Incidence of all cancers, particularly breast and colorectal cancer, was higher among Israeli Jews who were potentially exposed to the Holocaust than among those who were not.

Recent studies of shift-working women have reported that excessive exposure to light at night (LAN) may be a risk factor for breast cancer. However, no studies have yet attempted to examine the co-distribution of LAN and breast cancer incidence on a population level with the goal to assess the coherence of these earlier findings with population trends. Coherence is one of Hill's "criteria" (actually, viewpoints) for an inference of causality. Nighttime satellite images were used to estimate LAN levels in 147 communities in Israel. Multiple regression analysis was performed to investigate the association between LAN and breast cancer incidence rates and, as a test of the specificity of our method, lung cancer incidence rates in women across localities under the prediction of a link with breast cancer but not lung cancer. After adjusting for several variables available on a population level, such as ethnic makeup, birth rate, population density, and local income level, a strong positive association between LAN intensity and breast cancer rate was revealed (p<0.05), and this association strengthened (p<0.01) when only statistically significant factors were filtered out by stepwise regression analysis. Concurrently, no association was found between LAN intensity and lung cancer rate. These results provide coherence of the previously reported case-control and cohort studies with the co-distribution of LAN and breast cancer on a population basis. The analysis yielded an estimated 73% higher breast cancer incidence in the highest LAN exposed communities compared to the lowest LAN exposed communities.

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Immunochemical fecal occult blood test (FIT) is a new colorectal cancer (CRC) screening method already recommended by the American screening guidelines. We aimed to test the feasibility of FIT as compared to guaiac fecal occult blood test (G-FOBT) in a large urban population of Tel Aviv. Average-risk persons, aged 50-75 years, were offered FIT or G-FOBT after randomization according to the socioeconomic status of their clinics. Participants with positive tests underwent colonoscopy. Participants were followed through the Cancer Registry 2 years after the study. Hemoccult SENSA TM and OC-MICRO TM (three samples, 70 ng/ml threshold) were used. FIT was offered to 4,657 persons (Group A) and G-FOBT to 7,880 persons (Group B). Participation rate was 25.9% and 28.8% in Group A and B, respectively (p < 0.001). Positivity rate in Group A and B was 12.7% and 3.9%, respectively (p < 0.001). Cancer found in six (0.49%) and eight (0.35%) patients of Group A and B, respectively (NS). Cancer registry follow-up found missed cancer in five (0.22%) cases of Group B and none in Group A (NS). The sensitivity, specificity, negative and positive predictive value for cancer in Group A and B were 100%, 85.9%, 100%, 3.9% and 61.5%, 96.4%, 99.8%, 9.1%, respectively. There was increased detection of advanced adenomatous polyp (AAP) by FIT, irrespective of age, gender, and socioeconomic status (Per Protocol: odds ratio 2.69, 95% confidence interval 1.6-4.5; Intention to Screen: odds ratio 3.16, 95% confidence interval 1.8-5.4). FIT is feasible in urban, average-risk population, which significantly improved performance for detection of AAP and CRC, despite reduced participation.

Objective There are limited data on long-term comorbidities and mortality among patients with familial Mediterranean fever (FMF). Our objective was to evaluate comorbidities and death rates among individuals with FMF. Methods We studied a nationwide, population-based, retrospective cohort of 1225 individuals with FMF (59% men) in a database of 1 244 350 adolescents (16–20 years of age) medically evaluated for military service between 1973 and 1997. This cohort was linked with the national mortality, cancer and end-stage renal disease (ESRD) registries in Israel. Study outcomes were all-cause mortality, occurrence of ESRD and malignancy by the age of 50 years. Results During 30 years of follow-up, death rates were 8.73/104 versus 4.32/104 person-years in the FMF and control groups, respectively (p=0.002). In a multivariable analysis adjusted for age, birth year, socio-economic status, education, ethnicity and body mass index, FMF was associated with increased mortality in men (HR=1.705 (95% CI 1.059 to 2.745), p=0.028) and women (HR=2.48 (1.032 to 5.992), p=0.042). Renal amyloidosis accounted for 35% and 60% of deaths in men and women, respectively. FMF was not associated with an increased incidence of cancer. Conclusions FMF is associated with increased all-cause mortality that is likely attributed to reduced colchicine compliance or responsiveness. Individuals with FMF do not have an increased incidence of cancer. These results support the awareness among medical community to decrease the higher than average mortality rate among participants with FMF.

Ki67 and PCNA immunostaining in paraffin sections may be useful for the prediction of survival in patients with anorectal malignant melanoma. Larger studies are needed to confirm our results.

Background and Aims: The increasing prevalence of adolescent obesity affects adult health. We investigated the association of adolescent overweight with colorectal cancer incidence in a large cohort of males.Methods: Body mass index (BMI) was measured in 1.1 million Jewish Israeli males who underwent a general health examination at ages 16 to 19 between 1967 and 2005. Overweight was defined as BMI ! 85th percentile of the standard U.S. distribution in adolescence. Colorectal cancer was identified by linkage with the Israel National Cancer Registry up to 2006. The mean follow-up period was 17.6 AE 10.9 years, reflecting 19.5 million person-years. Cox proportional hazards modeling was used.Results: The prevalence of adolescent overweight increased from 9.9% to 16.8% in the first 10 and last 10 annual examination cohorts. Colon (n ¼ 445) and rectal cancer (n ¼ 193) cases were detected. Overweight predicted an increased risk of colon cancer [HR ¼ 1.53; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.17-2.02, P ¼ 0.002] but not of rectal cancer (HR ¼ 1.09; 95% CI, 0.38-1.73, P ¼ 0.72). The risk was greatest for nonmucinous adenocarcinoma of the colon (HR ¼ 1.68, 95% CI, 1.26-2.23, P ¼ 0.001). The association of BMI ! 85th percentile with colon cancer was even more pronounced in analyses that were restricted to men followed until at least 40 years of age [N ¼ 367,478; HR ¼ 1.75 (95% CI, 1.33-2.3, P < 0.001)].Conclusions: Adolescent overweight is substantially associated with colon cancer incidence in young to middle-aged adults.Impact: These long-term sequelae add to the urgency to seriously address increasing childhood and adolescent obesity with its attendant increasing population impact. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev; 20(12); 2524-31. Ó2011 AACR.