Background. Breast cancer survival has improved significantly in the US in the past 10–15 years. However, disparities exist in breast cancer survival between black and white women. Purpose. To investigate the effect of county healthcare resources and SES as well as individual SES status on breast cancer survival disparities between black and white women. Methods. Data from 1,796 breast cancer cases were obtained from the Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results and the National Longitudinal Mortality Study dataset. Cox Proportional Hazards models were constructed accounting for clustering within counties. Three sequential Cox models were fit for each outcome including demographic variables; demographic and clinical variables; and finally demographic, clinical, and county-level variables. Results. In unadjusted analysis, black women had a 53% higher likelihood of dying of breast cancer and 32% higher likelihood of dying of any cause (P < 0.05) compared with white women. Adjusting for demographic variables explained away the effect of race on breast cancer survival (HR, 1.40; 95% CI, 0.99–1.97), but not on all-cause mortality. The racial difference in all-cause survival disappeared only after adjusting for county-level variables (HR, 1.27; CI, 0.95–1.71). Conclusions. Improving equitable access to healthcare for all women in the US may help eliminate survival disparities between racial and socioeconomic groups.

Introduction

Inflammatory breast cancer (IBC) is characterized by an apparent geographical distribution in incidence, being more common in North Africa than other parts of the world. Despite the rapid growth of immigrants to the United States from Arab nations, little is known about disease patterns among Arab Americans because a racial category is rarely considered for this group. The aim of this study was to advance our understanding of the burden of IBC in Arab ethnic populations by describing the proportion of IBC among different racial groups, including Arab Americans from the Detroit, New Jersey and California Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) registries.

Methods

We utilized a validated Arab surname algorithm to identify women of Arab descent from the SEER registries. Differences in the proportion of IBC out of all breast cancer and IBC characteristics by race and menopausal status were evaluated using chi-square tests for categorical variables, t-tests and ANOVA tests for continuous variables, and log-rank tests for survival data. We modeled the association between race and IBC among all women with breast cancer using hierarchical logistic regression models, adjusting for individual and census tract-level variables.

Results

Statistically significant differences in the proportion of IBC out of all breast cancers by race were evident. In a hierarchical model, adjusting for age, estrogen and progesterone receptor, human epidermal growth receptor 2, registry and census-tract level education, Arab-Americans (OR=1.5, 95% CI=1.2,1.9), Hispanics (OR=1.2, 95% CI=1.1,1.3), Non-Hispanic Blacks (OR=1.3, 95% CI=1.2, 1.4), and American Indians/Alaskans (OR=1.9, 95% CI=1.1, 3.4) had increased odds of IBC, while Asians (OR=0.6, 95% CI=0.6, 0.7) had decreased odds of IBC as compared to Non-Hispanic Whites.

Conclusions

IBC may be more common among certain minority groups, including Arab American women. Understanding the descriptive epidemiology of IBC by race may generate hypotheses about risk factors for this aggressive disease. Future research should focus on etiologic factors that may explain these differences.

Background

Inflammatory breast cancer (IBC) is a rare and highly aggressive form of primary breast cancer. Little is known regarding risk factors for IBC, specifically the association with socioeconomic position (SEP).

Methods

The association between breast cancer type (IBC vs. non-IBC) with county-level SEP in the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database for cases diagnosed from 2000–2007 was examined. County-level SEP characteristics included metropolitan vs. non- metropolitan residence, percent below the poverty level, percent less than high school graduate,and an index combining the poverty and high school variables. IBC and non-IBC age-adjusted incidence rates (IRs) were calculated, stratified on SEP and race/ethnicity. The odds of IBC vs. non-IBC given a particular SEP characteristic, adjusting for age and race/ethnicity, was examined through fitting of hierarchical logistic regression models (HLMs).

Results

IRs for IBC generally increased as SEP decreased, while the opposite was found for non-IBC. HLM results showed low SEP is associated with higher odds of IBC: Highest (≥ 20%) vs. lowest (<10%) persons below the poverty level Odds Ratio (95% Confidence Interval) = 1.25 (1.09–1.43); Highest (>28.76%) vs. lowest (≤15.99%) persons less than high school graduate = 1.25 (1.10–1.42); Low SEP as measured by poverty-high school index vs. high SEP = 1.26 (1.11–1.44).

Conclusion

Overall breast cancer has been found to be positively associated with SEP, whereas in this analysis IBC was associated with decreasing SEP.

Impact

Studies focused on understanding the disparity in IBC incidence, as well as interventions to eliminate these differences are needed.

This article illustrates some issues we faced during our experience in conducting an epidemiologic case–control study of inflammatory breast cancer in North Africa. We expect that some of the questions we had to ask in order to address these issues might be helpful to others in setting up epidemiologic studies in developing regions. We describe our experience from different angles including the use of multiple sites to achieve adequate sample size, standardizing diagnosis of disease, identifying cancer cases at the time of diagnosis, control selection procedures, logistics of study implementation, questionnaire development and interviewing, biologic specimens, and procedures for protection of human subjects. We have developed a brief checklist to summarize important issues for conducting future epidemiologic studies in these or similar low- or middle-income countries.

AIM: To describe the clinical and epidemiologic profiles of the disease and to compare the findings with those generated from the previous hospital-based studies.

METHODS: The Gharbiah cancer registry is the only population-based cancer registry in Egypt since 1998. We analyzed the data of all colorectal cancer patients included in the registry for the period of 1999-2007. All medical records of the 1364 patients diagnosed in Gharbiah during the study period were retrieved and the following information abstracted: age, residence, diagnosis date, grade, stage, topology, clinical characteristics, and histology variables. Egyptian census data for 1996 and 2006 were used to provide the general population’s statistics on age, sex, residence and other related demographic factors. In addition to age- and sex-specific incidence rate analyses, we analyze the data to explore the incidence distribution by rural-urban differences among the 8 districts of the province. We also compared the incidence rates of Gharbiah to the rates of the Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) data of the United States.

RESULTS: Over the 9 year-period, 1364 colorectal cancer cases were included. The disease incidence under age 40 years was relatively high (1.3/105) while the incidence in the age groups 40 and over was very low (12.0/105, 19.4/105 and 21.2/105 in the age groups 40-59 years, 60-69 years and > 70 years, respectively). The vast majority of tumors (97.2%) had no polyps and 37.2% of the patients presented with primary lesions in the rectum. Colorectal cancer was more common in patients from urban (55%) than rural (45%) areas. Regional differences in colon and rectal cancer incidence in the 8 districts of the study province may reflect different etiologic patterns in this population. The registry data of Egypt shows a slightly higher incidence of colorectal cancer than the United States in subjects under age 40 years. The results also shows significantly lower incidence of colorectal cancer in subjects over age 40 years compared to the same age group in the United States SEER.

CONCLUSION: Low rate of polyps, low incidence in older subjects, and high rate of rectal cancer in Egypt. Future studies should explore clinical and molecular disease patterns.

Background

Exposure to endocrine active compounds, including bisphenol A (BPA), remains poorly characterized in developing countries despite the fact that behavioral practices related to westernization have the potential to influence exposure. BPA is a high production volume chemical that has been associated with metabolic dysfunction as well as behavioral and developmental effects in people, including children. In this pilot study, we evaluate BPA exposure and assess likely pathways of exposure among girls from urban and rural Egypt.

Methods

We measured urinary concentrations of total (free plus conjugated) species of BPA in spot samples in urban (N = 30) and rural (N = 30) Egyptian girls, and compared these concentrations to preexisting data from age-matched American girls (N = 47) from the U.S. National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). We also collected anthropometric and questionnaire data regarding food storage behaviors to assess potential routes of exposure.

Results

Urban and rural Egyptian girls exhibited similar concentrations of urinary total BPA, with median unadjusted values of 1.00 and 0.60 ng/mL, respectively. Concentrations of urinary BPA in this group of Egyptian girls (median unadjusted: 0.70 ng/mL) were significantly lower compared to age-matched American girls (median unadjusted: 2.60 ng/mL) according to NHANES 2009-2010 data. Reported storage of food in plastic containers was a significant predictor of increasing concentrations of urinary BPA.

Conclusions

Despite the relatively low urinary BPA concentrations within this Egyptian cohort, the significant association between food storage behaviors and increasing urinary BPA concentration highlights the need to understand food and consumer product patterns that may be closing the gap between urban and rural lifestyles.

Background

Breast cancer screening rates have increased over time in the United States. However actual screening rates appear to be lower among black women compared with white women.

Purpose

To assess determinants of breast cancer screening among women in Michigan USA, focusing on individual and neighborhood socio-economic status and healthcare access.

Methods

Data from 1163 women ages 50-74 years who participated in the 2008 Michigan Special Cancer Behavioral Risk Factor Survey were analyzed. County-level SES and healthcare access were obtained from the Area Resource File. Multilevel logistic regression models were fit using SAS Proc Glimmix to account for clustering of individual observations by county. Separate models were fit for each of the two outcomes of interest; mammography screening and clinical breast examination. For each outcome, two sequential models were fit; a model including individual level covariates and a model including county level covariates.

Results

After adjusting for misclassification bias, overall cancer screening rates were lower than reported by survey respondents; black women had lower mammography screening rates but higher clinical breast examination rates than white women. However, after adjusting for other individual level variables, race was not a significant predictor of screening. Having health insurance or a usual healthcare provider were the most important predictors of cancer screening.

Discussion

Access to healthcare is important to ensuring appropriate cancer screening among women in Michigan.

Introduction

Retroperitoneal leiomyomata are rare. They are either mistaken preoperatively for malignant retroperitoneal tumors or dealt with as cases of subserous leiomyomata that turn out intraoperatively to be huge retroperitoneal masses of unknown nature.

Case presentation

We report the case of a 46-year-old nulligravid female patient of Middle Eastern ethnicity who presented to our university hospital with lower abdominal as well as pelvic pain along with a bloated sensation. She also reported noticing an unusual increase in her abdominal girth. These symptoms developed over the previous two months. Preoperative investigation by means of an ultrasound suggested a degenerated subserous huge uterine leiomyoma. An abdominal hysterectomy was planned. Intraoperatively, a normal sized uterus was found, the surface of which was studded with multiple variable sized pedunculated subserous leiomyomata. Another huge retroperitoneal soft to firm mass was found extending from her left pelvic wall to the level of her spleen, with no connections to her uterus. The mass was excised and a histopathological examination revealed a degenerated leiomyoma.

Conclusion

Some unusually located extra-uterine leiomyomata have been reported; retroperitoneal leiomyoma being among them. The origin of such tumors is still obscure; a parasitic origin as well as Müllerian cell rests or smooth muscle cells in the retroperitoneal vessels wall have been suggested. An 'iatrogenic' origin for such growths is also a possible theory. The origin of uncommonly located leiomyomata is an unexplored issue that merits more investigation.

Summary

Head and Neck Cancer (HNC) has been studied in different regions of the world but little is known about its incidence patterns in the Middle East and Egypt.

In this study from Egypt’s only population-based registry, we analyzed data from 1999-2006, to estimate incidence, incidence rate ratios (IRRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) categorized by age, district and subsites.

Overall urban incidence of HNC was twice or more that of rural incidence for both males (IRR = 2.59; 95% CI = 2.26, 2.97) and females (IRR = 2.00; 95% CI = 1.64, 2.43). Highest urban-rural difference for males was seen in 40-49 years (IRR = 2.79; 95% CI = 1.92, 4.05) and for females in 30-39 years (IRR = 2.94; 95% CI = 1.60, 5.40). Among subsites, highest incidence among males was for larynx (1.53/105) and among females for gum and mouth (0.48/105). Maximum urban-rural difference in males was for paranasal sinus (IRR = 4.66; 95% CI = 1.88, 11.54) and in females for lip (IRR = 8.91; 95% CI = 1.89, 41.98).

The study underscores the patterns of HNC incidence in Egypt while indicating the need for future analytical studies investigating specific risk factors of HNC in this population.

The Ocean Road Cancer Institute (ORCI) in Tanzania sees about 3,000 new cancer patients annually, 47% of whom have advanced cervical cancer. We interviewed 98 women from the screening clinic and 49 women from the new cancer treatment clinic about their education, income, occupation, residence, medical history, and knowledge about cancer. Women in the screening clinic had higher socioeconomic levels, as shown by more education and employment than women in the new-patient clinic. Patients from the screening clinic were also younger, lived in near ORCI, and had better knowledge of cancer than women from the new-patient treatment clinic. Educational programs focused on the importance of cervical screening in rural remote areas of Tanzania may have a positive impact on the early detection and identification of patients at early disease stages.

Background

Inflammatory breast cancer (IBC) is a lethal form of breast cancer with unknown etiology. A higher frequency of IBC and a more aggressive IBC phenotype was reported in Egypt than in the U.S. This difference in disease frequency and presentation might be related to molecular epidemiologic factors.

Methods

We used tumor blocks and demographic, epidemiologic, and clinical data of 48 IBC patients from Egypt and 12 patients from the U.S. We counted tumor emboli in tumors before and after immunohistochemical staining with lymphatic vessel endothelial receptor-1 (LYVE-1), and measured the expression of RhoC GTPase protein in the two groups.

Results

Erythema, edema, and peau d'orange were found in 77% of the Egyptian patients as compared with 29% found in the U.S. patients (P = 0.02). The number of tumor emboli was significantly higher in tumors from Egypt (mean ± SD, 14.1 ± 14.0) than in the tumors from the U.S. (5.0 ± 4.0, P = 0.01). The number of tumor emboli in LYVE-1 positive vessels was higher in tumors from Egypt (3.5 ± 2.8) than tumors from the U.S. (1.6 ± 0.5, P = 0.15). We detected a high level of RhoC in 87% of the tumors from Egypt and 14% of the tumors from the U.S. (P = 0.0003).

Conclusion

Patients from Egypt have a more aggressive form of IBC than those in the U.S. Our analysis of IBC patients shows that distinct molecular phenotypes can be found when these two study populations are compared. Future studies should explore the epidemiologic and environmental exposures and the genetic factors that might lead to the different clinical and molecular features of IBC in patients from these two countries.

PURPOSE

Lifestyle factors and environmental exposures might help explain the risk of colorectal carcinoma in countries where the incidence is low but unique patterns of young onset, and a high proportion of rectal cancer exist.

METHODS

We obtained detailed lifestyle information from 421 colorectal cancer patients and 439 hospital-controls from Egypt. Logistic regression models were computed to evaluate the risk factors of colorectal carcinoma.

RESULTS

History of pesticide exposure and more frequent eating food directly from farms were significantly associated with a higher risk of colorectal carcinoma [odds ratio= 2.6, 95% confidence interval= 1.1-5.9; odds ratio= 4.6, 95% confidence interval= 1.5-14.6, respectively]. Parous women who reported 7 or more live births or breastfed for 19 months or longer per live birth had a significantly lower risk for colorectal carcinoma (odds ratio= 0.3, 95% confidence interval= 0.2-0.7; odds ratio= 0.2, 95% confidence interval= 0.1-0.4, respectively). Compared to patients aged 40 years or older, industrial exposures were more common in younger patients (P =0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

Agricultural and industrial exposures were associated with increased risk of colorectal carcinoma, while prolonged lactation and increased parity were inversely associated with colorectal carcinoma in women. Further research to elucidate the biological role of intense environmental and industrial exposures and reproductive factors including lactation may further clarify the etiology of colorectal cancer.

Objective

To describe urban-rural differences in breast cancer incidence in Gharbiah, Egypt and to investigate if these differences could be explained by known risk factors of breast cancer.

Methods

We used data from the population-based cancer registry of Gharbiah, Egypt to assess breast cancer incidence from 1999 through 2006. The Egyptian census provided data on district-specific population, age, and urban-rural classification. Incidence patterns of breast cancer by district and age-specific urban-rural differences were analyzed.

Results

Overall, incidence rate of breast cancer was three to four times higher in urban areas than in rural areas (60.9/105/year for urban areas versus 17.8/105/year for rural areas; IRR = 3.73, 95% CI = 3.30, 4.22). Urban areas had consistently higher incidence of breast cancer across all age-groups for all years. Higher incidence of breast cancer was also seen in the more developed districts of Tanta and El-Mehalla.

