Effects of obesity surgery on overall and disease-specific mortality in a 5-country population-based study

Abstract Background & Aims: Bariatric surgery might reduce overall mortality from obesity. We investigated whether the survival times of patients who have had bariatric surgery are similar to those of the general population and are longer than of obese individuals who did not receive surgery. Methods: We performed a population-based cohort study of persons with a diagnosis of obesity listed in nationwide registries from Nordic countries from 1980 through 2012. Bariatric surgery was analyzed in relation to all-cause mortality and the obesity-related morbidities cardiovascular disease, diabetes, cancer, and suicide. Poisson models provided standardized mortality ratios (SMRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Multivariable Cox regression provided hazard ratios (HRs) for mortality in participants who did and did not have surgery. Results: Among 505,258 participants, 49,977 had bariatric surgery. Overall all-cause SMR was increased after surgery (1.94; 95% CI, 1.83–2.05) and increased with longer follow-up, to 2.28 (95% CI, 2.07–2.51) at ≥15 years after surgery. SMRs were increased for cardiovascular disease (2.39; 95% CI, 2.17–2.63), diabetes (3.67; 95% CI, 2.85–4.72), and suicide (2.39; 95% CI, 1.96–2.92) but not for cancer (1.05; 95% CI, 0.95–1.17); SMRs increased with time. In obese participants who did not have surgery, all-cause SMR was 2.15 (95% CI, 2.11–2.20), which remained stable during follow-up. Compared with obese participants who did not have surgery, patients who had bariatric surgery had decreased overall mortality from all causes (HR, 0.63; 95% CI, 0.60–0.66), cardiovascular disease (HR, 0.57; 95% CI, 0.52–0.63), and diabetes (HR, 0.38; 95% CI, 0.29–0.49) but increased mortality from suicide (HR, 1.68; 95% CI, 1.32–2.14). Cancer mortality was decreased overall (HR, 0.84; 95% CI, 0.76–0.93) but increased at ≥15 years of follow-up (HR, 1.20; 95% CI, 1.02–1.42). Conclusions: In a study of persons with a diagnosis of obesity listed in nationwide registries of Nordic countries, we found that obese patients who have bariatric surgery have longer survival times than obese individuals who did not have bariatric surgery, but their mortality is higher than that of the general population and increases with time. Obesity-related morbidities could account for these findings

Skeletal adverse events in childhood cancer survivors:an Adult Life after Childhood Cancer in Scandinavia cohort study

Abstract The dynamic growth of the skeleton during childhood and adolescence renders it vulnerable to adverse effects of cancer treatment. The lifetime risk and patterns of skeletal morbidity have not been described in a population-based cohort of childhood cancer survivors. A cohort of 26 334 1-year cancer survivors diagnosed before 20 years of age was identified from the national cancer registries of Denmark, Finland, Iceland and Sweden as well as a cohort of 127 531 age- and sex-matched comparison subjects randomly selected from the national population registries in each country. The two cohorts were linked with data from the national hospital registries and the observed numbers of first-time hospital admissions for adverse skeletal outcomes among childhood cancer survivors were compared to the expected numbers derived from the comparison cohort. In total, 1987 childhood cancer survivors had at least one hospital admission with a skeletal adverse event as discharge diagnosis, yielding a rate ratio (RR) of 1.35 (95% confidence interval, 1.29-1.42). Among the survivors, we observed an increased risk for osteonecrosis with a RR of 25.9 (15.0-44.5), osteoporosis, RR 4.53 (3.28-6.27), fractures, RR 1.27 (1.20-1.34), osteochondropathies, RR 1.57 (1.28-1.92) and osteoarthrosis, RR 1.48 (1.28-1.72). The hospitalization risk for any skeletal adverse event was higher among survivors up to the age of 60 years, but the lifetime pattern was different for each type of skeletal adverse event. Understanding the different lifetime patterns and identification of high-risk groups is crucial for developing strategies to optimize skeletal health in childhood cancer survivors

Changing geographical patterns and trends in cancer incidence in children and adolescents in Europe, 1991–2010 (Automated Childhood Cancer Information System): a population-based study

Background: A deceleration in the increase in cancer incidence in children and adolescents has been reported in several national and regional studies in Europe. Based on a large database representing 1·3 billion person-years over the period 1991–2010, we provide a consolidated report on cancer incidence trends at ages 0–19 years. Methods: We invited all population-based cancer registries operating in European countries to participate in this population-based registry study. We requested a listing of individual records of cancer cases, including sex, age, date of birth, date of cancer diagnosis, tumour sequence number, primary site, morphology, behaviour, and the most valid basis of diagnosis. We also requested population counts in each calendar year by sex and age for the registration area, from official national sources, and specific information about the covered area and registration practices. An eligible registry could become a contributor if it provided quality data for all complete calendar years in the period 1991–2010. Incidence rates and the average annual percentage change with 95% CIs were reported for all cancers and major diagnostic groups, by region and overall, separately for children (age 0–14 years) and adolescents (age 15–19 years). We examined and quantified the stability of the trends with joinpoint analyses. Findings: For the years 1991–2010, 53 registries in 19 countries contributed a total of 180 335 unique cases. We excluded 15 162 (8·4%) of 180 335 cases due to differing practices of registration, and considered the quality indicators for the 165 173 cases included to be satisfactory. The average annual age-standardised incidence was 137·5 (95% CI 136·7–138·3) per million person-years and incidence increased significantly by 0·54% (0·44–0·65) per year in children (age 0–14 years) with no change in trend. In adolescents, the combined European incidence was 176·2 (174·4–178·0) per million person-years based on all 35 138 eligible cases and increased significantly by 0·96% (0·73–1·19) per year, although recent changes in rates among adolescents suggest a deceleration in this increasing trend. We observed temporal variations in trends by age group, geographical region, and diagnostic group. The combined age-standardised incidence of leukaemia based on 48 458 cases in children was 46·9 (46·5–47·3) per million person-years and increased significantly by 0·66% (0·48–0·84) per year. The average overall incidence of leukaemia in adolescents was 23·6 (22·9–24·3) per million person-years, based on 4702 cases, and the average annual change was 0·93% (0·49–1·37). We also observed increasing incidence of lymphoma in adolescents (average annual change 1·04% [0·65–1·44], malignant CNS tumours in children (average annual change 0·49% [0·20–0·77]), and other tumours in both children (average annual change 0·56 [0·40–0·72]) and adolescents (average annual change 1·17 [0·82–1·53]). Interpretation: Improvements in the diagnosis and registration of cancers over time could partly explain the observed increase in incidence, although some changes in underlying putative risk factors cannot be excluded. Cancer incidence trends in this young population require continued monitoring at an international level. Funding: Federal Ministry of Health of the Federal German Government, the European Union's Seventh Framework Programme, and International Agency for Research on Cancer