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Cancer pattern among Greenlandic Inuit migrants in Denmark, 1968-1982.

For several cancer sites the incidence among Inuit (Eskimos) in Alaska, Canada and Greenland differs markedly from that in non-Inuit in adjacent areas. This is the first study of Inuit migrants. Among 11,571 Inuit Greenlandic people living in Denmark in the period 1968-1982 we found 69 cases of cancer. Significantly increased risks compared to the Danish population were found for cancer of the rectum (RR = 5.5) in males and for nasopharyngeal cancer (RR = 185.2) and cancer of the cervix uteri (RR = 1.9). The significance of these findings in relation to the role of environmental factors in the aetiology of cancer in Inuit is discussed.

Adult↗

Risk of breast cancer in relation to reproductive factors in Denmark.

The effect of reproductive factors on breast cancer risk was evaluated in a population-based case-control study, including 1,486 breast cancer cases diagnosed over a one-year period in Denmark. They were identified from the files of the nationwide trial of the Danish Breast Cancer Co-operative group and the Danish Cancer Registry. The control group was an age-stratified random sample of 1,336 women from the general population. Data on risk factors were collected by self-administered (mailed) questionnaires. Significantly increased relative risks (RR) were associated with never being pregnant (RR = 1.47), an early terminated first pregnancy (RR = 1.43), and having a natural menopause after the age of 54 (RR = 1.67). Trends of decreasing risk were observed by increasing parity and age at menarche. These findings were independent of age at first full-term pregnancy which overall was not related to breast cancer risk, though a weak association appeared in women less than 50 years at diagnosis. The study confirmed that pregnancies must continue to term to offer protection against breast cancer.

Abortion, Induced↗

Cancer risk and occupational exposure to aflatoxins in Denmark.

A study of cancer risk among male employees at 241 livestock feed processing companies in Denmark was conducted on the basis of a data linkage system for detailed investigation of occupational cancer providing employment histories back until 1964, established at the Danish Cancer Registry. Crops imported for feed production have often been contaminated with highly variable concentrations of aflatoxins; an estimated average concentration of at least 140 micrograms aflatoxin B1 kg-1 prepared mixed cattle feed prevailed in the past, yielding a daily intake for workers via the respiratory route of approximately 170 ng. Risk was established on the basis of cancer cases among male workers, whose employment in one of the companies was the job they had held for the longest time since 1964. Elevated risks for liver cancer and for cancers of the biliary tract were observed, which increased by two- to three-fold significance after a 10-year latency. Exposure to aflatoxins in the imported crops was judged to be the most probable explanation for these findings, although the influence of lifestyle factors, e.g. alcohol consumption on the results cannot be fully disregarded. Increased risks for salivary gland tumours and multiple myeloma were also detected. However, due to multiple comparisons carried out in this study these new associations must await further confirmation. A decreased risk for lung cancer was observed; despite possible negative confounding due to the smoking habits of the employees, the lung does not seem to be a target organ for the carcinogenic effect of inhaled aflatoxins in humans.

Adult↗

Recent increase in the incidence of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma among young men and women in Denmark.

Time-related trends in the incidence of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) in Denmark were analysed for the period 1943-89. A total of 13 822 patients (7565 men and 6257 women) were included in the study. In men, world-standardised incidence rates per 100 000 population increased from 2.5 in 1943-47 to 9.3 in 1988-89. In women, a similar increase was seen, i.e. from 1.9 in 1943-47 to 6.5 per 100 000 population in 1988-89. For all birth cohorts, the male-to-female incidence ratio was highest among young subjects and fell significantly after the age of 29 years. Trends in age-specific incidence were analysed separately for two periods, i.e. 1943-77 and 1978-89, reflecting an early, pre-AIDS period and a later period possibly influenced by AIDS. In both periods, the incidence of NHL increased in all age groups. However, in recent years a noticeable increase in incidence averaging 8% annually was observed in men and women aged 40-49 years. A number of factors including changes in the perception of NHL and in the diagnostic methods available are considered insufficient to explain the observed increase. The remarkable and parallel time trends observed in young men and women in recent years indicate that factors other than AIDS must be considered.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗

An observational study of slimming behavior in Denmark in 1992 and 1998.

