title: Inverse occurrence of cancer and Alzheimer disease: a population-based incidence study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the incidence of cancer in persons with Alzheimer disease (AD) and the incidence of AD dementia in persons with cancer.
  
  
  METHODS
  This was a cohort study in Northern Italy on more than 1 million residents. Cancer incidence was derived from the local health authority (ASL-Mi1) tumor registry and AD dementia incidence from registries of drug prescriptions, hospitalizations, and payment exemptions. Expected cases of AD dementia were calculated by applying the age-, sex-, and calendar year-specific incidence rates observed in the whole population to the subgroup constituted of persons with newly diagnosed cancers during the observation period (2004-2009). The same calculations were carried out for cancers in patients with AD dementia. Separate analyses were carried out for the time period preceding or following the index diagnosis for survivors and nonsurvivors until the end of 2009 and for different types and sites of cancer.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The risk of cancer in patients with AD dementia was halved, and the risk of AD dementia in patients with cancer was 35% reduced. This relationship was observed in almost all subgroup analyses, suggesting that some anticipated potential confounding factors did not significantly influence the results.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The occurrence of both cancer and AD dementia increases exponentially with age, but with an inverse relationship; older persons with cancer have a reduced risk of AD dementia and vice versa. As AD dementia and cancer are negative hallmarks of aging and senescence, we suggest that AD dementia, cancer, and senescence could be manifestations of a unique phenomenon related to human aging.
authors.affiliation: National Research Council of Italy, Rome, Italy. massimo.musicco@itb.cnr.it
authors.forename: Massimo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Musicco
authors.forename: Fulvio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Adorni
authors.forename: Simona
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Di Santo
authors.forename: Federica
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Prinelli
authors.forename: Carla
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Pettenati
authors.forename: Carlo
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Caltagirone
authors.forename: Katie
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Palmer
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Russo
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D018672:Community Health Planning; D016208:Databases, Factual / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012042:Registries / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors