Using the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Database to Investigate Rare Cancers, Second Malignancies, and Trends in Epidemiology, Treatment, and Outcome Rare Cancers

摘要

The study of rare cancers has been a particularly active area of investigation with Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Program data. Although the definition of a rare cancer can be described broadly as a cancer with a low incidence or prevalence, the study of rare cancers is not limited to obscure histologic types that are diagnosed infrequently. It can also include cancers that constitute a rare or difficult-to-study subtype of a more common cancer, such as T4N0 breast cancer. Alternately, rare cancers can be rare occurrences of relatively common histologic types occurring in uncommon locations, such as adenoid cystic carcinoma of the breast. Finally, rare occurrences of common cancers occurring in uncommon hosts, such as male breast cancer, also lend themselves to population-based study using SEER.