Katja Fall

TMPRSS2:ERG gene fusion associated with lethal prostate cancer in a watchful waiting cohort.

The identification of the TMPRSS2:ERG fusion in prostate cancer suggests that distinct molecular subtypes may define risk for disease progression. In surgical series, TMPRSS2:ERG fusion was identified in 50% of the tumors. Here, we report on a population-based cohort of men with localized prostate cancers followed by expectant (watchful waiting) therapy with 15% (17/111) TMPRSS2:ERG fusion. We identified a statistically significant association between TMPRSS2:ERG fusion and prostate cancer specific death (cumulative incidence ratio=2.7, P<0.01, 95% confidence interval=1.3–5.8). Quantitative reverse-transcription–polymerase chain reaction demonstrated high estrogen-regulated gene (ERG) expression to be associated with TMPRSS2:ERG fusion (P<0.005). These data suggest that TMPRSS2:ERG fusion prostate cancers may have a more aggressive phenotype, possibly mediated through increased ERG expression.

The role of SPINK1 in ETS rearrangement-negative prostate cancers

ETS gene fusions have been characterized in a majority of prostate cancers; however, the key molecular alterations in ETS-negative cancers are unclear. Here we used an outlier meta-analysis (meta-COPA) to identify SPINK1 outlier expression exclusively in a subset of ETS rearrangement-negative cancers ( approximately 10% of total cases). We validated the mutual exclusivity of SPINK1 expression and ETS fusion status, demonstrated that SPINK1 outlier expression can be detected noninvasively in urine, and observed that SPINK1 outlier expression is an independent predictor of biochemical recurrence after resection. We identified the aggressive 22RV1 cell line as a SPINK1 outlier expression model and demonstrate that SPINK1 knockdown in 22RV1 attenuates invasion, suggesting a functional role in ETS rearrangement-negative prostate cancers.

Suicide and cardiovascular death after a cancer diagnosis.

BACKGROUND Receiving a diagnosis of cancer is a traumatic experience that may trigger immediate adverse health consequences beyond the effects of the disease or treatment. METHODS Using Poisson and negative binomial regression models, we conducted a historical cohort study involving 6,073,240 Swedes to examine the associations between a cancer diagnosis and the immediate risk of suicide or death from cardiovascular causes from 1991 through 2006. To adjust for unmeasured confounders, we also performed a nested, self-matched case-crossover analysis among all patients with cancer who died from suicide or cardiovascular diseases in the cohort. RESULTS As compared with cancer-free persons, the relative risk of suicide among patients receiving a cancer diagnosis was 12.6 (95% confidence interval [CI], 8.6 to 17.8) during the first week (29 patients; incidence rate, 2.50 per 1000 person-years) and 3.1 (95% CI, 2.7 to 3.5) during the first year (260 patients; incidence rate, 0.60 per 1000 person-years). The relative risk of cardiovascular death after diagnosis was 5.6 (95% CI, 5.2 to 5.9) during the first week (1318 patients; incidence rate, 116.80 per 1000 person-years) and 3.3 (95% CI, 3.1 to 3.4) during the first 4 weeks (2641 patients; incidence rate, 65.81 per 1000 person-years). The risk elevations decreased rapidly during the first year after diagnosis. Increased risk was particularly prominent for cancers with a poor prognosis. The case-crossover analysis largely confirmed results from the main analysis. CONCLUSIONS In this large cohort study, patients who had recently received a cancer diagnosis had increased risks of both suicide and death from cardiovascular causes, as compared with cancer-free persons. (Funded by the Swedish Council for Working Life and Social Research and others.).