OBJECTIVE: To elucidate how frequent weight-loss attempts are made, the methods used to achieve weight loss, and the extent to which the outcome is positive. RESEARCH METHODS AND PROCEDURES: Two independent interviews were conducted in 1992 and in 1998, each with 1200 randomly selected adult subjects. Each survey was designed to ensure an equal distribution of age, gender, and geographical regions in Denmark. RESULTS: The proportion of subjects having attempted weight loss did not change from 1992 to 1998, although the prevalence of overweight and obesity increased from 1992 (overweight, 30%; obesity, 6%) to 1998 (overweight, 35%; obesity, 8%). Almost twice as many women (61%) than men (32%) had attempted weight loss (p < 0.0001). Slimming occurred more often in subjects <50 years (51%) than >50 years (39%) (p < 0.0001), although overweight and obesity were more frequent in the elderly. Over-the-counter diet pills or meal replacements were associated with a negative outcome of slimming treatment (p < 0.0001). DISCUSSION: Approximately half of all adult Danes have attempted weight loss, particularly women and individuals <50 years. This finding is inconsistent with the fact that overweight and obesity are more prevalent in men and in individuals >50 years. Changes in habitual diet and increased physical activity are the most prevalent modes of slimming, whereas the use of over-the-counter diet pills or meal replacements has decreased from 1992 to 1998. This development may have a positive impact on future body- weight-management strategies.

Adult↗

Do parents of children with congenital malformations have a higher cancer risk? A nationwide study in Denmark.

To investigate whether parents of children with congenital malformations more often developed cancer after birth of the child, a population-based case-control study in Denmark was undertaken. By linking the Cancer Registry with the Central Population Registry, we identified 8783 cancer patients having their first child born between 1977 and 1995 before the cancer was diagnosed. Parents of 41 206 firstborn children of a 10% random sample of newborns from the Birth Registry between 1980 and 1995 were identified as controls. We obtained malformation diagnoses of children of cases and controls by linking to the Hospital Discharge Registry. We estimated the association between malformation and cancer by using logistic regression, adjusting for maternal age at birth and sex of child. We found no increased risk of cancer in parents having children with malformations in general, but a higher cancer risk in parents of children born with cleft lip/palate, odds ratio (OR) for all cancer=1.8 (95% confidence interval 1.0-3.2), OR for lymphomas=4.2 (1.3-13.5) and OR for leukaemia=8.1 (2.0-33.7). This association was not restricted to cancer cases diagnosed shortly after birth of the child. Our results suggest a common genetic association between these diseases, but further studies are needed.

Adult↗

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

Psychological stress has been suggested to shorten cancer survival, but few studies have examined the effect of parental bereavement, and the results have been inconsistent. We identified all 21 062 parents who lost a child in Denmark from 1980 to 1996 and among them, 1630 parents with subsequent incident cancer formed the exposed cohort. We recruited 6237 incident cancer patients from a group of 293 745 randomly selected unexposed parents matched on family structure at the same time as the bereaved parents. All incident cancers in the two cohorts were followed to the end of 1997, or until they died. Cox proportional-hazards regression models were used to evaluate the hazard ratio (HR) of dying in exposed parents with cancer. The overall HR of dying from an incident cancer in exposed parents was 1.23 (95% confidence interval 1.03-1.47) compared to parents with cancer who did not lose a child. The HRs were nearly identical to those in the unexposed parents for site-specific cancers like lung cancer, breast cancer, and other groups of cancers like cancers in all digestive organs, smoking-related cancers, alcohol-related cancers, hormone-related cancers, virus/immune-related cancers, and lymphatic/haematopoietic cancers. Death of a child is not a strong prognostic factor for cancer survival among parents diagnosed with cancer after the bereavement. However, a small impairment in overall cancer survival cannot be ruled out.

