, if any, evidence that the use of mobile phones is associated with cancer in adults, including brain tumors, acoustic neuroma, cancer of the salivary glands, leukemia, or malignant melanoma of the eye.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2003

Mortality from obstructive lung diseases and exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons among asphalt workers.

Work in the asphalt industry has been associated with nonmalignant respiratory morbidity and mortality, but the evidence is not consistent. A historical cohort of asphalt workers included 58,862 men (911,209 person-years) first employed between 1913 and 1999 in companies applying and mixing asphalt in Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Israel, the Netherlands, and Norway. The relations between mortality from nonmalignant respiratory diseases (including the obstructive lung diseases: chronic bronchitis, emphysema, and asthma) and specific chemical agents and mixtures were evaluated using a study-specific exposure matrix. Mortality from obstructive lung diseases was associated with the estimated cumulative and average exposures to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and coal tar (p values of the test for linear trend = 0.06 and 0.01, respectively). The positive association between bitumen fume exposure and mortality from obstructive lung diseases was weak and not statistically significant; confounding by simultaneous exposure to coal tar could not be excluded. The authors lacked data on smoking and full occupational histories. In conclusion, exposures to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, originating from coal tar and possibly from bitumen fume, may have contributed to mortality from obstructive lung diseases among asphalt workers, but confounding and bias cannot be ruled out as an explanation for the observed associations.

Causality↗

PubMed2003

Psychiatric hospitalizations among survivors of cancer in childhood or adolescence.

BACKGROUND: We investigated whether children and adolescents who survive cancer are at increased risk for psychiatric hospitalization. METHODS: In a nationwide, population-based, retrospective cohort study, 3710 persons who survived at least three years after a diagnosis of cancer in childhood or adolescence in the period from 1943 to 1990, and who were alive on January 1, 1970, or were born after that date, were identified in the Danish Cancer Registry. This population was followed up for psychiatric hospitalization from January 1, 1970, through 1993 by linkage with the Danish national Psychiatric Central Register. The number of expected cases was based on the national rates of hospitalization for psychiatric disease. RESULTS: Among the 3710 survivors of cancer in childhood or adolescence, there was a total of 88 psychiatric hospitalizations. The risk of hospitalization for any psychiatric disease was higher among the survivors than in the general population, but the excess risk was restricted to survivors of brain tumor (the standardized hospitalization ratio [SHR], corresponding to the ratio of observed to expected cases of hospitalization for psychiatric disease, was 1.8; 95 percent confidence interval, 1.5 to 2.2). An increased risk of psychoses of somatic, cerebral causes (SHR, 7.7; 95 percent confidence interval, 4.1 to 13.2), psychiatric disorders in somatic disease (SHR, 5.1; 95 percent confidence interval, 2.5 to 9.1), and schizophrenia and related disorders (SHR, 2.4; 95 percent confidence interval, 1.2 to 4.4) was observed among survivors of brain tumor. There was no evidence of a significantly increased risk of major depression. CONCLUSIONS: The risk of hospitalization for a psychiatric disorder is not increased among survivors of cancer in childhood or adolescence, except among survivors of brain tumor.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2003

Schizophrenia and the risk for breast cancer.

The authors investigated the risk for breast cancer in schizophrenia in a cohort of 1336313 Danish women born after 1935, including information on reproductive factors. In all, 7541 had been hospitalized for schizophrenia in 1970-1997 and the overall relative risk for breast cancer adjusted for age, period, age at first birth and number of births was not increased (RR, 0.91; 95% confidence interval, 0.71-1.12). Studies not taking parity into account may overestimate the risk for breast cancer in schizophrenic women.

Adult↗

PubMed2003

Cancer in a population-based cohort of men and women in registered homosexual partnerships.

