Abstract
Objective
To identify cancers which occur as second primaries following the diagnosis of cancers of other sites, as a basis for formulating causal hypotheses and planning medical surveillance.
Methods
Analyses of fifteen common cancer sites were undertaken to examine the occurrence of multiple primaries. These cancers were notified to the South Australian Cancer Registry during 1977–2001. Historic cohort models were used where standardised incidence ratios (95 confidence limits) were calculated to indicate the risk of second primary cancers.
Results
New associations detected included an increased risk of cancers of the bladder, colon, rectum, kidney and melanomas following a diagnosis of prostate cancer and an increased risk of leukaemia following both lung and rectal cancer. Many previously identified combinations of multiple primaries were confirmed.
Conclusions
From the wide range of associations identified, some such as leukaemias occurring as second primaries after the diagnosis of ovarian cancers and lymphomas may be a treatment effect. The diagnosis of multiple primary cancers in the same month (e.g. bladder–prostate cancers and ovarian–uterine cancers) may reflect patterns of medical testing and the long preclinical phases of some cancers.
Article PDF
Similar content being viewed by others
Avoid common mistakes on your manuscript.
References
InstitutionalAuthorNameInternational Association of Cancer Registries (2000) Multiple Primaries Internal Report No. 00/003 IARC Lyon
A Horri HJ Han M Shimada et al. (1994) ArticleTitleFrequent replication errors at microsatellite loci in tumors of patients with multiple primary cancers Cancer Res 54 3373–3375 Occurrence Handle8012952
InstitutionalAuthorNameNational Cancer Institute Epidemiology and Biostatistics Program (1985) ArticleTitleMultiple primary cancers in Connecticut and Denmark Natl Cancer Inst Monogr 68 1–437
E Crocetti E Buiatti P Falini (2001) ArticleTitleMultiple primary cancer incidence in Italy Eur J Cancer 37 2449–2456 Occurrence Handle10.1016/S0959-8049(01)00314-8 Occurrence Handle1:STN:280:DC%2BD3MnnsV2lsQ%3D%3D Occurrence Handle11720842
HS Evans H Moller D Robinson CM Lewis CMJ Bell SV Hodgson (2002) ArticleTitleThe risk of subsequent primary cancers after colorectal cancer in southeast England Gut 50 647–652 Occurrence Handle10.1136/gut.50.5.647 Occurrence Handle1:STN:280:DC%2BD383hsVegsw%3D%3D Occurrence Handle11950810
C Dong K Hemminki (2001) ArticleTitleSecond primary neoplasms among 53, 159 haematolymphoproliferative malignancy patients in Sweden, 1958–1996: a search for common mechanisms Br J Cancer 85 997–1005 Occurrence Handle10.1038/sj.bjc.6691998 Occurrence Handle1:STN:280:DC%2BD3Mrks1Smsg%3D%3D Occurrence Handle11592772
JH. Olson (1985) ArticleTitleSecond cancer following cancer of the respiratory system in Denmark, 1943–80 Natl Cancer Inst Monogr 68 309–324 Occurrence Handle4088305
OM Jensen JB Knudsen BL Sorensen (1985) ArticleTitleSecond cancer following cancer of the urinary system in Denmark, 1943–1980 Natl Cancer Inst Monogr 68 349–360 Occurrence Handle1:STN:280:BimC3Mfmtl0%3D Occurrence Handle4088309
HS Evans CM Lewis D Robinson CM Bell H Moller SV Hodgson (2001) ArticleTitleIncidence of multiple primary cancers in a cohort of women diagnosed with breast cancer in southeast England Br J Cancer 84 435–440 Occurrence Handle10.1054/bjoc.2000.1603 Occurrence Handle1:STN:280:DC%2BD3M7kt12hsg%3D%3D Occurrence Handle11161413
DB McKenna D Stockton DH Brewster VR Doherty (2003) ArticleTitleEvidence for an association between cutaneous malignant melanoma and lymphoid malignancy: a population-based retrospective cohort study in Scotland Br J Cancer 88 74–78 Occurrence Handle10.1038/sj.bjc.6600692 Occurrence Handle1:STN:280:DC%2BD3s%2Fks12qtA%3D%3D Occurrence Handle12556962
FE Van Leeuwen LB Travis (2001) Second cancers VT DeVita S Hellman SA Rosenberg (Eds) Cancer: Principles and Practice of Oncology. EditionNumber6 Lippincott, Williams & Wilkins Philadelphia 2939–2964
Schottenfeld D. Multiple primary cancers. In: Schottenfeld D, Fraumeni JF eds. Cancer Epidemiology and Prevention. 2nd edn. New York: Oxford University Press, pp. 1370–1387.
