Geospatial patterns by cancer stage across Australia for three common cancers.

Background: Monitoring cancer stage is vital to interpret cancer incidence and survival patterns, yet there are currently no cancer stage estimates by small areas across Australia, despite demonstrated large disparities in cancer incidence and survival. While cancer stage data is not routinely collected in Australia, a pilot project collected stage information nationwide in 2011.

Methods: Data on all primary invasive melanoma, female breast and prostate cancers (stages 1-4) diagnosed during 2011 in Australia were categorised into early and intermediate/advanced stage at diagnosis.

Geospatial analyses demonstrate variation of cutaneous T-cell lymphomas across Australia, providing insights into possible causes.

Background: Cutaneous T-cell lymphomas (CTCLs) are rare with distinct diagnostic challenges. Equitable access to cancer care is a recognized priority, internationally. To date, the geospatial distribution of CTCL has not been definitively studied.

Disease mapping: Geographic differences in population rates of interventional treatment for prostate cancer in Australia.

Background: Treatment decisions for men diagnosed with prostate cancer depend on a range of clinical and patient characteristics such as disease stage, age, general health, risk of side effects and access. Associations between treatment patterns and area-level factors such as remoteness and socioeconomic disadvantage have been observed in many countries.

Objective: To model spatial differences in interventional treatment rates for prostate cancer at high spatial resolution to inform policy and decision-making.

Individual and area level factors associated with the breast cancer diagnostic-treatment interval in Queensland, Australia.

Background: Delays to breast cancer treatment can lead to more aggressive and extensive treatments, increased expenses, increased psychological distress, and poorer survival. We explored the individual and area level factors associated with the interval between diagnosis and first treatment in a population-based cohort in Queensland, Australia.

Methods: Data from 3216 Queensland women aged 20 to 79, diagnosed with invasive breast cancer (ICD-O-3 C50) between March 2010 and June 2013 were analysed.

Treatment intervals and survival for women diagnosed with early breast cancer in Queensland: the Breast Cancer Outcomes Study, a population-based cohort study.

Objectives: To assess associations between breast cancer-specific survival and timeliness of treatment, based on 2020 Australian guidelines for the treatment of early breast cancer.

Design: Population-based cohort study; analysis of linked Queensland Cancer Register, patient medical record, and National Death Index data, supplemented by telephone interviews.

Setting, Participants: Women aged 20-79 years diagnosed with invasive breast cancer during 1 March 2010 - 30 June 2013, followed to 31 December 2020.

Temporal changes in childhood cancer incidence and survival by stage at diagnosis in Australia, 2000-2017.

Background: The Toronto Paediatric Cancer Stage Guidelines are a compendium of staging systems developed to facilitate collection of consistent and comparable data on stage at diagnosis for childhood cancers by cancer registries.

Material And Methods: This retrospective, observational cohort study investigated changes in stage-specific incidence and survival for children diagnosed between 2000-2008 compared to 2009-2017 using the population-based Australian Childhood Cancer Registry. Information on mortality for each patient was available to 31 December 2020.

A Review of the Application of Spatial Survival Methods in Cancer Research: Trends, Modeling, and Visualization Techniques.

Spatial modeling of cancer survival is an important tool for identifying geographic disparities and providing an evidence base for resource allocation. Many different approaches have attempted to understand how survival varies geographically. This is the first scoping review to describe different methods and visualization techniques and to assess temporal trends in publications.

Severity and risk factors of interval breast cancer in Queensland, Australia: a population-based study.

Background: Interval breast cancers (BC) are those diagnosed within 24 months of a negative mammogram. This study estimates the odds of being diagnosed with high-severity BC among screen-detected, interval, and other symptom-detected BC (no screening history within 2 years); and explores factors associated with being diagnosed with interval BC.

Methods: Telephone interviews and self-administered questionnaires were conducted among women (n = 3,326) diagnosed with BC in 2010-2013 in Queensland.

Geographical and spatial disparities in the incidence and survival of rare cancers in Australia.

Rare cancers collectively account for around a quarter of cancer diagnoses and deaths. However, epidemiological studies are sparse. We describe spatial and geographical patterns in incidence and survival of rare cancers across Australia using a population-based cancer registry cohort of rare cancer cases diagnosed among Australians aged at least 15 years, 2007 to 2016.

Long-term childhood cancer survival in Australia using period estimation.

Estimates of childhood cancer survival are usually reported at 5 years after diagnosis only. Using cases prevalent between 2014 and 2018 from the population-based Australian Childhood Cancer Registry, we used the period method to calculate relative survival up to 20 years post diagnosis by cancer type. Twenty-year relative survival for all childhood cancers combined (n = 14,353) was 83.

Factors associated with cancer survival disparities among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples compared with other Australians: A systematic review.