Adult↗

Having children with different men and subsequent cancer risk. A nationwide study in Denmark.

The more men by whom a woman has children, the more diverse will be the foetal antigens of paternal origin introduced into her bloodstream, and we investigated whether this has an impact on subsequent cancer risks. By using population registries we identified 64704 women who had children with at least two different partners from 1973 to 1996 in Denmark. We compared their cancer incidence with that of women who during the same time period had at least two births with no indication of partner change, adjusting for age, parity, socioeconomic factors and residence. The overall cancer incidence was more than 50% higher in women with two or more partners. Women having children with multiple partners had a higher incidence of cancer of the cervix and corpus uteri, a lower incidence of melanoma but a similar incidence of breast and ovarian cancer. Uncontrolled differences in lifestyle factors may explain the higher cancer risk associated with having multiple partners. The strong protective effect for melanoma was unexpected and deserves further study.

Adult↗

Educational attainment among survivors of childhood cancer: a population-based cohort study in Denmark.

We identified 2384 patients in the Danish Cancer Register in whom cancer had been diagnosed in 1960-1996 before they reached the age of 20 and compared them with 53 143 sex- and age-matched controls identified from the Register of Population Statistics. Complete education records and demographic and socioeconomic information for the period 1980-2000 were obtained for both cohorts from Statistics Denmark. The rate ratio (RR) for educational attainment was estimated by discrete-time Cox regression analyses. An overall reduction in attaining basic education was found (RR, 0.90; 95% confidence interval, 0.83-0.96). Female survivors of central nervous system (CNS) tumours showed the largest educational deficit (RR, 0.55; 95% confidence interval, 0.37-0.82). Non-CNS tumour survivors attained education as controls at most levels. When the analyses were conditioned on completion of youth education, further educational attainment was not reduced for any group of survivors. These findings confirm that only survivors of CNS tumours in childhood experience significant educational deficits. The deficit was mainly seen among persons whose tumour was diagnosed before they reached the level of secondary education.

Adolescent↗

The relation between socioeconomic and demographic factors and tumour stage in women diagnosed with breast cancer in Denmark, 1983-1999.

The authors investigated the association between socioeconomic position and stage of breast cancer at the time of diagnosis in a nationwide Danish study. All 28 765 women with a primary invasive breast cancer diagnosed between 1983 and 1999 were identified in a nationwide clinical database and information on socioeconomic variables was obtained from Statistics Denmark. The risk of being diagnosed with a high-risk breast cancer, that is size >20 mm, lymph-node positive, ductal histology/high histologic grade and hormone receptor negative, was analysed by multivariate logistic regression. The adjusted odds ratio (OR) for high-risk breast cancer was reduced with longer education with a 12% reduced risk (95% confidence interval (CI), 0.80,0.96) in women with higher education and increased with reduced disposable income (low income group: OR, 1.22; 95% CI, 1.10,1.34). There was an urban-rural gradient, with higher risk among rural women (OR 1.10; 95 % CI, 1.02, 1.18) and lower risk among women in the capital suburbs (OR, 0.85; 95% CI, 0.78, 0.93) and capital area (OR, 0.93; 95% CI, 0.84-1.02). These factors were significant only for postmenopausal women, although similar patterns were observed among the premenopausal women, suggesting a subgroup of aggressive premenopausal breast cancers less influenced by socioeconomic factors.

Adult↗

Breast cancer risk among women with psychiatric admission with affective or neurotic disorders: a nationwide cohort study in Denmark.

