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Familial risks of breast and prostate cancers: Does the definition of the at risk period matter?

Brandt, Andreas ; Bermejo, Justo Lorenzo ; Sundquist, Jan LU and Hemminki, Kari LU (2010) In European Journal of Cancer 46(4). p.752-757
Abstract
Aim: 'Being at familial risk' may have different connotations in studies on familial risk of cancer. The register-based definition of a family history considers individuals with an affected relative at familial risk independently of the family member's diagnostic time. Alternatively, the individuals are classified to be at familial risk only after the diagnosis date of their relative, relevant to clinical counselling and screening situations. The aim of this study was to compare familial breast and prostate cancer risks according to the two definitions. Patients and methods: The nationwide Swedish Family-Cancer Database with information on cancers from 1958 to 2006 was used to calculate the hazard ratio of breast and prostate cancers... (More)
Aim: 'Being at familial risk' may have different connotations in studies on familial risk of cancer. The register-based definition of a family history considers individuals with an affected relative at familial risk independently of the family member's diagnostic time. Alternatively, the individuals are classified to be at familial risk only after the diagnosis date of their relative, relevant to clinical counselling and screening situations. The aim of this study was to compare familial breast and prostate cancer risks according to the two definitions. Patients and methods: The nationwide Swedish Family-Cancer Database with information on cancers from 1958 to 2006 was used to calculate the hazard ratio of breast and prostate cancers according to family history using Cox regression. Family history was defined considering the number and type of affected relatives and the relative's diagnostic age, respectively. Individuals were considered at familial risk from their entry to the study or, alternatively, from the diagnostic time of the relative. Results: Hazard ratios were equal whether individuals were considered at risk independent of the relative's diagnostic date or only after the relative's diagnostic date. Conclusion: These results indicate that studies on familial breast or prostate cancer risk which do not take the relative's diagnosis date into account are applicable to screening and clinical counselling situations. The estimates according to the register-based definition are based on larger numbers of patients, which may be crucial for analysis of small groups such as families of multiple cases. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. (Less)
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author
; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Clinical counselling, period, Familial risk, Breast neoplasms, Prostate neoplasms
in
European Journal of Cancer
volume
46
issue
4
pages
752 - 757
publisher
Elsevier
external identifiers
  • wos:000275594500020
  • scopus:76049103104
  • pmid:20022238
ISSN
1879-0852
DOI
10.1016/j.ejca.2009.11.016
language
English
LU publication?
yes
additional info
The information about affiliations in this record was updated in December 2015. The record was previously connected to the following departments: Psychiatry/Primary Care/Public Health (013240500), Family Medicine (013241010), Family medicine, psychiatric epidemiology and migration (013240037)
id
e9056180-9f97-452c-b412-857bf21d36f3 (old id 1589033)
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 10:57:59
date last changed
2022-01-26 04:14:38
@article{e9056180-9f97-452c-b412-857bf21d36f3,
  abstract     = {{Aim: 'Being at familial risk' may have different connotations in studies on familial risk of cancer. The register-based definition of a family history considers individuals with an affected relative at familial risk independently of the family member's diagnostic time. Alternatively, the individuals are classified to be at familial risk only after the diagnosis date of their relative, relevant to clinical counselling and screening situations. The aim of this study was to compare familial breast and prostate cancer risks according to the two definitions. Patients and methods: The nationwide Swedish Family-Cancer Database with information on cancers from 1958 to 2006 was used to calculate the hazard ratio of breast and prostate cancers according to family history using Cox regression. Family history was defined considering the number and type of affected relatives and the relative's diagnostic age, respectively. Individuals were considered at familial risk from their entry to the study or, alternatively, from the diagnostic time of the relative. Results: Hazard ratios were equal whether individuals were considered at risk independent of the relative's diagnostic date or only after the relative's diagnostic date. Conclusion: These results indicate that studies on familial breast or prostate cancer risk which do not take the relative's diagnosis date into account are applicable to screening and clinical counselling situations. The estimates according to the register-based definition are based on larger numbers of patients, which may be crucial for analysis of small groups such as families of multiple cases. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.}},
  author       = {{Brandt, Andreas and Bermejo, Justo Lorenzo and Sundquist, Jan and Hemminki, Kari}},
  issn         = {{1879-0852}},
  keywords     = {{Clinical counselling; period; Familial risk; Breast neoplasms; Prostate neoplasms}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{4}},
  pages        = {{752--757}},
  publisher    = {{Elsevier}},
  series       = {{European Journal of Cancer}},
  title        = {{Familial risks of breast and prostate cancers: Does the definition of the at risk period matter?}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ejca.2009.11.016}},
  doi          = {{10.1016/j.ejca.2009.11.016}},
  volume       = {{46}},
  year         = {{2010}},
}