Immediate Risk of Suicide and Cardiovascular Death After a Prostate Cancer Diagnosis: Cohort Study in the United States

BACKGROUND Receiving a cancer diagnosis is a stressful event that may increase risks of suicide and cardiovascular death, especially soon after diagnosis. METHODS We conducted a cohort study of 342,497 patients diagnosed with prostate cancer from January 1, 1979, through December 31, 2004, in the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program. Follow-up started from the date of prostate cancer diagnosis to the end of first 12 calendar months after diagnosis. The relative risks of suicide and cardiovascular death were calculated as standardized mortality ratios (SMRs) comparing corresponding incidences among prostate cancer patients with those of the general US male population, with adjustment for age, calendar period, and state of residence. We compared risks in the first year and months after a prostate cancer diagnosis. The analyses were further stratified by calendar period at diagnosis, tumor characteristics, and other variables. RESULTS During follow-up, 148 men died of suicide (mortality rate = 0.5 per 1000 person-years) and 6845 died of cardiovascular diseases (mortality rate = 21.8 per 1000 person-years). Patients with prostate cancer were at increased risk of suicide during the first year (SMR = 1.4, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.2 to 1.6), especially during the first 3 months (SMR = 1.9, 95% CI = 1.4 to 2.6), after diagnosis. The elevated risk was apparent in pre-prostate-specific antigen (PSA) (1979-1986) and peri-PSA (1987-1992) eras but not since PSA testing has been widespread (1993-2004). The risk of cardiovascular death was slightly elevated during the first year (SMR = 1.09, 95% CI = 1.06 to 1.12), with the highest risk in the first month (SMR = 2.05, 95% CI = 1.89 to 2.22), after diagnosis. The first-month risk was statistically significantly elevated during the entire study period, and the risk was higher for patients with metastatic tumors (SMR = 3.22, 95% CI = 2.68 to 3.84) than for those with local or regional tumors (SMR = 1.57, 95% CI = 1.42 to 1.74). CONCLUSION A diagnosis of prostate cancer may increase the immediate risks of suicide and cardiovascular death.

How Well Does the Gleason Score Predict Prostate Cancer Death? A 20-Year Followup of a Population Based Cohort in Sweden

PURPOSE Adenocarcinoma of the prostate is the most common cancer among men in Western countries. Although the prognostic heterogeneity of prostate cancer is enormous, clinically insignificant aggressive prostate cancers cannot be reliably distinguished. Therefore, identifying prognostic factors is increasingly important, notably among men diagnosed with localized prostate cancer, because many of them may not require aggressive treatment. MATERIALS AND METHODS We analyzed a population based cohort of 253 men with early stage (T1a-b, Nx, M0) initially untreated prostate cancer diagnosed between 1977 and 1991, before PSA screening was available. Tissue samples were available for 240 patients diagnosed with transurethral resection. During complete followup through September 2003, standardized criteria were used to classify histopathological characteristics, progression and causes of death. RESULTS Higher Gleason grade, higher nuclear grade and larger tumor volume were independent predictors of death in prostate cancer with monotonous and statistically significant trends (p <0.05). In contrast, the level of Ki-67 - strongly correlated to Gleason score - was not an independent predictor of prostate cancer death. Given a Gleason score of 7 or greater, the probability of dying of prostate cancer was 29%. The corresponding predictive value for Gleason score 8 or greater was 48%. CONCLUSIONS Although a high Gleason score is a determinant of prostate cancer death, its PPV is relatively low. Thus, further efforts in finding other or complementary indicators of prostate cancer outcome are needed.

Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis in Sweden, 1991-2005

OBJECTIVES To investigate the temporal trend of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) incidence in Sweden between January 1, 1991, and December 31, 2005, and to explore incidence variations according to major demographic factors. DESIGN Population-based study. SETTING Academic research. PARTICIPANTS All incident cases of ALS identified through the Swedish Inpatient Register between January 1, 1991, and December 31, 2005. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE Age-standardized incidence rates were calculated by applying the observed age-specific incidence rates to the age distribution of the Swedish population in 1991. A linear regression model was used to assess the potential trend of the incidence during calendar years. We also followed up the entire population registered in the 1990 Population and Housing Census for incidence of ALS. Relative risk and 95% confidence interval of ALS associated with demographic variables were estimated using Poisson regression models. RESULTS The age-standardized incidence rates increased from 2.32 per 100,000 person-years in 1991-1993 to 2.98 per 100,000 person-years in 2003-2005, representing an annual increase of approximately 2% during the 15 years (P value for trend, .002). The age-specific incidence rates increased in all age groups except those younger than 50 years. The observed increase remained significant when restricting the analysis to individuals born in Sweden (P value for trend, <.001). Compared with individuals born from April through June, those born from October through December were at 11% increased risk of ALS (95% confidence interval, 1.01-1.23). CONCLUSIONS The incidence of ALS has been increasing during the last 15 years in Sweden. Further studies are warranted to explore the underlying reasons for this observed trend.