Conclusions

Higher incidence of breast cancer in urban and more developed populations might be related to higher xenoestrogens, as well as other endocrine disruptors and genotoxic substances.

The idea of an automated whole breast ultrasound was developed three decades ago. We present our initial experiences with the latest technical advance in this technique, the automated breast volume scanner (ABVS) ACUSON S2000™. Volume data sets were collected from 50 patients and a database containing 23 women with no detectable lesions in conventional ultrasound (BI-RADS®-US 1), 13 women with clearly benign lesions (BI-RADS®-US 2), and 14 women with known breast cancer (BI-RADS®-US 5) was created. An independent examiner evaluated the ABVS data on a separate workstation without any prior knowledge of the patients’ histories. The diagnostic accuracy for the experimental ABVS was 66.0% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 52.9–79.1). The independent examiner detected all breast cancers in the volume data resulting in a calculated sensitivity of 100% in the described setting (95% CI: 73.2%–100%). After the ABVS examination, there were a high number of requests for second-look ultrasounds in 47% (95% CI: 30.9–63.5) of the healthy women (with either a clearly benign lesion or no breast lesions at all in conventional handheld ultrasound). Therefore, the specificity remained at 52.8% (95% CI: 35.7–69.2). When comparing the concordance of the ABVS with the gold standard (conventional handheld ultrasound), Cohen’s Kappa value as an estimation of the inter-rater reliability was κ = 0.37, indicating fair agreement. In conclusion, the ABVS must still be regarded as an experimental technique for breast ultrasound, which definitely needs to undergo further evaluation studies.

Video abstract

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Background

Experimental evidence suggests that an overexpression of insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) is implicated in human pancreatic tumors. Increased IGF-II and decreased insulin-like growth factor binding protein-3 (IGFBP-3) serum concentrations have been linked to a number of other cancers.

Methods

We conducted a nested case-control study in the Prostate, Lung, Colorectal, and Ovarian Cancer Screening Trial cohort of men and women 55–74 years of age at baseline, to test whether pre-diagnostic circulating IGF-I, IGF-II, IGFBP-3, andIGF-I/IGFBP-3 molar ratio concentrations were associated with exocrine pancreatic cancer risk. Between 1994 and 2006, 187 incident cases of pancreatic adenocarcinoma occurred (follow-up to 11.7 years). Two controls (n=374), who were alive at the time the case was diagnosed, were selected for each case and matched by age, race, sex and date of blood draw. We calculated odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) using conditional logistic regression, adjusting for smoking.

Results

IGF-I, IGF-II, and IGFBP-3 concentrations were not significantly associated with pancreatic cancer (highest compared with lowest quartile, OR=1.58, 95% CI 0.91–2.76, p-trend=0.25; OR=0.86, 95% CI 0.49–1.50, p-trend=0.31; and OR=0.88, 95% CI 0.51–1.51, p-trend=0.47, respectively). However, a significant positive trend was observed with high IGF-I/IGFBP-3 molar ratio levels (highest compared with lowest quartile OR=1.54, 95% CI 0.89–2.66, p-trend=0.04).

Conclusion

A higher IGF-I/IGFBP-3 molar ratio represents increased free IGF-I, which maybe a risk factor for pancreatic cancer.

Impact

Our results highlight the importance of this biomarker for further investigation in large prospective cohort studies and pooled analysis with other prospective cohorts.

Background

Phthalates have been identified as endocrine active compounds associated with developmental and reproductive toxicity. The exposure to phthalates in premenstrual Egyptian females remains unknown. The objective of this study was to characterize phthalate exposure of a potentially vulnerable population of premenstrual girls from urban and rural Egypt.

Materials and methods

We collected one spot urine sample from 60 10-13 year old females, 30 from rural Egypt, and 30 from urban Egypt from July to October 2009. Samples were analyzed for 11 phthalate metabolites. Additionally, we collected anthropometrics as well as questionnaire data concerning food storage behaviors, cooking practices, and cosmetic use. Phthalate metabolite concentrations were compared between urban and rural Egyptians as well as to age and gender matched Americans.

