Circulating microvesicles (MVs) are suggested to be important contributors to cancer-associated thrombosis due to the presence of surface-bound procoagulant molecules like tissue factor (TF) and phosphatidylserine (PS). Pancreatic cancer is considered to be one of the most prothrombotic malignancies. The aim of this study was to describe the impact of analytical variables on MV-associated thrombin generation in patients with pancreatic cancer and in healthy controls. MVs were isolated from citrated plasma and added to pooled normal plasma (PNP). Thrombin generation was measured by the calibrated automated thrombogram. The impact of corn trypsin inhibitor (CTI), anti-tissue factor pathway inhibitor (TFPI) antibodies and phospholipids was described. Antibodies against TF were used to assess TF-dependency, and MV-bound PS activity was measured with the Zymuphen MP-activity kit. MVs from the pancreatic cancer patients displayed higher thrombin generation and higher PS-activity than MVs from the healthy control group, while TF-dependency was observed in only 1 out of 13 patient samples. Adequate thrombin generation-curves were only achieved when CTI was omitted and anti-TFPI antibodies were added to PNP prepared in low contact-activating tubes. Addition of phospholipids reduced the significant differences between the two groups, and should be omitted. This modified thrombin generation assay could be useful for measurement of procoagulant circulating MVs, allowing the contribution from MVs affecting both the intrinsic and the extrinsic pathway to be measured.

A wide variation in IRs and trends between the four anatomical localisations with unlike levels of UVR exposure suggests different causal pathways for melanoma.

We investigated whether lower birth weight was associated with lower risk of melanoma later in life. This population-based case–control study included all incident cases of histologically verified invasive melanoma diagnosed until 31 December 2003 in the Norwegian population born between 1967 and 1986 ( n =709). The control group without malignant disease was established by random sampling from the same source population as the cases ( n =108 209). Data on birth weight, gender, mother's residence and parental age at the time of birth were collected from the Medical Birth Registry of Norway and data on cancer from the Cancer Registry of Norway. The Mantel–Haenszel test of linear trend showed no trend in risk across the birth weight categories: individuals in the highest quartile of birth weight (⩾3860 g) had an odds ratio (OR) of 1.19 (95% confidence interval, CI: 0.77–1.84) compared to individuals with birth weight <2500 g. The adjusted OR was 0.81 (95% CI: 0.52–1.26) for birth weight below 2500 g (exposed). Though not statistically significant, the results suggest that low birth weight might influence the risk of melanoma later in life.

In this cohort study, data on the observed reduced incidence of malignant melanoma (MM) of the skin in twins compared with a control group were related to tumour characteristics and all-cause mortality. The twin cohort consisted of 20 926 individuals and the control group included individuals picked at random and matched to the twin cohort with respect to age, sex and place of birth. The cohorts were linked to the Cancer Registry of Norway and all cases of MM diagnosed from 1960 to 1999 were followed until October 2003. The mean observation time from diagnosis to death or censoring was 10.9 years (SD, +/-8.5 years). The relative risk of MM for the twins was 0.68 [95% confidence interval (CI): 0.55, 0.83]. No statistically significant difference was found in the distribution of histopathological subtypes or pathological stage between the cohorts. The crude all-cause mortality risk for the twin cases was 0.79 (95% CI: 0.58, 1.07). Stratified analysis indicated effect modification by gender on all-cause mortality risk (Breslow-Day test of homogeneity P=0.02). Multivariate analysis was performed separately for men and women. The adjusted mortality risk ratio for male twin cases was 1.11 (95% CI: 0.75, 1.65) and for female twin cases 1.05 (95% CI: 0.61, 1.8). The twins had a lower relative risk of MM compared with the control group, but similar tumour characteristics and all-cause mortality.

Low-grade dysplasia (LGD) and superficial esophageal cancer (high grade dysplasia, T1a and superficial T1b) can be endoscopically treated according to most international guidelines, including the European Society of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy from 2017. The aim was to assess the level of dysphagia and health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in patients who underwent endoscopic treatment. Methods From 2014–2018 all patients with LGD and superficial esophageal cancer were included. The patients underwent endoscopic mucosal resection (EMR) and/or radiofrequency ablation (RFA). In June 2019 the patients were contacted per mail for assessment of the level of dysphagia and HRQOL, using the Ogilvie score and the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) core-questionnaire QLQ-C30 together with the disease-specific module QLQ-OG25. Results 59 out of the 86 patients alive (69%) completed the questionnaires after a median follow-up of 28 months (8–65 months). 24% of the patients answering the questionnaires underwent EMR, 31% RFA and 44% both EMR and RFA. There was no significant difference (p &gt; 0.05) regarding the level of dysphagia, weight loss, global QoL and emotional status, neither with respect to a non-cancerous reference population nor between the treatment groups. For the other variables in QLQ-C30 and QLQ-OG25, the patients experienced significant lower HRQOL. 12% had minor problems eating solid food (Ogilvie score 1), of whom all underwent EMR. Conclusion The majority of patients endoscopically treated for LGD and superficial esophageal cancer experienced no dysphagia after a median follow-up of 28 months. The patients experienced significant lower HRQOL when being compared to an age-matched non-cancerous reference population. There was no difference regarding the level of dysphagia, weight loss, global QoL and emotional status.