Cancer patterns among broad populations of homosexual men and women have not been studied systematically. The authors followed 1,614 women and 3,391 men in Denmark for cancer from their first registration for marriage-like homosexual partnership between 1989 and 1997. Ratios of observed to expected cancers measured relative risk. Women in homosexual partnerships had cancer risks similar to those of Danish women in general (overall relative risk (RR) = 0.9, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.6, 1.4), but only one woman developed cervical carcinoma in situ versus 5.8 women expected (RR = 0.2, 95% CI: 0.0, 0.97). Overall, men in homosexual partnerships were at elevated cancer risk (RR = 2.1, 95% CI: 1.8, 2.5), due mainly to human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS)-associated Kaposi's sarcoma (RR = 136, 95% CI: 96, 186) and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (RR = 15.1, 95% CI: 10.4, 21.4). Anal squamous carcinoma also occurred in excess (RR = 31.2, 95% CI: 8.4, 79.8). After exclusion of Kaposi's sarcoma, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, and anal squamous carcinoma, no unusual cancer risk remained (RR = 1.0, 95% CI: 0.8, 1.3). With anal squamous carcinoma and HIV/AIDS-associated cancers as notable exceptions in men, cancer incidence rates among homosexual persons in marriage-like partnerships are similar to those prevailing in society at large.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗

PubMed2003

Use of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors and risk of upper gastrointestinal tract bleeding: a population-based cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) have been suspected of increasing the risk of bleeding. We examined the risk of upper gastrointestinal tract (GI) bleeding with use of antidepressant medication. METHODS: All users of antidepressants in the county of North Jutland, Denmark, from January 1, 1991, to December 31, 1995, were identified in the Pharmaco-Epidemiologic Prescription Database of North Jutland. In the Hospital Discharge Register, hospitalizations for upper GI bleeding were searched among the 26 005 users of antidepressant medications and compared with the number of hospitalizations in the population of North Jutland who did not receive prescriptions for antidepressants. RESULTS: During periods of SSRI use without use of other drugs associated with upper GI bleeding, we observed 55 upper GI bleeding episodes, which was 3.6 times more than expected (95% confidence interval, 2.7-4.7), corresponding to a rate difference of 3.1 per 1000 treatment years. Combined use of an SSRI and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs or low-dose aspirin increased the risk to 12.2 (95% confidence interval, 7.1-19.5) and 5.2 (95% confidence interval, 3.2-8.0), respectively. Non-SSRIs increased the risk of upper GI bleeding to 2.3 (95% confidence interval, 1.5-3.4), while antidepressants without action on the serotonin receptor had no significant effect on the risk of upper GI bleeding. The risk with SSRI use returned to unity after termination of SSRI use, while the risks were similarly increased during periods of use and nonuse of non-SSRIs. CONCLUSION: Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors increase the risk of upper GI bleeding, and this effect is potentiated by concurrent use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs or low-dose aspirin, whereas an increased risk of upper GI bleeding could not be attributed to other types of antidepressants.

Aged↗

PubMed2003

Cancer mortality among European asphalt workers: an international epidemiological study. I. Results of the analysis based on job titles.

BACKGROUND: Inhalation of bitumen fumes is potentially carcinogenic to humans. METHODS: We conducted a study of 29,820 male workers exposed to bitumen in road paving, asphalt mixing and roofing, 32,245 ground and building construction workers unexposed to bitumen, and 17,757 workers not classifiable as bitumen workers, from Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Israel, the Netherlands, Norway, and Sweden, with mortality follow-up during 1953-2000. We calculated standardized mortality ratios (SMRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) based on national mortality rates. Poisson regression analyses compared mortality of bitumen workers to that of building or ground construction workers. RESULTS: The overall mortality was below expectation in the total cohort (SMR 0.92, 95% CI 0.90-0.94) and in each group of workers. The SMR of lung cancer was higher among bitumen workers (1.17, 95% CI 1.04-1.30) than among workers in ground and building construction (SMR 1.01, 95% CI 0.89-1.15). In the internal comparison, the relative risk (RR) of lung cancer mortality among bitumen workers was 1.09 (95% CI 0.89-1.34). The results of cancer of the head and neck were similar to those of lung cancer, based on a smaller number of deaths. There was no suggestion of an association between employment in bitumen jobs and other cancers. CONCLUSIONS: European workers employed in road paving, asphalt mixing and other jobs entailing exposure to bitumen fume might have experienced a small increase in lung cancer mortality risk, compared to workers in ground and building construction. However, exposure assessment was limited and confounding from exposure to carcinogens in other industries, tobacco smoking, and other lifestyle factors cannot be ruled out.

Adult↗

PubMed2003

Cancer mortality among European asphalt workers: an international epidemiological study. II. Exposure to bitumen fume and other agents.

