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Biomedical subjects

Mats Lambe

Publications and source records attributed to Mats Lambe.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Use of hormone replacement therapy before and after ovarian cancer diagnosis and ovarian cancer survival.

Use of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) has been hypothesized to affect survival of epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC). We studied 5-year survival in patients with invasive EOC and borderline ovarian tumors (BOT) according to HRT use before and after diagnosis in a prospective nation-wide cohort study of 799 women diagnosed with EOC (n = 649) and BOT (n = 150) aged 50-74 years in 1993-1995 in Sweden. Cox regression was used to obtain multivariate age-adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Multivariate models included indicator variables for age, tumor stage, grade and histological subtype. After 5 years of follow-up, 45% of the patients with EOC and 93% of the patients with BOT were alive. For women with BOT there were no associations between HRT-use pre- or postdiagnosis and survival. There was no overall difference in 5-year EOC survival according to use HRT before diagnosis (multivariate HR = 0.83, 95% CI = 0.65-1.08), except for serous EOC (HR = 0.69, 95% CI = 0.48-0.98). Analyses of different HRT preparations, duration and recency of use did not reveal any variations in pattern of survival. We observed a better survival for EOC-patients who used HRT after diagnosis (multivariate HR = 0.57, 95% CI = 0.42-0.78). We conclude that HRT-use prior to diagnosis of EOC does not affect 5-year survival, except for a possible survival advantage in serous EOC. Women using HRT after diagnosis had a better survival than women with no use, but we cannot rule out that this latter finding may reflect a subtle selection process.

Aged↗

Will an adverse pregnancy outcome influence the risk of continued smoking in the next pregnancy?

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to study the effect of pregnancy outcomes on risks of continued smoking in subsequent pregnancy. STUDY DESIGN: Cohort study of first and second single births among 98,778 Swedish women who were daily smokers in first pregnancy. RESULTS: In all, 70.2% of women continued to smoke in second pregnancy. Compared with women with a previous normal pregnancy outcome, risk of smoking in second pregnancy was increased among women with a previous small-for-gestational-age birth (adjusted odds ratio [OR], 95% CI 1.28 [95% CI 1.19-1.37]), and reduced among women who had experienced a stillbirth (OR 0.76 [95% CI 0.63-0.93]) or an infant death because of congenital malformations (OR 0.67 [95% CI 0.49-0.92]. A previous preterm birth, Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, and other causes of infant death did not influence risk. CONCLUSION: A previous adverse pregnancy outcome has only a modest influence on smoking habits in the successive pregnancy.

Adult↗

Socioeconomic conditions, lifestyle factors, and self-rated health among men and women in Sweden.

BACKGROUND: Socioeconomic conditions and lifestyle factors have been found to be related to self-rated health, which is an established predictor of morbidity and mortality. Few studies, however, have investigated the independent effect of material and psychosocial conditions as well as lifestyle factors on self-rated health. METHODS: The association between socioeconomic conditions, lifestyle factors, and self-rated health was investigated using a postal survey questionnaire sent to a random population sample of men and women aged 18-79 years during March-May 2000. The overall response rate was 65%. The area investigated covers 58 municipalities in the central part of Sweden. Multivariate odds ratios for poor self-rated health were calculated for a range of variables. A total of 36 048 subjects with full data were included in the analysis. Similar analyses of the influence of working conditions were conducted among those employed aged 18-64 years (17 820 subjects). RESULTS: The overall prevalence of poor self-rated health was 7% among men and 9% among women. Poor self-rated health was most common among persons who had been belittled, who had experienced economic hardship, who lacked social support, or who had retired early. A low educational level was independently associated with poor self-rated health among men, but not among women. Physically inactive as well as underweight and obese subjects were more likely to have poor self-rated health than other subjects. Working conditions associated with poor self-rated health were dissatisfaction with work, low job control and worry about losing one's job. CONCLUSION: While a cross-sectional study does not allow definite conclusions as to which factors are determinants and which are consequences of poor self-rated, the present findings support the notion that both psychosocial and material conditions as well as lifestyle factors are independently related with poor self-rated health.

Adolescent↗

Maternal smoking during pregnancy and school performance at age 15.