Results

Monoethyl phthalate (MEP), was detected at the highest concentration in urine of Egyptian girls (median: 43.2 ng/mL in rural, 98.8 ng/mL in urban). Concentrations of urinary metabolites of di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate and dibutyl phthalate were comparable between Egyptians and age matched US girls. Storage of food in plastic containers was a statistically significant predictor of urinary mono-isobutyl phthalate (MiBP) concentrations when comparing covariate adjusted means.

Conclusions

Urinary concentrations of phthalate metabolites were similar in Egyptian and US populations, suggesting that phthalate exposure also occurs in developing nations. Dietary intake is likely an important route of exposure to phthalates in both urban and rural populations.

Bladder cancer is the most common malignancy among Egyptian males and previously has been attributed to Schistosoma infection, a major risk factor for squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). Recently, transitional cell carcinoma (TCC) incidence has been increasing while SCC has declined. To investigate this shift, we analyzed the geographical patterns of all bladder cancers cases recorded in Egypt’s Gharbiah Population-Based Cancer Registry from 1999 through 2002. Data on tumor grade, stage, and morphology, as well as smoking, community of residence, age and sex, were collected on 1,209 bladder cancer cases. Age-adjusted incidence rates were calculated for males, females, and the total population for the eight administrative Districts and 316 communities in Gharbiah. Incidence Rate Ratios (IRR) and 95% Confidence Intervals (CI) were computed using Poisson Regression. The male age-adjusted incidence rate (IR) in Gharbiah Province was 13.65/100,000 person years (PY). The District of Kotour had the highest age-adjusted IR 28.96/100,000 among males. The District of Kotour also had the highest IRR among all Districts, IRR=2.15 95% CI (1.72, 2.70). Kotour’s capital city had the highest bladder cancer incidence among the 316 communities (IR=73.11/100,000 PY). Future studies on sources and types of environmental pollution and exposures in relation to the spatial patterns of bladder cancer, particularly in Kotour District, may improve our understating of risk factors for bladder cancer in the region.

Background

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a major health problem worldwide, including Egypt. In the recent past, HCC has become the second most prevalent cancer among men in Egypt. Since HCC has not been well studied in the rural population of Egypt, this case–control study was conducted to investigate the epidemiologic risk factors of HCC in the predominantly rural region of Gharbiah, Egypt.

Methods

A total of 150 cases and 150 controls matched to cases on age (±5 years) and sex were recruited from the Gharbiah Cancer Society and Tanta Cancer Center. Exposure data were collected by an interviewer-administered standardized questionnaire about epidemiologic, occupational, medical and family history of HCC. Conditional logistic regression was utilized to calculate unadjusted and adjusted odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CI). The effect modification of HCC risk between viral infection and environmental risk factors was also assessed.

Results

Being an industrial worker was an independent risk for developing HCC (OR 3.54, 95% CI 1.18, 10.63) after adjusting for viral infection, schistosomiasis and tobacco smoking. High relative risk of HCC was observed among HCV-infected individuals who were farmers (OR 9.60, 95% CI 3.72, 24.76), industrial workers (OR 12.90, 95% CI 4.33, 38.43) or active smokers (OR 5.95, 95% CI 2.20, 16.08).

Conclusion

Occupational exposure may play an important role in the development of HCC. Farming, industrial exposures and cigarette smoking may increase the risk of HCC among HCV-seropositive individuals. Future research focusing on mechanisms of occupational exposures among HCV patients in this population is needed.

SUMMARY

Understanding the molecular factors that distinguish inflammatory breast cancer (IBC) from non-IBC is important for IBC diagnosis. We reviewed the records of 48 IBC patients and 64 non-IBC patients from Egypt. We determined RhoC expression and tumor emboli and their relationship to demographic and reproductive characteristics. Compared with non-IBC patients, IBC patients had significantly lower parity (P = 0.018) and fewer palpable tumors (P < 0.0001). IBC tumors showed RhoC overexpression more frequently than non-IBC tumors (87% vs. 17%, respectively) (P < 0.0001). Tumor emboli were significantly more frequent in IBC tumors than non-IBC tumors (Mean ± SD: 14.1 ± 14.0 vs. 7.0 ± 12.9, respectively) (P < 0.0001). This study illustrates that RhoC overexpression and tumor emboli are more frequent in tumors of IBC relative to non-IBC from Egypt. Future studies should focus on relating epidemiologic factors to molecular features of IBC in this population.

