Childhood Bone Cancer Incidence and Survival in Northern England
Author Information
Author(s): Eyre R, Feltbower R G, Mubwandarikwa E, Jenkinson H C, Parkes S, Birch J M, Eden T O B, James P W, McKinney P A, Pearce M S, McNally R J Q
Primary Institution: Institute of Health and Society, Newcastle University
Hypothesis
What are the incidence and survival trends of childhood bone cancer in northern England and the West Midlands from 1981 to 2002?
Conclusion
The study found an improvement in survival for Ewing sarcoma, but not for osteosarcoma, over the 20-year period.
Supporting Evidence
- Overall incidence rates for osteosarcoma were 2.63 per million person years.
- Ewing sarcoma incidence declined at an average rate of 3.1% per annum.
- Five-year survival rates improved for Ewing sarcoma from 37.5% in 1981-1987 to 70% in 1995-2000.
Takeaway
This study looked at kids with bone cancer in northern England and found that while more kids with Ewing sarcoma are surviving, those with osteosarcoma are not seeing the same improvements.
Methodology
The study used data from four population-based cancer registries and analyzed incidence and survival trends using Poisson and Cox regression models.
Potential Biases
There may be biases related to the completeness of data from the registries and potential misclassification of tumor types.
Limitations
The study may not fully represent all cases due to potential delays in diagnosis and variations in treatment strategies.
Participant Demographics
Children aged 0–14 years diagnosed with malignant bone tumors.
Statistical Information
P-Value
0.04
Confidence Interval
95% CI 0.6–5.6
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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