BACKGROUND: Smoking during pregnancy has been suggested to have long-term consequences for neuropsychologic development in the offspring, including behavioral problems, attention deficit disorders, and antisocial behavior. Also, findings from several studies indicate an association with impaired cognitive function in the children. METHODS: In a population-based Swedish cohort study, we examined possible associations between maternal smoking in pregnancy and educational achievement in the offspring at age 15 years among more than 400,000 male and female students born 1983 through 1987. Generalized estimating equation models were used to evaluate associations of maternal smoking, other maternal characteristics, and birth characteristics with school performance. Odds ratios (ORs) were used as a measure of risk. RESULTS: In a model adjusted for maternal characteristics, maternal smoking compared with no tobacco use during pregnancy was associated with an increased risk of poor scholastic achievement: for 1-9 cigarettes per day, the OR was 1.59 (95% confidence interval = 1.59-1.63) and for 10 or more cigarettes per day, the OR was 1.92 (1.86-1.98). These risks remained unchanged when we also adjusted for smoking-related pregnancy outcomes such as fetal growth restriction and preterm birth. However, if the mother had smoked in her first pregnancy, but not in her second pregnancy, the younger sibling was also at increased risk of poor school performance. CONCLUSION: Observed associations between maternal smoking during pregnancy and poor cognitive performance in the offspring might not be causal. We suggest that associations reported in earlier studies may instead reflect the influence of unmeasured characteristics that differ between smokers and nonsmokers.

Adolescent↗

A prospective study of the transient decrease in ovarian cancer risk following childbirth.

Epidemiologic evidence shows that the risk of ovarian cancer is decreased following childbirth. We examined the time points when the decreased risk of postpartum maternal ovarian cancer reaches the lowest point and whether the protective effect diminishes over time. A case-control study nested within the Swedish Fertility Register included 10,086 cases of epithelial ovarian cancer recorded in the Swedish Cancer Register from 1961 to 2001. From the Fertility Register, 49,249 eligible subjects matched to the cases by age were selected as controls. The analysis contrasted risk between adjacent parities through logistic regression models that included indicator variables representing each year of age, age at delivery, and time since delivery. Compared with nulliparous women, uniparous women had a transient decrease in maternal ovarian cancer risk at 2 years after delivery (spline-derived odds ratio, 0.71; 95% confidence interval, 0.53-0.95, for those delivered at age 25 years) and maintained a lower risk for 4 years postpartum. Similar transient decreases were observed in biparous women compared with uniparous women and in women with three parities compared with biparous women. The protective effect of childbearing seemed to diminish with time. The transient decrease in postpartum ovarian cancer risk may define the latent period required for pregnancy hormones in clearing out ovarian cells that have undergone early stages of malignant transformation. The period before the risk increases again could indicate the period required for ovarian cancer induction.

Adolescent↗

Pregnancy characteristics and maternal risk of breast cancer.

CONTEXT: During pregnancy, serum levels of estrogen, progesterone, and other hormones are markedly higher than during other periods of life. Pregnancy hormones primarily are produced in the placenta, and signs of placental impairment may serve as indirect markers of hormone exposures during pregnancy. During pregnancy, these markers have been inconsistently associated with subsequent risk of breast cancer in the mother. OBJECTIVE: To examine associations between indirect markers of hormonal exposures, such as placental weight and other pregnancy characteristics, and maternal risk of developing breast cancer. DESIGN AND SETTING: Population-based cohort study using data from the Swedish Birth Register, the Swedish Cancer Register, the Swedish Cause of Death Register, and the Swedish Register of Population and Population Changes. PARTICIPANTS: Women included in the Sweden Birth Register who delivered singletons between 1982 and 1989, with complete information on date of birth and gestational age. Women were followed up until the occurrence of breast cancer, death, or end of follow-up (December 31, 2001). Cox proportional hazards models were used to estimate associations between hormone exposures and risks of breast cancer. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Incidence of invasive breast cancer. RESULTS: Of 314,019 women in the cohort, 2216 (0.7%) developed breast cancer during the follow-up through 2001, of whom 2100 (95%) were diagnosed before age 50 years. Compared with women who had placentas weighing less than 500 g in 2 consecutive pregnancies, the risk of breast cancer was increased among women whose placentas weighed between 500 and 699 g in their first pregnancy and at least 700 g in their second pregnancy (or vice versa) (adjusted hazard ratio, 1.82; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.07-3.08), and the corresponding risk was doubled among women whose placentas weighed at least 700 g in both pregnancies (adjusted hazard ratio, 2.05; 95% CI, 1.15-3.64). A high birth weight (> or =4000 g) in 2 successive births was associated with an increased risk of breast cancer before but not after adjusting for placental weight and other covariates (adjusted hazard ratio, 1.10; 95% CI, 0.76-1.59). CONCLUSIONS: Placental weight is positively associated with maternal risk of breast cancer. These results further support the hypothesis that pregnancy hormones are important modifiers of subsequent maternal breast cancer risk.