Circadian Disruption, Sleep Loss, and Prostate Cancer Risk: A Systematic Review of Epidemiologic Studies

Disruption of the circadian system has been hypothesized to increase cancer risk, either because of direct disruption of the molecular machinery generating circadian rhythms or because of disruption of parameters controlled by the clock such as melatonin levels or sleep duration. This hypothesis has been studied in hormone-dependent cancers among women, but data are sparse about potential effects of circadian disruption on the risk of prostate cancer. This review systematically examines available data evaluating the effects of light at night, sleep patterns, and night shift work on prostate cancer risk. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev; 21(7); 1002–11. ©2012 AACR.

Immediate Risk for Cardiovascular Events and Suicide Following a Prostate Cancer Diagnosis: Prospective Cohort Study

Katja Fall and Fang Fang and colleagues find that men newly diagnosed with prostate cancer are at increased risk of cardiovascular events and suicide.

Reliability of death certificates in prostate cancer patients

Objective. To evaluate the reliability of cause-of-death diagnoses among prostate cancer patients. Material and methods. Information from death certificates obtained from the Swedish Death Register was compared with systematically reviewed medical records from the population-based Swedish Regional Prostate Cancer Register, South-East Region. In total, 5675 patients were included who had been diagnosed with prostate cancer between 1987 and 1999 and who had died before 1 January 2003. Results. The proportion of prostate cancer cases classified as having died from prostate cancer was 3% higher in the official death certificates than in the reviewed records [0.03, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.02 to 0.04]. Overall agreement between the official cause of death and the reviewed data was 86% (95% CI 85 to 87%). A higher accuracy was observed among men with localized disease (88%, 95% CI 87 to 89%), aged 60 years or younger at death (96%, 95% CI 93 to 100%), or who had undergone curative treatment (91%, 95% CI 88 to 95%). This study indicates a relatively high reliability of official cause-of-death statistics of prostate cancer patients in Sweden. Conclusion. Mortality data obtained from death certificates may be useful in the evaluation of large-scale prostate cancer intervention programmes, especially among younger patients with localized disease.

Inflammation, Focal Atrophic Lesions, and Prostatic Intraepithelial Neoplasia with Respect to Risk of Lethal Prostate Cancer

Background: A challenge in prostate cancer (PCa) management is identifying potentially lethal disease at diagnosis. Inflammation, focal prostatic atrophy, and prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia (PIN) are common in prostate tumor specimens, but it is not clear whether these lesions have prognostic significance. Methods: We conducted a case–control study nested in a cohort of men diagnosed with stage T1a-b PCa through transurethral resection of the prostate in Sweden. Cases are men who died of PCa (n = 228). Controls are men who survived more than 10 years after PCa diagnosis without metastases (n = 387). Slides were assessed for Gleason grade, inflammation, PIN, and four subtypes of focal prostatic atrophy: simple atrophy (SA), postatrophic hyperplasia (PAH), simple atrophy with cyst formation, and partial atrophy. We estimated OR and 95% CI for odds of lethal PCa with multivariable logistic regression. Results: Chronic inflammation and PIN were more frequently observed in tumors with PAH, but not SA. No specific type of atrophy or inflammation was significantly associated with lethal PCa overall, but there was a suggestion of a positive association for chronic inflammation. Independent of age, Gleason score, year of diagnosis, inflammation, and atrophy type, men with PIN were 89% more likely to die of PCa (95% CI: 1.04–3.42). Conclusion: Our data show that PIN, and perhaps presence of moderate or severe chronic inflammation, may have prognostic significance for PCa. Impact: Lesions in tumor adjacent tissue, and not just the tumor itself, may aid in identification of clinically relevant disease. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev; 20(10); 2280–7. ©2011 AACR.