Use of Age-Period-Cohort Analysis in Cancer Epidemiology Research

AbstractPurpose of ReviewAge-period-cohort (APC) models simultaneously estimate the effects of age —biological process of aging; time period—secular trends that occur in all ages simultaneously; and birth cohort—variation among those born around the same year or from one generation to the next. APC models inform understanding of cancer etiology, natural history, and disparities. We reviewed findings from recent studies (published 2008–2018) examining age, period, and cohort effects and summarized trends in age-standardized rates and age-specific rates by birth cohort. We also described prevalence of cancer risk factors by time period and birth cohort, including obesity, current smok ing, human papilloma virus (HPV), and hepatitis C virus (HCV).Recent FindingsStudies (n = 29) used a variety of descriptive analyses and statistical models to document age, period, and cohort trends in cancer-related outcomes. Cohort effects predominated, particularly in breast, bladder, and colorectal cancers, whereas period effects were more variable. No effect of time period wa s observed in studies of breast, bladder, and oral cavity cancers. Age-specific prevalence of obesity, current smoking, HPV, and HCV also varied by birth cohort, which generally paralleled cancer incidence and mortality rates.SummaryWe observed strong cohort effects across multiple cancer types and less consistent evidence supporting the effect of time period. Birth cohort effects point to exposures early in ...
Source: Current Epidemiology Reports - Category: Epidemiology Source Type: research