Birth Weight↗

Seasonal variation in the diagnosis of Hodgkin lymphoma in Sweden.

Epidemiologic evidence suggests a seasonal pattern in the occurrence of Hodgkin lymphoma (HL), with an incidence peak around the month of March. This pattern may reflect seasonal variation in the prevalence of an infectious agent involved in HL development. Using Poisson regression, we examined monthly variation in HL diagnosis in Sweden between 1958 and 1998, based on data from the population-based Swedish Cancer Registry. Older adults (50 to 79 years) were marginally more likely to be diagnosed in February, but there was no monthly variation after stratifying by sex. Young adult males (15 to 49 years) presented more often in February, whereas young adult females presented less often in August and December. Among children (<15 years), boys were significantly more likely to have been diagnosed in March, whereas there was no seasonal incidence pattern among girls. The seasonal pattern in HL diagnosis among young adults and boys is consistent with an infectious origin, whereas the results among older adults neither support nor dispute the possibility of an infectious etiology in this age group.

Adolescent↗

Socio-economic factors and breast cancer survival--a population-based cohort study (Sweden).

OBJECTIVE: To assess the influence of socio-economic factors on breast cancer survival in Sweden, a country with population-based mammography screening and a uniform health care system aiming to provide care to all on equal terms. METHODS: All women with a first diagnosis of invasive breast cancer in Sweden in 1993 were identified in the Swedish Cancer Register. Their sociodemographic characteristics were determined by record linkages to the 1970, 1980, 1985 and 1990 Census databases, and a nationwide Fertility Register. Information on tumor characteristics at diagnosis was obtained from five Swedish Regional Cancer Registers. Survival status on 31 December 1998, was assessed through follow-up in the Swedish Cause of Death Register. RESULTS: Of totally 4645 eligible women diagnosed with breast cancer in 1993, 772 had died from breast cancer through 1998. After adjustment for tumor characteristics and age, risk of death was 37 higher among women of low compared to high socio-economic status (HR high vs. low 0.73; 95 CI: 0.54-0.99). This difference was most pronounced in women less than 50 years at diagnosis. CONCLUSIONS: These results show that socio-economic disparities in breast cancer survival prevail even in this relatively homogenous society, offering outreach mammography and standardised treatment regimens in a tax-funded health care system.

Adult↗

Maternal breast cancer risk after the death of a child.

The possible association between a severe traumatic life event (death of a child) and breast cancer risk was examined in a case-control study nested within a nation-wide cohort in Sweden. Our study population included 27,571 women with breast cancer and 141,798 control women born between 1925-1976. After adjustment for age, parity, age at first birth and education, the overall risk estimate for breast cancer among all women that had experienced the death of a child was 1.05 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.96-1.15). Among uniparous women the corresponding odds ratio (OR) was 1.27 (95% CI = 0.98-1.64). When stratifying for child's age at death a significant risk increase was detected among women that had lost their only child when the child was between 1-4 years of age (OR = 2.65; 95% CI = 1.06-6.60). These findings do not support an overall increase in breast cancer risk after the death of a child, a severe traumatic life event. Based on a small number of subjects, our finding of an increased risk in a subgroup of uniparous women losing their only child could be due to chance.

Adolescent↗

Fecundity and twinning rates as measures of fertility before diagnosis of germ-cell testicular cancer.

