Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42240299›Full record

Observational studyDeutsches Arzteblatt international2026

Ascertainment of Cancer Cases in the German National Cohort (NAKO): Methods and Initial Results.

Verena A Katzke, Volker Arndt, Karin Halina Greiser, Florian Karpa, Dorothee Zoller, Renée Fortner, Karen Steindorf, Michael Hoffmeister, Hermann Brenner, Peter Schirmacher and 48 more

Abstract readObservational Study
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Observational study in Deutsches Arzteblatt international, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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0citing papers in PubMed
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1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

58 authors.

Verena A KatzkeDivision of Cancer Epidemiology, German Cancer Research Center, (DKFZ), Heidelberg
Volker ArndtCancer Survivorship Outcomes and Epidemiology, Epidemiological Cancer Registry Baden-Württemberg, Heidelberg
Karin Halina GreiserDivision of Cancer Epidemiology, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg
Florian KarpaDivision of Cancer Epidemiology, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg
Dorothee ZollerDivision of Cancer Epidemiology, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg
Renée FortnerDivision of Cancer Epidemiology, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg
Karen SteindorfDivision of Physical Activity, Cancer Prevention and Survivorship, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg
Michael HoffmeisterDivision of Clinical Epidemiology of Early Cancer Detection, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg
Hermann BrennerDivision of Clinical Epidemiology of Early Cancer Detection, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg
Peter SchirmacherBioMaterialBank Heidelberg, University Hospital Heidelberg
Michael LeitzmannInstitute for Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, University of Regensburg
Katharina NimptschDepartment of Molecular Epidemiology, Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Society (MDC), Berlin
Ulrike HaugLeibniz Institute for Prevention Research and Epidemiology - BIPS, Bremen
Katharina HofmannBioMaterialBank Heidelberg, University Hospital Heidelberg
Christoph StallmannInstitute for Social Medicine and Health System Research (ISMG), Faculty of Medicine, University of Magdeburg
Ulrich MuellerCenter for Population and Health e.V., Wiesbaden
Andrea WerdeckerFederal Institute for Population Research (BiB), Wiesbaden
Iris PigeotLeibniz Institute for Prevention Research and Epidemiology - BIPS, Bremen
Enno SwartInstitute for Social Medicine and Health System Research (ISMG), Faculty of Medicine, University of Magdeburg
Wolfang AhrensLeibniz Institute for Prevention Research and Epidemiology - BIPS, Bremen
Martin MeyerBavarian State Office for Health and Food Safety, Data Trust Center of the Bavarian State Cancer Registry, Nürnberg
Sabine LuttmannLeibniz Institute for Prevention Research and Epidemiology - BIPS, Bremen
Alice NenneckeHamburg Cancer Registry (HKR), Authority for Science, Research, Equality, and District Affairs, Hamburg
Anne von RüstenClinical-Epidemiological Cancer Registry Brandenburg-Berlin gGmbH, Registration Office Berlin
Joachim KieschkeLower Saxony State Epidemiological Cancer Registry, Lower Saxony State Health Office, Hanover
Tobias HartzLower Saxony Clinical Cancer Registry (KKN), Hanover
Andreas StangNorth Rhine-Westphalia State Cancer Registry, Bochum; Institute for Medical Informatics, Biometrics, and Epidemiology, University Hospital Essen
Wolfgang HoffmannInstitute for Community Medicine, Department of Healthcare Epidemiology and Community Health, University Medical Center Greifswald, Public Corporation, Greifswald; Mecklenburg-West Pomerania State Cancer Registry, Greifswald
Bernd HolleczekSaarland State Cancer Registry
Hans Gert FabianSaxony State Cancer Registry
Annette PetersInstitute for Epidemiology, Helmholtz Centre Munich - Environmental Health Center, Munich
Stefan N WillichInstitute for Social Medicine, Epidemiology, and Health Economics, Charité - University Medical Center Berlin
Lilian KristInstitute for Social Medicine, Epidemiology, and Health Economics, Charité - University Medical Center Berlin
Matthias B SchulzeDepartment of Molecular Epidemiology, German Institute of Human Nutrition, Nuthetal
Kathrin GuentherLeibniz Institute for Prevention Research and Epidemiology - BIPS, Bremen
Hajo ZeebLeibniz Institute for Prevention Research and Epidemiology - BIPS, Bremen
Nina EbertInstitute for Biometrics and Epidemiology, German Diabetes Center (DDZ), Leibniz Center for Diabetes Research, University of Düsseldorf
Börge SchmidtInstitute for Medical Informatics, Biometrics, and Epidemiology, University Hospital Essen
Anna KöttgenInstitute for Epidemiology and Prevention, University Hospital Freiburg
Alexander KluttigInstitute for Medical Epidemiology, Biometrics, and Informatics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Halle-Wittenberg, Halle; Saxony-Anhalt State Cancer Registry gGmbH, Halle
Rafael MikolajczykMedical Epidemiology, Biometrics, and Informatics, University of Halle-Wittenberg, Halle (Saale)
Volker HarthCentral Institute for Occupational and Maritime Medicine (ZfAM), University Hospital Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg
Nadia ObiCentral Institute for Occupational and Maritime Medicine (ZfAM), University Hospital Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg
Carolina Klett-TammenDepartment of Epidemiology, Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI), Braunschweig
Manuela HarriesDepartment of Epidemiology, Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI), Braunschweig
Wolfgang LiebInstitute for Epidemiology, University of Kiel
Heiko BecherHeidelberg Institute for Global Health, University Hospital Heidelberg
Heike MinnerupInstitute for Epidemiology and Social Medicine, University of Münster
André KarchInstitute for Epidemiology and Social Medicine, University of Münster
Claudia Meinke-FranzeInstitute for Community Medicine, University Medical Center Greifswald
Hansjörg BaurechtInstitute for Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, University of Regensburg
Ute MonsDivision of Primary Cancer Prevention, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg
Lena Koch-GallenkampDivision of Clinical Epidemiology of Early Cancer Detection, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg
Klaus BergerInstitute for Epidemiology and Social Medicine, University of Münster
Henry VölzkeInstitute for Community Medicine, University Medical Center Greifswald
Tobias PischonDepartment of Molecular Epidemiology, Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Society (MDC), Berlin
Alexander KatalinicInstitute for Social Medicine and Epidemiology, University Hosptal Schleswig-Holstein, Lübeck
Rudolf KaaksDivision of Cancer Epidemiology, German Cancer Research Center, (DKFZ), Heidelberg

