This Article Full Text (PDF) Purchase Article View Shopping Cart Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a colleague Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Save to my personal folders Download to citation manager Rights & Permissions Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Vogelzang, N. J. Articles by Flores, E. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Vogelzang, N. J. Articles by Flores, E. Related Articles Related Articles Social Bookmarking                            What's this?

Cancer in Nevada’s Adolescent and Young Adult Population

Nevada Cancer Institute, Las Vegas, NV

To the Editor:

We read with interest the articles by Albritton et al¹ and Howell et al.² Because we are the cancer institute of Nevada,³ a neighboring state to Utah, but are demographically dissimilar (Hispanics comprise 25% of the Nevada population but only 8% of the Utah population), we decided to conduct an analysis on 5 years (1999 to 2003) of cancer data focusing on Nevada residents younger than 24 years. Such an analysis will potentially assist the Nevada Cancer Institute (NVCI) in developing research and programmatic strategies to address healthcare provider shortages. It will also aid in the development of treatment options in Nevada for cancers found in children, adolescents, and young adults, such as the Fallon leukemia cluster.⁴

Five years of population-based cancer registry data⁵ were reviewed for the population aged 0 to 24 years. In Nevada, 675 cases of cancer were diagnosed in residents younger than 24 years. Children aged 0 to 4 years comprised approximately 21% of the cancer cases, children aged 5 to 14 years comprised approximately 24%, and the adolescent and young adult (AYA) population (15 to 24 years) comprised approximately 55%. In the AYA population, 66% were white, 20% were hispanic, 5% were black, and 8% were others/unknowns.

Both referenced articles^1,2 focused on ages 15 to 19. In Nevada, there were 369 patients in this AYA subpopulation: thyroid (15%), Hodgkin’s lymphoma (10%), skin (9.8%), brain/CNS (7%), leukemia (7%), and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (6.7%). The majority of the cases (66%) were residents of Clark County (Las Vegas area) or Washoe County (21%; Reno area). The mortality rate for this AYA population was 3.6 per 100,000.

Because of the limitations of the Nevada Interactive Health Database,⁵ we were unable to analyze treatment or survival data. However, NVCI has recently developed a Population Science & Cancer Control Division and is in the process of entering into a data-sharing agreement with the State of Nevada Health Division to obtain Cancer Registry data. Having these data will allow NVCI to delineate Nevada’s populations and build collaborations to ensure all treatment options, such as clinical trials for AYA populations, are available in Nevada.

AUTHORS’ DISCLOSURES OF POTENTIAL CONFLICTS OF INTEREST

The author(s) indicated no potential conflicts of interest.

REFERENCES

1. Albritton KH, Wiggins CH, Nelson HE, et al: Site of oncologic specialty care for older adolescents in Utah. J Clin Oncol 25:4616-4621, 2007[Abstract/Free Full Text]

2. Howell DL, Ward KC, Austin HD, et al: Access to pediatric cancer care by age, race and diagnosis, and outcomes of cancer treatment in pediatric and adolescent patients in the State of Georgia. J Clin Oncol 25:4610-4615, 2007[Abstract/Free Full Text]

3. Nevada Revised Statue 457.075. www.leg.state.nv.us/nrs/nrs-457.html

4. Rubin CS, Holmes AK, Belson MG, et al: Investigating childhood leukemia in Churchill county, Nevada. Environ Health Perspect 115:151-157, 2007[Medline]

5. Nevada Health Division: Nevada Interactive Health Database-Cancer Module. http://health.nv.gov/nihds/measures/cancer

CiteULike    Complore    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Facebook    Reddit    Technorati    Twitter    What's this?

Related Articles

• Access to Pediatric Cancer Care by Age, Race, and Diagnosis, and Outcomes of Cancer Treatment in Pediatric and Adolescent Patients in the State of Georgia
  Della L. Howell, Kevin C. Ward, Harland D. Austin, John L. Young, and William G. Woods
  JCO 2007 25: 4610-4615 [Abstract] [Full Text]
• Site of Oncologic Specialty Care for Older Adolescents in Utah
  Karen H. Albritton, Charles H. Wiggins, Harold E. Nelson, and Jane C. Weeks
  JCO 2007 25: 4616-4621 [Abstract] [Full Text]

This Article Full Text (PDF) Purchase Article View Shopping Cart Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a colleague Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Save to my personal folders Download to citation manager Rights & Permissions Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Vogelzang, N. J. Articles by Flores, E. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Vogelzang, N. J. Articles by Flores, E. Related Articles Related Articles Social Bookmarking                            What's this?