BACKGROUND: An increased risk of lung cancers among asphalt workers has been suggested in epidemiological studies based on large scale statistical analyses. METHODS: In a multi-country study of 29,820 male workers employed in road paving, asphalt mixing and roofing, 32,245 ground and building construction workers and 17,757 other workers from Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Israel, the Netherlands, Norway, and Sweden, with mortality that was documented from 1953-2000. Exposures to bitumen fume, coal tar, 4-6 ring polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, organic vapor, diesel exhaust, asbestos, and silica dust were assessed via a job-exposure matrix. Standardized mortality ratios (SMRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) based on national mortality rates, as well as relative risks (RRs) based on Poisson regression models were calculated. RESULTS: The SMR of lung cancer among workers exposed to bitumen fume (1.08, 95% CI 0.99-1.18) was comparable to that of non-exposed workers (SMR 1.05, 95% CI 0.92-1.19). In a sub-cohort of bitumen-exposed workers without exposure to coal tar, the SMR of lung cancer was 1.23 (95% CI 1.02-1.48). The analysis based on the semi-quantitative, matrix-based exposures in the whole cohort did not suggest an increased lung cancer risk following exposure to bitumen fume. However, in an analysis restricted to road pavers, based on quantitative estimate of bitumen fume exposure, a dose-response was suggested for average level of exposure, applying a 15-year lag, which was marginally reduced after adjustment for co-exposure to coal tar. The results for cancer of the head and neck were similar to those of lung cancer, although they were based on a smaller number of deaths. There was no clear suggestion of an association with bitumen fume for any other neoplasm. CONCLUSIONS: The results of the analysis by bitumen fume exposure do not allow us to conclude on the presence or absence of a causal link between exposure to bitumen fume and risk of cancer of the lung and the head and neck.

Adult↗

PubMed2003

Neurodegenerative diseases in welders and other workers exposed to high levels of magnetic fields.

BACKGROUND: Previous work has suggested an increase in risk of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and Alzheimer's disease among workers exposed to extremely low-frequency magnetic fields (ELF-MF). We evaluated the relation between ELF-MF from occupational exposures and mortality from neurodegenerative diseases. METHODS: The study was based on a cohort of Swedish engineering industry workers, comprising 537,692 men and 180,529 women. The cohort was matched against the 3 most recent censuses and The Causes of Death Registry. Levels of ELF-MF exposure were obtained by linking occupation according to the censuses to a job exposure matrix. We used 4 levels of exposure and considered both the primary and contributing causes of death, 1985-96. RESULTS: The risk of Alzheimer's disease as primary or contributing cause of death increased with increasing exposure to ELF-MF among both men and women, with a relative risk (RR) of 4.0 and a 95% confidence interval (95% CI) of 1.4-11.7 in the highest exposure group for both sexes combined. There was a RR of 2.2 (95% CI: 1.0-4.7) for ALS in the highest exposure group with the suggestion of an exposure-response relationship. No evidence of increased risk was seen for Parkinson's disease or multiple sclerosis. CONCLUSIONS: The findings support previous observations of an increased risk of Alzheimer's disease and ALS among employees occupationally exposed to ELF-MF. Further studies based on morbidity data are warranted.

Adult↗

PubMed2003

Incidences of gliomas and meningiomas in Denmark, 1943 to 1997.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to determine the nationwide, population-based incidences of intracranial gliomas and meningiomas (of all grades) during 55 years of monitoring in Denmark. METHODS: On the basis of reports in the Danish Cancer Registry, we calculated age-standardized, period-specific incidences and age- and birth cohort-specific incidences, in 5-year age and calendar intervals, for intracranial gliomas and meningiomas. RESULTS: The incidence of gliomas increased 1.7-fold from 1943 to 1947 to 1993 to 1997, whereas the incidence for meningiomas increased 3.9-fold during the same period. CONCLUSION: Based on complete notification to the Danish Cancer Registry, the overall incidences of intracranial gliomas and meningiomas increased during a 55-year period. These increases were observed for all age groups and both sexes. These increases could be explained on the basis of improved diagnoses of these tumors. For gliomas, a maximal annual incidence of approximately 4 cases/100,000 population (World Standard Population) was observed in Denmark at the end of the study period, suggesting that the effects of improved diagnostic tools have reached their maximum with respect to this tumor type. The same was not observed for the incidence of meningiomas, suggesting that perhaps underreporting is still present.

