Atrophic changes in early Alzheimer's disease (AD) and amnestic mild cognitive impairment (MCI) have been proposed as biomarkers for detection and monitoring. We analyzed magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) atrophy rate from baseline to 1 year in 4 groups of participants from the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI): AD (n = 152), converters from MCI to probable AD (MCI-C, n = 60), s...

OBJECTIVE The analysis of scientific production in Puerto Rico is largely unexplored. The main aim of this study is to present the characteristics and trends of cancer publications in Puerto Rico's biomedical journals and their relationship with the island's cancer mortality. METHODS A PubMed and a hard-copy search were performed to retrieve cancer-related articles published in the Puerto Ric...

BACKGROUND Leprosy is a public health problem and a neglected condition of morbidity and mortality in several countries of the world. We analysed time trends and spatiotemporal patterns of leprosy-related mortality in Brazil. METHODS We performed a nationwide population-based study using secondary mortality data. We included all deaths that occurred in Brazil between 2000 and 2011, in which l...

In Thailand, five cancer types-breast, cervical, colorectal, liver and lung cancer-contribute to over half of the cancer burden. The magnitude of these cancers must be quantified over time to assess previous health policies and highlight future trajectories for targeted prevention efforts. We provide a comprehensive assessment of these five cancers nationally and subnationally, with trend analy...

OBJECTIVE The analysis of cancer trends in Japan has only been sporadically reported. We present a comprehensive report on the trends in cancer incidence and mortality in Japan using the most recent population-based data. METHODS National cancer mortality data between 1958 and 2011 were obtained from published vital statistics. Cancer incidence data between 1985 and 2007 were obtained from hi...

OBJECTIVE To assess the incidence, mortality and survival status of female breast cancer in Jiangsu province of China. METHODS Population-based cancer registry data in Jiangsu province were collected during 2003-2011. Crude rates, age-specific rates, age-standardized rates and annual percent changes of incidence and mortality were calculated to describe the epidemiologic characteristics and t...

BACKGROUND Skin cancer is believed to impose a heavy burden on healthcare services, but the burden of skin lesions suspected of malignancy on primary healthcare has never been evaluated. Therefore the aim of this study was to determine the demand for care in general practice due to these suspected skin lesions (i.e. lesions that are suspected of malignancy by either the patient or the GP). ME...

BACKGROUND Head and neck cancer (HNC) incidence, mortality and survival rates vary by sex and race, with men and African Americans disproportionately affected. Risk factors for HNC include tobacco and alcohol exposure, with a recent implication of human papillomavirus (HPV) in the pathogenesis of HNC. This study describes the epidemiology of HNC in the United States, examining variation of rate...

BACKGROUND Cancers of gastric and esophagus are the most frequent gastrointestinal (GI) tract cancers in Iran. This study aimed to analyze time trends of GI tract cancers in Guilan province by gender and age to provide solid scientific evidence for cancer prevention and control. MATERIALS AND METHODS The data were obtained from the Guilan Cancer Registry System and Guilan Provincial Health Ce...

BACKGROUND The incidence of acute otitis media (AOM) vary from country to country. Geographical variations together with differences in study designs, reporting and settings play a role. We assessed the incidence of AOM in Italian children seen by primary care paediatricians (PCPs), and described the methods used to diagnose the disease. METHODS This secondary data analysis from the Pedianet ...