Background: While cancer survival among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples has improved over time, they continue to experience poorer cancer survival than other Australians. Key drivers of these disparities are not well understood. This systematic review aimed to summarise existing evidence on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cancer survival disparities and identify influential factors and potential solutions.

Quantifying the number of deaths among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cancer patients that could be avoided by removing survival inequalities, Australia 2005-2016.

Background: While Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples have poorer cancer survival than other Australians, absolute measures of survival disparities are lacking. This study quantified crude probabilities of deaths from cancer and other causes and estimated the number of avoidable deaths for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders if these survival disparities were removed.

Methods: Flexible parametric relative survival models were used to estimate reported measures for a population-based cohort of 709,239 Australians (12,830 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples), 2005-2016.

A prognostic survival model for women diagnosed with invasive breast cancer in Queensland, Australia.

Purpose: Prognostic models can help inform patients on the future course of their cancer and assist the decision making of clinicians and patients in respect to management and treatment of the cancer. In contrast to previous studies considering survival following treatment, this study aimed to develop a prognostic model to quantify breast cancer-specific survival at the time of diagnosis.

Methods: A large (n = 3323), population-based prospective cohort of women were diagnosed with invasive breast cancer in Queensland, Australia between 2010 and 2013, and followed up to December 2018.

Supportive care needs and psychosocial outcomes of rural versus urban women with breast cancer.

Objective: To identify whether supportive care needs vary according to remoteness and area-level socio-economic status and to identify the combinations of socio-demographic, area-level and health factors that are associated with poorer quality of life, psychological distress and severity of unmet supportive care needs.

Methods: Cross sectional data was collected from women with a breast cancer diagnosis (n = 2635) in Queensland, Australia, through a telephone survey including socio-demographic, health, psychosocial and supportive care needs measures. Hierarchical regression and cluster analyses were applied to assess the predictors of unmet need and psychosocial outcomes and to identify socio-demographic and health status profiles of women, comparing their level of unmet needs and psychosocial outcomes.

Childhood cancer survival and avoided deaths in Australia, 1983-2016.

Background: Large improvements in childhood cancer survival have been reported over recent decades. Data from cancer registries have the advantage of providing a 'whole of population' approach to gauge the success of cancer control efforts.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to investigate recent survival estimates for children diagnosed with cancer Australia and to examine the extent of changes in survival over the last 35 years.

Cancer Incidence in Migrants in Australia: Patterns of Three Infection-Related Cancers.

Background: Australia provides an ideal population-base for cancer migration studies because of its multicultural society and high-quality cancer registrations. Among migrant groups there is considerable variability in the incidence of infection-related cancers; thus, the patterns of three such cancers were examined among migrant groups relative to Australian-born residents.

Methods: Using national incidence data for cancers of the stomach, liver, and cervix diagnosed during 2005 to 2014, incidence rates were compared for selected migrant groups with the Australian-born population using incidence rate ratios (IRR), from a negative binomial regression model.

Quantifying Differences in Remaining Life Expectancy after Cancer Diagnosis, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders, and Other Australians, 2005-2016.

Background: This study quantified differences in remaining life expectancy (RLE) among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and other Australian patients with cancer. We assessed how much of this disparity was due to differences in cancer and noncancer mortality and calculated the population gain in life years for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders cancer diagnoses if the cancer survival disparities were removed.

Methods: Flexible parametric relative survival models were used to estimate RLE by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander status for a population-based cohort of 709,239 persons (12,830 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders), 2005 to 2016.

Risk of extracolonic second primary cancers following a primary colorectal cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Purpose: The purpose of the study is to assess the global risk of extracolonic secondary primary cancers (SPCs) in patients with colorectal cancer (CRC).

Methods: Studies of SPC in patients with CRC were included if they reported the standardised incidence ratio (SIR) for extracolonic SPCs in patients with CRC compared with the general population. Pooled summary estimates were calculated using a random-effects model.

Changes in cancer incidence and survival among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children in Australia, 1997-2016.

Background: This study reports cancer incidence and survival among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and other Australian children, and assesses changes over time.

Procedure: Data were from the population-based Australian Childhood Cancer Registry. The study comprised children aged under 15 diagnosed between 1997 and 2016 and with mortality follow-up until 31 December 2017.

Procedure-specific outcomes following gastrectomy for cancer compared by hospital volume and service capability.

Background: International literature recommends centralising gastric cancer surgery, however, with volumes that define 'high-volume resection' being higher than those in most major centres in Australia and New Zealand. These reports rarely focus on the difference between total (TG) and partial gastrectomy (PG). We assessed the impact of resection volume and service capability on operative mortality, morbidity and surgical quality in patients who had a PG and TG.