Feature of the Month – France

FRANCE Capital: Paris Largest city: Paris Official languages: French Total population: 66,318,000 MOBI-Kids population: 3,485,577 Popular foods: baguette, cheese, wine, foie gras, steak-frites, coq au vin

ARECEA manages the French National Registry of Childhood Solid Tumors (RNTSE). RNTSE and RNHE (French National registry of Childhood Haematopoietic malignancies) jointly ensure the surveillance of cancer in children aged less than 18 years (up to 15 years until 2010) in France. These two registries receive national public funding. The RNHE specifically records haematological malignancies while the RNTSE records malignant solid tumours, including benign tumours of the central nervous system. The two registries generate the statistics for all of France on incidence and survival for all childhood cancer types and develop descriptive studies on the spatiotemporal variations in incidence. They also serve as a support for etiologic research on risk factors for childhood cancers. Dr Brigitte Lacour, Principal Investigator, is a hospital practitioner, doctor of medicine, and specialist in public health. She has directed the National Registry for Childhood Solid Tumours in Nancy since 2000, after having headed the Lorraine Registry of Childhood Cancer. She is a member of the Scientific Board of ACCIS, a European database on childhood and adolescent cancers coordinated by the International Center for Research on Cancer, and is a member of the Bureau of the French Network of Cancer Registries (FRANCIM).

Dr Martine Hours is PhD in epidemiology, specializing in occupational and environmental exposures. She assured in the past the coordination of the French part of the INTERPHONE study and she takes part to the scientific coordination of the Mobi-kids study in connection with Dr Brigitte Lacour.

Thomas Rémen, Fieldwork coordinator, is PhD in epidemiology and public health. His main research focus is environmental health. He coordinates the Mobi-kids study in the 7 areas in France.

L to R: Dr Brigitte Lacour, Thomas Rémen and Françoise Piron (secretary)

Collaborating hospitals :

[Alsace region]:  Hautepierre Hospital and New Civil Hospital (NHC)of Strasbourg [67] – Civil Hospital of Colmar, Hospital Center of Mulhouse [68]

[Paris and inner suburbs]: Adolphe de Rothschild  Foundation, Armand Trousseau Hospital, Curie Institute, Lariboisière Hospital, Georges Pompidou European Hospital (HEGP), Necker Hospital, Pitié-Salpétrière Hospital, Robert-Debré Hospital and Sainte-Anne Hospital Center of Paris [75] – Private Hospital of Antony, Hertford British Hospital of Levallois-Perret [92] – Gustave Roussy Institute (IGR) of Villejuif [94]

[Lorraine region]: Maillot Hospital of Briey, University Hospital Center of Nancy [54] – Hospital Center of Verdun [55] – Marie-Madeleine Hospital Center of Forbach, Regional Hospital Center of Metz-Thionville, Private Hospitals of Metz, Robert Pax Hospital of Sarreguemines [57]

[Gironde department]: «Rive Droite» Polyclinic  and  University Hospital Center of Bordeaux [33]

[Isère and Rhône departments]: Chartreuse Clinic and Hospital Center of Voiron, «Eaux Claires» Mutualist Clinic and Hospital Center of Grenoble [38] – Beaujolais Polyclinic and Hospital Center of Villefranche-Sur-Saône, University Hospital Center and Saint-Charles Clinic of Lyon, Hematology and Pediatric Oncology Institute of Bron, «Les Portes du Sud» Hospital Complex of Vénissieux, Val d’Ouest Clinic of Ecully [69]

[Bouches-du-Rhône department]: Hospital Center of Aix-en-Provence, Saint-Joseph Private Hospital, University Hospital Center and Vignoli Clinic of Marseille

[Hérault department]: Saint-Jean Clinic, University Hospital Center of Montpellier, Saint-Privat Polyclinic of Boujan-sur-Libron [34]

World map with zoom on map of country with study region(s) highlighted/circled and star where study is coordinated

Interviewers:

Brief background of study:

Recruitment took place in all regions in March 2011 except in Strasbourg and Bordeaux where it began in September 2012. Cases inclusion ended December 31^th, 2014 excepted in Gironde (June 30^th, 2014) and in Hérault (September 30^th, 2014). Cases and controls interviews go on until March 31^th, 2015 (September 30^th and December 31^th 2014 for the two others areas). To date we recruited 103 cases and 169 controls.

Funding sources:

This project received funds from the European Community (FP7/2007-2013) and in France from the French National Agency for Sanitary Safety of Food (ANSES, contract FSRF 2008-3), French National Cancer Institute (INCa), Pfizer Fondation and League against cancer.

How did your centre become involved in MOBI-Kids?

Dr Martine Hours coordinated the Interphone study. As Mobi-kids study applied to children and adolescents, the National Registry of Childhood Solid Tumors (RNTSE) was more appropriate to coordinate the study.

Are you involved with more than fieldwork?

Our centre has participated to Mobi-Expo study (with 65 volunteers) whose objective is to characterize the use of mobile phones in young people and improve the assessment of radiofrequency exposure in the main Mobi-Kids study.

What are your research interests (beyond MOBI-Kids)?

Dr. Lacour focuses on childhood cancer registration and descriptive epidemiology specifically in children solid tumours. She is also interested in etiological studies, since she belongs to the INSERM team UMR-S 1113, EPICEA. In this context, she also contributes to set up the Cohort of the national pediatric registry which ensures the follow-up of all cases included in the national childhood cancer registries since 2000. The aim is to know the health status f childhood cancer survivors and to study the long term iatrogenic effects.

Why do you think MOBI-Kids is an important study?

MOBI-KIDS study is a unique study by its international scope and its optimum power conditions with around 1000 cases and 2000 controls going to be included.

What do you think is the most interesting part about MOBI-Kids?

The collaboration with worldwide research teams is very interesting and fruitful. Besides it was a challenge for each team to conduct this complex study including both children and young adults with a serious but rare disease requiring collaboration with many hospital services.