Breast cancer incidence is higher in developed countries with higher rates of estrogen receptor positive (ER+) tumors. ER+ tumors are caused by estrogenic exposures although known exposures explain approximately 50% of breast cancer risk. Unknown risk factors causing high breast cancer incidence exist that are estrogenic and development-related. Xenoestrogens are such risk factors but are difficult to study since developed countries lack unexposed populations. Developing countries have urban-rural populations with differential exposure to xenoestrogens. This study assessed urban-rural breast cancer incidence classified by hormone receptor status using data from Gharbiah population-based cancer registry in Egypt from 2001 to 2006. Urban ER+ incidence rate (per 100,000 women) was 2-4 times (IRR = 3.36, 95% CI = 4.84, 2.34) higher than rural incidence rate. ER− incidence rate was 2-3 times (IRR = 1.86, 95% CI = 2.38, 1.45) higher in urban areas than in rural areas. Our findings indicate that urban women may probably have a higher exposure to xenoestrogens.

Background

Data from Arab world studies suggest that Arab women may experience a more aggressive breast cancer phenotype. To investigate this finding, we focused on one of the largest settlements of Arabs and Iraqi Christians (Chaldeans) in the US, metropolitan Detroit- a SEER reporting site since 1973.

Materials and Methods

We identified a cohort of primary breast cancer cases diagnosed 1973–2003. Using a validated name algorithm, women were identified as being of Arab/Chaldean descent if they had an Arab last or maiden name. We compared characteristics at diagnosis (age, grade, histology, SEER stage, and marker status) and overall survival between Arab-, European-, and African-Americans.

Results

The cohort included 1,652 (2%) women of Arab descent, 13,855 (18%) African-American women, and 63,615 (80%) European-American. There were statistically significant differences between the racial groups for all characteristics at diagnosis. Survival analyses overall and for each SEER stage showed that Arab-American women had the best survival, followed by European-American women. African-American women had the poorest overall survival and were 1.37 (95% confidence interval: 1.23–1.52) times more likely to be diagnosed with an aggressive tumor (adjusting for age, grade, marker status, and year of diagnosis).

Conclusion

Overall, Arab-American women have a distribution of breast cancer histology similar to European-American women. In contrast, the stage, age, and hormone receptor status at diagnosis among Arab-Americans was more similar to African-American women. However, Arab-American women have a better overall survival than even European-American women.

The northeast Nile Delta region exhibits a high incidence of early-onset pancreatic cancer. It is well documented that this region has one of the highest levels of pollution in Egypt. Epidemiologic studies have suggested that cadmium, a prevalent pollutant in the northeast Nile Delta region, plays a role in the development of pancreatic cancer.

Objective: We aimed to assess serum cadmium levels as markers of exposure in pancreatic cancer patients and noncancer comparison subjects from the same region in Egypt.

Design and Participants: We assessed serum cadmium levels of 31 newly diagnosed pancreatic cancer patients and 52 hospital comparison subjects from Mansoura, Egypt.

Evaluation/Measurements: Serum cadmium levels were measured using a novel immunoassay procedure.

Results: We found a significant difference between the mean serum cadmium levels in patients versus comparison subjects (mean ± SD, 11.1 ± 7.7 ng/mL vs. 7.1 ± 5.0 ng/mL, respectively; p = 0.012) but not in age, sex, residence, occupation, or smoking status. The odds ratio (OR) for pancreatic cancer risk was significant for serum cadmium level [OR = 1.12; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.04–1.23; p = 0.0089] and farming (OR = 3.25; 95% CI, 1.03–11.64; p = 0.0475) but not for age, sex, residence, or smoking status.

Conclusions: The results from this pilot study suggest that pancreatic cancer in the East Nile Delta region is significantly associated with high levels of serum cadmium and farming.

Relevance to Clinical Practice/Public Health: Future studies should further investigate the etiologic relationship between cadmium exposure and pancreatic carcinogenesis in cadmium-exposed populations.