Previous studies have suggested an association between subfertility and testicular cancer by using fecundity and semen characteristics to measure fertility. The occurrence of twinning in offspring may be used to investigate male reproductive health, because dizygotic twinning is reduced by male subfertility. We therefore assessed number of children and offspring twinning rates among 4592 Swedish patients with testicular cancer and 12 254 control subjects. Before diagnosis, case patients had a decreased number of children (for testicular cancer, odds ratio [OR] = 0.71, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.62 to 0.81; at least three children compared with no children), with a lower frequency of dizygotic twinning (for unlike-sex twins, OR for the father having testicular cancer = 0.49, 95% CI = 0.22 to 1.08). The ratio of unlike-sex to same-sex twins was 0.22 among children of case patients and 0.66 among children of control subjects (adjusted P =.03, two-sided Wald test). We also found an increased occurrence of twinning after diagnosis, probably attributable to treatment for iatrogenic subfertility. Our study strongly supports evidence of an association between subfertility and the subsequent risk for testicular cancer.

Adult↗

Childbearing and the risk of scleroderma: a population-based study in Sweden.

This study examined associations between childbearing and risk of scleroderma by using national population-based registry data from Sweden. Women with a discharge diagnosis of scleroderma from 1964 to 1999 (n = 2,149) were identified in the Swedish Inpatient Register. These cases were matched by year and month of birth and region of residence to as many as five controls obtained from the Multi-Generation Register. Pregnancy history (number of births, age at each birth) was restricted to births before the first scleroderma-related hospitalization for cases and the corresponding age for their matched controls. Risk estimates, measured by the odds ratio and 95% confidence interval, were obtained by using conditional logistic regression. Nulliparity was associated with an increased risk of scleroderma (odds ratio = 1.37, 95% confidence interval: 1.22, 1.55). Risk decreased with increasing number of births. Similar results were found when analyses were limited to births up to 2 years or up to 5 years before hospitalization. Among parous women, younger age at first birth was associated with an increased risk of scleroderma. The association between lower parity and increased risk of scleroderma could reflect subfecundity caused by scleroderma before disease became clinically evident, possible common causes of infertility and scleroderma, or a protective effect of pregnancy through an unknown mechanism.

Adolescent↗

Birth order, sibship size, and risk for germ-cell testicular cancer.

BACKGROUND: Several studies have reported an inverse association between birth order and testicular cancer risk, but estimates vary greatly and the biologic mechanism underlying the association is not established. METHODS: We have evaluated the effect of birth order, sibship size, and the combined effect of these 2 variables in relation to risk for testicular cancer in a large, nested case-control study. Specifically, we compared 3051 patients with germ-cell testicular cancer (diagnosed between 1958 and 1998 and identified through the Swedish Cancer Registry) with 9007 population control subjects. Using record linkage with the Multi-Generation Register and the Census, we obtained information on number, order, and sex of the subjects' siblings, parental age, and paternal socioeconomic status. RESULTS: Both birth order and sibship size had an inverse and monotonically decreasing association with testicular cancer risk after adjusting for parental age, paternal socioeconomic status, and twin status. The associations were modified by subjects' cohort of birth and were not present among those born after 1959. The odds ratio for having at least 3 siblings, compared with none, was 0.63 (95% confidence interval = 0.53-0.75) among subjects born before 1960. Stratified analyses showed that birth order and number of younger siblings had a similar inverse association with the risk for testicular cancer. CONCLUSIONS: Sibship size, and not only birth order, is associated with testicular cancer risk. This suggests a higher prevalence of parental subfertility among patients with testicular cancer.

Adult↗

Parental age, family size, and risk of multiple sclerosis.

BACKGROUND: Family structure, such as having siblings, provides proxy measures for a variety of characteristics relevant to disease risk. The etiology of multiple sclerosis (MS) is not well defined and analysis of family structure may provide etiologic clues. We conducted a case-control study to examine possible associations. METHODS: Using the Swedish Inpatient Register, we identified 4443 patients with a diagnosis of MS. From the general Swedish population, using birth and death registers, we selected 24,194 controls with similar characteristics for year, county of birth, and survival until at least age at diagnosis of the matched cases. The Multi-Generation Register linked data on siblings and parents. The Census provided father's social class based on occupation. RESULTS: Having 3 or more younger siblings, compared with none, produced an adjusted odds ratio (OR) for MS (with 95% confidence interval) of 0.80 (0.70-0.92) (adjusting for number of siblings, twins, maternal and paternal age, parental MS, sex, father's social class, county and year of birth). With 3 or more older siblings, the adjusted OR was 0.83 (0.72-0.96). Different-sex twin pairs compared with singletons had an OR of 0.59 (0.37-0.95) for MS. The risk of MS increased steadily with father's age but not mother's age, up to 2.00 (1.35-2.96) for 51- to 55-year-old fathers (compared with 21- to 25-year-old fathers). CONCLUSIONS: Parents who have offspring with MS may have subtly impaired fertility. The unexpected association with paternal age may be the result of an increased risk of accumulating germ cell mutations among older men.