Adult↗

PubMed2002

Cancer incidence in parents who lost a child: a nationwide study in Denmark.

BACKGROUND: It has been debated whether psychological stress causes cancer, but the scientific evidence remains contradictory. The objective of this study was to investigate whether the death of a child is related to cancer risk in bereaved parents. METHODS: The authors undertook a follow-up study based on national registers. All 21,062 parents who lost a child from 1980 to 1996 were recruited for the exposed cohort together with 293,745 randomly selected, unexposed parents. Cox proportional hazards regression models were used to evaluate the relative risk of cancer incidence up to 18 years after the bereavement. The main outcomes of interest were all incident cancers, breast carcinoma, smoking-related malignancies (International Classification of Diseases [ICD] 7 codes 140, 141, 143-149, 150, 157, 160-162, 180, and 181), alcohol-related malignancies (ICD7 codes 141, 143-146, 148-150, 155, and 161), virus/immune-related malignancies (ICD7 codes 155, 171, 191, 200-202, and 204), lymphatic/hematopoietic malignancies (ICD7 codes 200-205), and hormone related malignancies (ICD7 codes 170, 172, 175, and 177). RESULTS: The authors observed a slightly increased overall cancer risk in bereaved mothers (relative risk [RR], 1.18; 95% confidence interval [95%CI], 1.01-1.37; P = 0.028) at 7-18 years of follow-up. There was an increased risk for smoking-related malignancies (RR, 1.65; 95%CI, 1.05-2.59; P = 0.010) among bereaved mothers during the 7-18 years of follow-up. The authors observed no significantly increased relative risk of breast carcinoma, alcohol-related malignancies, virus/immune-related malignancies, or hormone-related malignancies. CONCLUSIONS: The current data suggest that the death of a child was associated with a slightly increased overall cancer risk in mothers and that the increase may be related to stress-induced adverse life styles.

Bereavement↗

PubMed2002

Risk of severe cardiac arrhythmia in male utility workers: a nationwide danish cohort study.

To address concern about the potential cardiovascular effects of occupational exposure to electromagnetic fields in the 50- to 60-Hz frequency band, the authors launched an epidemiologic study of the incidence of severe cardiac arrhythmia, as indicated by the need for a pacemaker, in a nationwide cohort of Danish utility workers. The cohort of 24,056 men employed at utility companies between 1900 and 1993 was linked to the nationwide, population-based Danish Pacemaker Register, and the numbers of persons who had undergone pacemaker implantation between 1982 and 2000 were compared with corresponding numbers in the general population. In addition, the data on the utility workers were fitted to a multiplicative Poisson regression model in relation to estimated levels of exposure to 50-Hz electromagnetic fields. Overall, based on 135 men with pacemakers (140 expected), there was no increased risk of severe cardiac arrhythmia among the utility employees; the risk estimate was 0.96 (95% confidence interval: 0.81, 1.14). No clear dose-response pattern emerged with increasing levels of exposure to electromagnetic fields or with duration of employment. These results are largely reassuring, since they do not support the hypothesis of a link between occupational exposure to electromagnetic fields and an excess risk of severe cardiovascular arrhythmia leading to permanent implantation of a pacemaker.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2002

Hyperparathyroidism and subsequent cancer risk in Denmark.

BACKGROUND: There is increasing evidence that hyperparathyroidism (HPT), a condition that leads to elevated serum calcium levels, is associated with endocrine and other malignancies, suggesting a possible causal link between HPT and carcinoma. METHODS: To investigate the relation of HPT to subsequent cancer risk, the authors conducted a record-linkage study among 2425 patients who were diagnosed with HPT in Danish hospitals. Patients were identified in hospital discharge records, and records were then linked with the Danish National Cancer Registry for the years 1977-1993 to identify cancer incidence. To estimate cancer risk, standardized incidence ratios (SIRs) were computed. RESULTS: After excluding patients who were diagnosed in the first year of follow-up, a total of 219 malignancies were observed, resulting in an SIR of 1.25 (95% confidence interval [95%CI], 1.1-1.4). Cancer risk among women was higher than among men. Among those with primary (idiopathic) HPT, hematopoetic malignancies were elevated significantly (SIR, 1.88; 95%CI, 1.0-3.2; based on 13 patients), with the excess derived primarily from 4 observed patients with multiple myeloma. Patients with secondary HPT had an insignificantly increased risk of overall cancers. Patients who were diagnosed with other or unspecified types of HPT had significant increases in carcinoma of the urinary tract (SIR, 2.71; 95%CI, 1.2-5.3; based on 8 patients) and carcinoma of the thyroid gland (SIR, 21.19; 95%CI, 4.3-61.9; based on 3 patients). CONCLUSIONS: Future studies should monitor whether specific endocrine alterations associated with HPT may affect the long-term risk of hematopoetic, thyroid, and urinary tract carcinomas.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2002