There is a considerable interest in the possible relationship between psychosocial factors and the onset of breast cancer. This cohort study was based upon two nationwide and population-based central registers: The Danish Psychiatric Central Register, which contains all cases of psychiatric admissions, and The Danish Cancer Registry, which contains all cases of cancer. The register-linkage was accomplished by using a personal identification number. The study population comprised all women admitted to psychiatric departments or psychiatric hospitals in Denmark between 1969 and 1993 with an affective or a neurotic disorder. Overall, 66,648 women comprising 199,910 admissions and 775,522 person-years were included. The incidence of breast cancer in the cohort was compared with the national breast cancer incidence rates adjusted for age and calendar time. In all, 1270 women with affective or neurotic disorders developed breast cancer subsequent to the first admission as compared with the 1242 women expected, standardized incidence ratio (SIR) = 1.02 (95% confidence interval 0.97-1.08). None of the hypothetical risk factors: type of diagnosis, age or calendar period at cohort entry, age at breast cancer, alcohol abuse, alcohol/drug abuse without further specification, total number of admissions, total length of admissions, or time from first admission showed a statistically significant effect on the relative risk of breast cancer. We found no support for the hypothesis that women admitted to a psychiatric department with an affective or a neurotic disorder subsequently have an increased risk of breast cancer.

Adult↗

Social determinants of dietary habits in Denmark.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether there is an association between socioeconomic status and a healthy diet, taking the possible influence of other social variables such as age, gender, income and household composition into consideration. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. SETTING: Nationwide study in Denmark, 1995. SUBJECTS: Random sample from the civil registration system. A total of 852 men and 870 women aged 18-80 y participated, a response rate of 58%. INTERVENTIONS: A 7 day estimated dietary record was used to obtain information about the diet. Information about social background was gained through face-to-face interview. RESULTS: The intake of fruit and vegetables and the percentage energy (E%) from fat in the diet were significantly associated with the educational level of both men and women. For men with only basic schooling, the mean intake of vegetables and fat was 84 g/10 MJ and 41 E% respectively. Men with long higher education had a mean intake of 119 g/10 MJ of vegetables and 37 E% of fat. For women, the corresponding figures for the intake of vegetables and fat were 131 g/10 MJ and 38 E% and 175 g/10 MJ and 37 E%, respectively. For women, age, income and household composition were also significantly associated with the intake of fruit and vegetables. CONCLUSIONS: Education seems to be the most important social variable to explain social differences in dietary habits. Additional variables are needed to explain dietary habits of women. Differences are seen for both foods and nutrients. SPONSORSHIP: The data analysis was financially supported by the Health Insurance Fund.

Adolescent↗

Development of the obesity epidemic in Denmark: cohort, time and age effects among boys born 1930-1975.

OBJECTIVE: A global epidemic of obesity is developing, but its causes are still unclear. In Denmark, two periods of steep increases in prevalence of obesity have occurred among young men born in the 1940s and 1960-70s. This study investigated the preceding changes in prevalence of obesity and in the entire body mass index (BMI = weight/height2) distribution by birth cohort, calendar time and age among Danish school boys. METHODS: Children attending Copenhagen schools 1937-1983 had annual health examinations, from which we computerized 1,037,468 measurements of height (m) and weight (kg) of 161,314 boys aged 7-13 y. Obesity was defined as age-specific BMI exceeding the 95.0, the 99.0 and the 99.9 percentile among those born 1930-1934, the latter corresponding to the prevalence of obesity among the young men in these cohorts. The median, standard deviation, skewness, and the 5th, 25th, 75th and 95th percentiles of the age-specific BMI were estimated for each birth cohort. RESULTS: The prevalence of obesity, defined by the 99.9 percentile, increased at all ages during the same birth years as among the young men, and, accordingly, at earlier calendar years. The prevalence of obesity, defined by the 95.0 percentile, showed a distinctly different pattern: a sharp increase, irrespective of age, during the calendar years 1947-1949, and thereafter a stable level until the 1970s, where a further modest increase began. The prevalence defined by the 99.0 percentile showed a mixture of the trends in those defined by the 99.9 and 95.0 percentiles. The median BMI showed small fluctuations, parallel at all ages. The standard deviation and right-sided skewness increased until birth year 1950, but were almost stable thereafter. The pattern of changes in the quartiles mostly reflected those in the median. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of obesity defined by the 99.9 or 99.0 percentile has increased in Danish boys born in the 1940s and since the mid 1960s, without corresponding changes in the central part of the BMI distribution. When defining obesity by the 95.0 percentile, there was a sharp distinct age-independent increase in the late 1940s. The development of the obesity epidemic is a heterogeneous phenomenon that has involved changes in environmental influences starting at preschool ages and affecting different subsets of the population, either because of selective exposure or particular susceptibility.

