Joint cancer studies with APRU

Two studies on primary brain cancer and mesothelioma led by CU Medicine and APRU are published in top tier journals.

CU Medicine has conducted two studies with the Association of Pacific Rim Universities (APRU) to investigate the global distribution, risk factors and epidemiological trends in primary brain cancer and mesothelioma, which were published recently in the international medical journals Neuro-Oncology and Journal of Thoracic Oncology, respectively.

The research team found that the incidence of primary brain cancer was higher in high-income jurisdictions. Although global incidences of primary brain cancer have been relatively stable over the past decade, an increase was observed in younger males in developed economies. In addition, the trend in mortality from primary brain cancer has been stable rather than showing an obvious decreasing trend. It is recommended that risk factor control and early cancer detection should be implemented among the high-risk populations.

In another study, the team found that the global incidence of mesothelioma has shown an overall declining trend in recent years due to restrictions on asbestos use. However, an increasing trend was observed in females in some countries. Policymakers are urged to implement evidence-based, targeted prevention strategies to control the relevant risk factors, especially exposure to asbestos.

The two studies are collaboration between Prof. Martin Wong and Prof. Jason Huang from The Jockey Club School of Public Health and Primary Care at CU Medicine, and Prof. Mellissa Withers from the Keck School of Medicine at the University of Southern California. Prof. Wong and Prof. Huang are co-chairing the Non-Communicable Diseases Working Group of the APRU Global Health Programme to which Prof. Withers is the Programme Director.