Psychic vulnerability and the associated risk for cancer.

BACKGROUND: Psychic vulnerability has been associated with a number of physical symptoms and diseases. This study was designed to estimate the incidence of cancer in a random sample of persons in the general Danish population in relation to a personality characteristic measured by the Test of Psychic Vulnerability. METHODS: The authors examined the cancer incidence in a cohort of 5136 randomly sampled persons age > 25 years living in Copenhagen County, Denmark. The responses to questionnaires and the results of examinations, including the Test of Psychic Vulnerability, were collected during 1982-1984 and during 1991-1992. The observed numbers of cancers were compared with the numbers that would have been expected if the cohort members had experienced the same risk of cancer as the population of Copenhagen County. Regression analyses were performed with the Cox proportional hazards model to adjust for well-known risk factors for cancer. RESULTS: A total of 403 cancers were observed, and 412.02 were expected, yielding a standardized incidence ratio of 0.98 (95% confidence interval [95% CI], 0.88-1.19). The authors did not observe a significant increase in the risk of site specific cancers. The risk for cancer was not influenced by the type of vulnerability in a multivariate analysis (hazards ratio, 1.16; 95% CI, 0.85-1.57). CONCLUSIONS: The authors found no increased risk for cancer among psychically vulnerable persons compared with nonvulnerable persons; however, the results indicate that behavior and certain life-style factors may be determined by personality, which, in turn, may determine the risk for cancer.

Adult↗

PubMed2002

Depression and cancer risk: a register-based study of patients hospitalized with affective disorders, Denmark, 1969-1993.

The authors investigated the cancer risk of patients hospitalized for depression in a nationwide Danish cohort study. All 89,491 adults in Denmark who had been admitted to a hospital with depression, as defined in the International Classification of Diseases, Eighth Revision, between 1969 and 1993 were identified. There were 1,117,006 person-years of follow-up. Incidence rates of all cancers and of site-specific cancers were compared with national incidence rates for first primary cancers, with data being adjusted for sex, age, and calendar time. A total of 9,922 cases of cancer were diagnosed in the cohort, with 9,434.6 having been expected; this yielded a standardized incidence ratio of 1.05 (95% confidence interval (CI): 1.03, 1.07). The risk of cancer was increased for the first year after hospital admission, with brain cancer especially occurring more frequently than expected. When the first year of follow-up was excluded, the increase was attributable mainly to an increased risk of tobacco-related cancers: Standardized incidence ratios for non-tobacco-related cancers were 1.00 (95% CI: 0.97, 1.03) after 1-9 years of follow-up and 0.99 (95% CI: 0.95, 1.02) after 10 or more years of follow-up. These data provide no support for the hypothesis that depression independently increases risk of cancer, but they emphasize the deleterious effect that depression can have on lifestyle factors.

Adult↗

PubMed2002

[Use of cellular telephones and risk of cancer. A Danish cohort study].

INTRODUCTION: The use of cellular telephones has been suggested to increase the risk of cancer. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We carried out a retrospective cohort study of the incidence of cancer in all 420,095 users of cellular telephones during the period of 1982 to 1995. RESULTS: Overall, 3391 cancers were found, with 3825 expected, which yielded a significantly decreased standardised incidence ratio of 0.89. No increased incidence was seen for cancers of the brain or nervous system, of the salivary gland or for leukaemia, cancers which were of a priori interest. DISCUSSION: The results do not support the hypothesis of an association between the use of these telephones and tumours of the brain or salivary gland, leukaemia, or other cancers.

Adult↗