Adult↗

Reproductive factors and extreme levels of maternal serum alpha-fetoprotein: a population-based study.

BACKGROUND: Levels of maternal alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) are increased during multiple gestations and preeclampsia but little is known regarding AFP levels in relation to other reproductive factors. Consequently, the objective of this work was to describe the possible relationship between AFP levels during pregnancy and maternal age at birth, maternal age at first birth, parity, time since previous birth and gender of the offspring. METHODS: Based on national registries we obtained the reproductive history on a population-based cohort of 44 227 women who had serum AFP levels determined in gestational weeks 14-21 and whose present and previous pregnancies resulted in live-born singletons. RESULTS: Many previous births and an interval of less than 2 years since last birth were significantly associated with extremely low levels of AFP in the mother. However, age at first birth and age at present pregnancy did not influence the AFP level. Women who gave birth to a girl had AFP levels that were 5%[95% confidence interval (CI) 4-6%] lower than those of women who had a boy. Adjustment for birthweight did not significantly affect the estimate. CONCLUSIONS: Low serum AFP levels in pregnancy are significantly correlated with high parity and with a short interval between births. The significantly lower levels of AFP in women who gave birth to girls could indicate a possible gender-specific regulatory mechanism.

Adolescent↗

Number of siblings and risk of Hodgkin's lymphoma.

BACKGROUND: Epidemiologic evidence indicates that risk of Hodgkin's lymphoma (HL) in young adults is associated with correlates of delayed exposure to infection during childhood. In contrast, HL among children and older adults may be associated with earlier childhood infection. This study examines the associations of HL risk with having older or younger siblings. METHODS: We conducted a case-control study in Sweden comparing 2,140 HL patients identified from the Swedish Cancer Register with 10,024 controls identified from national population registers. The Swedish Multi-Generation Register was used to link individuals to their parents and siblings. RESULTS: Among young adults ages 15 to 39 years, the odds ratios (OR) associated with having one, two, and three or more older siblings, compared with none, were 0.96 [95% confidence interval (CI), 0.82-1.13], 0.88 (95% CI, 0.72-1.09), and 0.72 (95% CI, 0.55-0.93), respectively (P value for trend = 0.01). In contrast, number of older siblings was not associated with HL risk among children or older adults. Number of younger or total siblings, mother's age at birth, and father's occupation were not associated with HL at any age. The decreased risk of young-adult HL did not vary appreciably by age difference or sex of older siblings. CONCLUSIONS: Risk of HL was lower among young adults with multiple older but not younger siblings. Having older siblings is associated with earlier exposure to common childhood pathogens. Pediatric and older-adult HL were not associated with number of siblings, suggesting a different pathogenesis of disease in these age groups.

Adolescent↗

Survival in primary lung cancer potentially cured by operation: influence of tumor stage and clinical characteristics.

BACKGROUND: Surgical resection is currently standard treatment in early stage lung cancer. The aim of the present study was to identify stage-related factors and patient characteristics influencing survival after complete resection. METHODS: We identified 395 patients with non-small cell lung cancer who had undergone potentially radical operation during 1987 to 1999 at one thoracic surgery institution in central Sweden. Factors independently related to survival were identified in a multivariate analysis. Survival was analyzed in low-, medium-, and high-risk groups based on a risk score calculated from relative hazards for identified risk factors. RESULTS: Overall 5-year survival among the 395 patients was 51%. The strongest factor predicting prognosis was positive lymph nodes at operation. Higher age, earlier period for operation, impaired lung function, current smoking, and major operative complication were all related to poorer prognosis. Patients with tumor stage Ia had a 5-year survival of 69%, compared to 73% in patients in the low-risk group. CONCLUSIONS: Tumor stage is the best prognostic indicator after radical operation. Inclusion of other tumor- and patient-related variables did not add prognostic information of clinical relevance beyond that provided by tumor stage alone.

Adenocarcinoma↗