Cancer Epidemiology

Question 1

What is the highest global cause of death?

Answer 1

Ischaemic heart disease and stroke

Question 2

How have death rates from CVS changed over the years?

Answer 2

Decreased

Question 3

How have death rates from Cancer changed over the years?

Answer 3

Remained stable, increased slightly

Question 4

Compare the incidence of cancer in developed and undeveloped countries

Answer 4

Developed countries have a greater incidence of cancer

Question 5

What are the most common cancers in males?

Answer 5

Prostate and lung cancers

Question 6

What are the most common cancers in females?

Answer 6

Breast and cervix uteri cancers

Question 7

Describe an example of geographical variation in cancer incidence

Answer 7

Melanoma most common in AUS/NZ and Colorectal most common in Japan

Question 8

Give a possible reason for the increase incidence in common cancers?

Answer 8

Rapid increase in incidence followed by plateau in high income countries due to introduction of screening procedures

Question 9

Compare the rates of mortality in high income vs low income countries

Answer 9

Mortality decreasing in high income countries but NOT low income

Question 10

Is the total burden of cancer increasing or decreasing?

Answer 10

Increasing

Question 11

What do very rapid changes in cancer incidence imply?

Answer 11

Cannot have been genetic changes

Question 12

What percentage of cancer have a hereditary inclination

Answer 12

5-10%

Question 13

Describe the effect of smoking on cancer death and risks

Answer 13

30% of call cancer deaths
Increases risk of more than 15 cancers
90% of men and 80% of lung cancer deaths

Question 14

Give some examples of hereditary cancers

Answer 14

Hereditary retinoblastoma- Retinoblastoma
Xeroderma pigmentosum- Skin cancer
Wilms tumour- Kidney cancer
Li-Fraumeni syndrome- Sarcomas, brain, breast, leukaemia
Familial adenomatous polyposis- Colon, rectum cancers
Pagets disease- Bone cancer
Franconis’s aplastic anaemia- Leukaemia, liver, skin

Question 15

Give an example of how diet is linked to cancer

Answer 15

Colorectal cancer increased with low fibrous diet

Question 16

How is alcohol linked to cancer?

Answer 16

Synergistic with tobacco
Associated with liver, oral cavity, pharynx, larynx and oesophageal cancer
Has a PREVENTATIVE effect for CHD in moderation

Question 17

What is anthropometry?

Answer 17

Study of measurements and proportions of the human body

Question 18

What are the World Cancer Research fund guidelines for dietary prevention?

Answer 18

1. Be lean without being overweight
2. Physically active for at least 30 mins a day
3. Avoid sugary drinks
4. Eat a variety of fruit and veg
5. Limit consumption of red meat max 500g a week
6. Limit alcoholic drinks
7. Limit consumption of salty foods

Question 19

What effect do sex steroids have in cancer?

Answer 19

Increase breast cancer risk

Question 20

What percentage of cancer is from an infectious cause?

Answer 20

16%

25% in Africa, <10% in Eu, 1 in 33 in UK

Question 21

Give examples of cancers linked to infections

Answer 21

1. HPV- cervix cancer
2. EBV- hodgkin/burkitt’s lymphoma
3. HCV/HBV liver cancer
4. H.pylori- stomach cancer

Question 22

Approximately how many new cases of cancer are there yearly?

Answer 22

14 million

Question 23

Approximately how many people will cancer kill yearly?

Answer 23

8 million

Question 24

Approximately how many people are living with cancer worldwide?

Answer 24

33 million

Question 25

What are the five major forms of cancer contributing to worldwide mortality?

Answer 25

1. Lung
2. Stomach
3. Liver
4. Colorectal
5. Breast