Adolescent↗

Survival and cause of death after traumatic spinal cord injury. A long-term epidemiological survey from Denmark.

Life expectancy among individuals with spinal cord injuries (SCI) has remained lower than in the normal population, even with optimal medical management. But significant improvement has been achieved, as will be illustrated in this retrospective study of an unselected group of traumatic survivors of SCI, dead or still living. There has been a complete follow-up over 4 decades, information being obtained from available medical records, death certificates, and post mortem records. The survey included a total of 888 individuals (713 men and 175 women) who had survived the injury and primary treatment and were rehabilitated at the centre for Spinal Cord Injured in Hornbaek, Denmark. At the end of the follow-up, 31st December 1992, 236 (197 men and 39 women) had died. The commonest causes of death were lung diseases, particularly pneumonia; suicide; and ischaemic heart disease. Among functionally complete tetraplegic individuals there was a recognizably high percentage of deaths from pneumonia, and among the least disabled individuals (Frankel class E) we found a high frequency of suicides. The Standardised Mortality Ratios (SMRs) were highest for septicaemia, followed by uraemia and pneumonia. A significant decrease in the overall mortality was observed from the first (1953-1973) to the second half of the observation period (1972-1992). Similarly the survival curves for both men and women demonstrate that the gap in survival probability between the normal population and the SCI has diminished considerably from the early to the later period. Likewise, except for suicide and ischaemic heart disease, a decrease in SMRs was seen for all causes of death. In particular there were large decreases related to lung embolus, septicaemia, pneumonia, and uraemia. The patterns of causes of death in the study group begin to approximate those of the general population, though many cause-specific deaths for SCI remain substantially above the normal population. Continuous improvement in preventive measures as well as treatment procedures is still necessary.

Adult↗

Survey of the use of thromboprophylaxis in laparoscopic surgery in Denmark.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to determine the current use of thromboprophylaxis for laparoscopic surgery in Denmark. METHODS: Postal questionnaires were sent to all Danish surgical departments that performed laparoscopic surgery according to the National Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy Database. RESULTS: There was a written protocol for thromboprophylaxis in 93 per cent of the responding departments. In 37 per cent thromboprophylaxis was used for all patients undergoing laparoscopic surgery; only 7 per cent used thromboprophylaxis sporadically. All departments used low molecular weight heparin, 74 per cent in combination with graduated compression stockings. The criteria for using thromboprophylaxis varied greatly; in many departments conversion of the procedure to an open operation was not considered a criterion. Some 20 per cent of the departments reported previous thromboembolic complications following laparoscopic surgery. CONCLUSION: Despite the widespread use of thromboprophylaxis, symptomatic thromboembolic complications were reported from several departments. Further studies are needed to determine whether laparoscopic surgery should be considered a high-risk procedure.

Anticoagulants↗

Upper gastrointestinal bleeding among users of NSAIDs: a population-based cohort study in Denmark.