D Gertig D Hunter (2002) Ovarian cancer H-O Adami D Hunter D Trichopoulos (Eds) Textbook of Cancer Epidemiology. Oxford University Press Oxford 378–399
E Oksenhendler E Boulanger L Galicier et al. (2002) ArticleTitleHigh incidence of Kaposi sarcoma-associated herpesviris-related non-Hodgkin lymphoma in patients with HIV infection and multicentric Castleman disease Blood 99 2331–2336 Occurrence Handle10.1182/blood.V99.7.2331 Occurrence Handle1:CAS:528:DC%2BD38XisFGhsrk%3D Occurrence Handle11895764
HH Storm OM Jenson M Ewertz et al. (1985) ArticleTitleSummary: multiple primary cancers in Denmark, 1943–1980 Natl Cancer Inst Monogr 68 411–430 Occurrence Handle1:STN:280:BimC3MfmsVY%3D Occurrence Handle4088312
InstitutionalAuthorNameSouth Australian Cancer Registry (2000) Epidemiology of cancer in South Australia. Incidence, mortality and survival, 1977 to 1999. Incidence and mortality, 1999. Openbook Publishers Adelaide 19–270
InstitutionalAuthorNameWorld Health Organization (1977) International Classification of Diseases, 1975 Revision World Health Organization Geneva
InstitutionalAuthorNameSTATACORP (2003) STATA statistical software: Release 8.0 STATA Corporation College Station, Texas
P Armitage G Berry (1987) Statistical Methods in Medical Research Blackwell Scientific Publications Oxford 60–67
InstitutionalAuthorNameAnti Cancer Foundation of South Australia (2002) Sun-related Cancers of the Skin and Lip. Monograph No. 2 Anti Cancer Foundation Adelaide
F Levi C La Vecchia VC Te L Randimbison G Erler (1998) ArticleTitleIncidence of invasive cancers following basal cell skin cancer Am J Epidemiol 147 722–726 Occurrence Handle1:STN:280:DyaK1c3htlSktw%3D%3D Occurrence Handle9554413
C Wassberg M Thorn J Yuen U Ringborg T Hakulinen (1999) ArticleTitleSecond primary cancers in patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the skin: a population-based study in Sweden Int J Cancer 80 511–515 Occurrence Handle10.1002/(SICI)1097-0215(19990209)80:4<511::AID-IJC5>3.0.CO;2-P Occurrence Handle1:STN:280:DyaK1M7jtFynug%3D%3D Occurrence Handle9935149
InstitutionalAuthorNameAnti Cancer Foundation of South Australia (2001) Cancers of the Digestive System. Monograph No. 1 Anti Cancer Foundation Adelaide
HT Lynch SJ Lanspa BM Boman et al. (1988) ArticleTitleHereditary nonpolyposis colorectal cancer – Lynch syndromes I and II Gastroenterol Clin North Am 17 679–712 Occurrence Handle1:STN:280:BiaC2Mvms1Y%3D Occurrence Handle3068137
InstitutionalAuthorNameThe Cancer Council South Australia (2002) Cancers of the Female Breast and Gynaecological Organs. Monograph No .4 The Cancer Council South Australia Adelaide
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Additional information
*Address correspondence to: Adrian Heard, Senior Epidemiologist, Epidemiology Branch, Department of Human Services, PO Box 6, Rundle Mall, Adelaide, South Australia.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Heard, A., Roder, D. & Luke, C. Multiple primary cancers of separate organ sites: implications for research and cancer control (Australia). Cancer Causes Control 16, 475–481 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10552-004-8023-0
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10552-004-8023-0