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThe German National Cohort (

methodsWe describe the methods of ascertaining cancer cases in NAKO (linkage with cancer registries and self-reporting), the incidence and prevalence figures obtained so far, and the ratio of observed to expected (O/E) case numbers.

resultsAltogether, 2774 prevalent (diagnosed within the 5 years prior to study enrollment) and 4295 incident (diagnosed up to 5 years after enrollment) cancer cases were identified. Breast, prostate, lung, and colorectal cancers made up 55% of the incident cases. Fewer incident cases were found than would have been expected on the basis of incidence rates in the general population (O/E ratio 0.80, 95% confidence interval [0.76;0.83] for the first 2 years of prospective follow-up). The O/E ratio varied, however, across tumor sites (breast 1.02, prostate 1.12, lung 0.38, colorectal 0.62). Possible explanations include bias caused by the fact that most study participants were healthy, delayed tumor reporting, incomplete data linkage, and incomplete self-reporting.

conclusionRising case numbers for the most commonly occurring types of cancer are expected in the next few years. This will enable comprehensive epidemiological analysis of the risk factors for cancer.

Indexed as

NeoplasmsRegistriesAdultAgedCohort StudiesFemaleGermanyHumansIncidenceMaleMiddle AgedPrevalenceRisk Factors

Identifiers

PMID42240299
PMCPMC13537325

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