AIMS: It is well-known that use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) increases the risk of upper gastrointestinal bleeding (UGIB), but characteristics of the association and quantification of excess risk at the population level require clarification. METHODS: All users of nonaspirin prescription NSAIDs in North Jutland County, Denmark during 1991-95 were identified in the regional Pharmaco-Epidemiologic Database. Using the Hospital Discharge Register, all hospitalizations for UGIBs were identified among the 156,138 users of NSAIDs and compared with the number of expected based on the North Jutland population who did not receive NSAID prescriptions. RESULTS: During periods of NSAID use without use of other drugs associated with UGIB, we observed 365 UGIBs, a number 3.6 times higher than expected (95% CI = 3.3, 4.0). The excess risk varied by sex, type of NSAID and form and route of administration of the NSAID, but not by age at first NSAID prescription or number of prior prescriptions. Risk declined sharply following cessation of use. For ibuprofen and naproxen, there was a clear trend in rising risk by increasing dose, although the lowest doses were also associated with an excess of UGIB. Concurrent use of corticosteroids, anticoagulants and aspirin further increased the risk of UGIB. CONCLUSIONS: All types and formulations of NSAIDs appear to increase the risk of UGIBs, but the effect appear not to be cumulative and diminish rapidly with discontinue of use. Up to 15% of the UGIBs in the entire population of the North Jutland County may be explained by use of this drug.

Aged↗

Use of sumatriptan in Denmark in 1994-5: an epidemiological analysis of nationwide prescription data.

AIMS: We describe the use of medication with symptomatic relief of migraine as specific indication by analysing prescription data from the entire Danish population in 1994 and 1995. METHODS: The data for sumatriptan were analysed at the level of the individual user. We used aggregated data for ergotamine drugs. RESULTS: Sumatriptan constituted 46% of the total amount of defined daily doses (DDD) sold and 94% of the total pharmacy retail price expenses in the drug-group studied. In total, 43389 users of sumatriptan were identified who presented 340148 prescriptions, corresponding to 2.2 million DDD of sumatriptan. The quarterly consumption increased by 50% during the study period. Tablets accounted for 92% of consumption. The 1 year period prevalence of use of sumatriptan among persons 16 years and older was 7.8 per 1000 in 1995 with a female to male prevalence ratio of 3.8:1. Use was most common in the age interval 35-54 years. Regional differences in use, which were not large, were positively correlated to the degree of urbanization. The incidence of use of sumatriptan was estimated at 3.6 per 1000 person-years. The intensity of use of sumatriptan varied greatly with 1.1% of patients (n = 507) using 60 DDD or more within 30 days at some time during the observation period. Long-term high use of tablets was common in this group. CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that sumatriptan had a considerable impact on the treatment of migraine with prescription drugs in Denmark. The underlying reasons for high use of the drug in a smaller fraction of the patients deserve further study.

Adolescent↗

A population-based study of maternal use of amoxicillin and pregnancy outcome in Denmark.

AIMS: Amoxicillin is a widely used penicillin, but data on its safety in pregnancy are limited. We examined the association between amoxicillin exposure during pregnancy and birth weight, preterm delivery, congenital malformations, perinatal death, and spontaneous abortion. METHODS: We identified all primiparous women with a live birth, or a stillbirth after the 28th gestational week, from 1 January 1991-31 December 2000 in the County of North Jutland, Denmark. Data on prescriptions for amoxicillin and outcome were obtained from population-based registries. Using a follow-up and a case-control design, we compared pregnancy outcomes between women who had been prescribed amoxicillin during pregnancy and those who had not, adjusting for available potentially confounding factors. RESULTS: We identified 401 primiparous women who redeemed a prescription for amoxicillin during their pregnancy. The control group consisted of 10 237 primiparous women who did not redeem any prescriptions from 3 months before pregnancy until the end of pregnancy. The adjusted mean birth weight of children born to amoxicillin-exposed mothers was 57 g [95% confidence interval (CI) 9, 105] higher than that of children born to controls. Odds ratios among amoxicillin-exposed relative to controls were: low birth weight 0.63 (95% CI 0.26, 1.53), preterm delivery 0.77 (95% CI 0.49, 1.21), congenital malformation 1.16 (95% CI 0.54, 2.50), and spontaneous abortion 0.89 (95% CI 0.66, 1.18). We did not observe any cases of perinatal death in the amoxicillin-exposed women. CONCLUSIONS: We did not find any increased risk of adverse pregnancy outcome associated with amoxicillin exposure during pregnancy, but additional studies are warranted.

Abnormalities, Drug-Induced↗