François Lagacé

McGill University | McGill · Division of Dermatology

Simple Summary Melanoma is a form of skin cancer that can be prevented by limiting exposure to the sun. Among the Atlantic provinces of Canada, varying incidence rates of melanoma have been reported. The province of New Brunswick has melanoma incidence rates comparable to the national average, while in Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island, the rate...

Background: The incidence of cutaneous melanoma (CM) is increasing at an alarming rate in Canada and elsewhere around the world. Significant regional differences in CM incidence have been identified in Atlantic provinces. The goal of this study is to compare ultraviolet exposure, sun protective behaviours, level of worry and baseline CM knowledge...

Background: Sex and gender have increasingly been recognized as significant risk factors for many diseases, including dermatological conditions. Historically, sex and gender have often been grouped together as a single risk factor in the scientific literature. However, both may have a distinct impact on disease incidence, prevalence, clinical pres...

Incidence rates of melanoma and keratinocyte skin cancers have been on the rise globally in recent decades. While there has been a select focus on personal sun protection awareness, to our knowledge, there is a paucity of legislation in place to help support citizens’ efforts to protect themselves from the harmful effects of ultraviolet radiation (...

Sarcomas are a heterogeneous group of mesenchymal malignancies with various genetic and environmental risk factors. This study analyzed the epidemiology of sarcomas to gain insight into the incidence and mortality rates of these cancers in Canada, as well as to elucidate their potential environmental risk factors. Data for this study were obtained...

Actinic keratosis (AK) is among the most commonly diagnosed skin diseases with potentially life-threatening repercussions if left untreated. Usage of pharmacologic agents represents one of many therapeutic strategies that can be used to help manage these lesions. Ongoing research into these compounds continues to change our clinical understanding a...

Background/aims Uveal melanoma is the most common type of non-cutaneous melanoma and the most common ocular malignancy in the adult population, especially affecting Caucasians (98% of cases). Despite its low incidence rate, we have noted increasing incidence trends in recent years. Methods We analyzed uveal melanoma incidence data using the Canadi...

Promotion in academia heavily relies on research productivity. The h-index is a standardized metric used to quantify research productivity at the individual level. We evaluated factors associated with h -index in dermatology across select Canadian academic centers with special focus on sex and academic rank. Medical academic centers throughout Cana...

Retinoids are natural and synthetic vitamin A derivatives that are effective for the prevention and the treatment of non-melanoma skin cancers (NMSC). NMSCs constitute a heterogenous group of non-melanocyte-derived skin cancers that impose substantial burdens on patients and healthcare systems. They include entities such as basal cell carcinoma and...

Extracorporeal photopheresis (ECP) is an immunomodulatory therapy that has been used for over 35 years to treat numerous conditions. ECP was initially approved by the US FDA in 1988 for the treatment of Sézary syndrome, a leukemic form of cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL). Although CTCL remains the only FDA-approved indication, ECP has since been us...

Background: Over 90% of skin cancers including cutaneous melanoma (CM) are related directly to sun exposure. Despite extensive knowledge on ultraviolet radiation's (UVR) detrimental impact, many still fail to implement sun protection/sun avoidance. Human behavior, attitudes, and cultural norms of individuals and communities heavily depend on the s...

Background: Cutaneous leishmaniasis is increasingly encountered in returned travellers and migrants to nonendemic countries. We sought to describe the clinical characteristics and treatment outcomes of cases of cutaneous leishmaniasis diagnosed at our reference centre over a 10-year period. Methods: This case series included all laboratory-confi...

Background Cutaneous melanoma (CM) is one of the most fatal types of skin cancer. Alarmingly, increases in incidence and mortality were noted globally for this malignancy, despite increase in understanding of melanoma pathogenesis and enhanced prevention efforts. Methods Data was extracted for CM patients for provinces and territories (except Queb...

Gastric cancer is the 5th most common malignancy worldwide, representing ~5–10% of all new cancer cases. Although its incidence is declining, it is estimated that 1 in 98 Canadians will develop gastric cancer in their lifetime. The epidemiology and distribution of gastric cancer throughout Canada, however, remains poorly understood. A retrospective...

Simple Summary Reflex molecular testing is an emerging concept in oncology that, for a variety of cancers, was demonstrated to reduce the time to treatment initiation, thus potentially impacting survival outcomes. In advanced melanoma, BRAF mutation testing is critical in predicting treatment response with targeted therapy (i.e., BRAF/MEK inhibitor...

Background Gallbladder and biliary tract cancers are rare malignancies that carry a poor prognosis. Research on their epidemiologic trends is scarce. Methods We performed a retrospective analysis of the data in Canada using population‐based cancer registries from 1992 to 2010. The incidence and mortality of gallbladder and extrahepatic bile duct c...

In Canada, prostate cancer is the most common reportable malignancy in men. We assessed the temporal trends of prostate cancer to gain insight into the geographic incidence and mortality trends of this disease. Three independent population-based cancer registries were used to retrospectively analyze demographic data on Canadian men diagnosed with p...

Extramammary Paget’s Disease (EMPD) is a rare adenocarcinoma that arises in apocrine gland‐bearing skin and is associated with increased risk of underlying or distant malignancies. The demographic and clinical characteristics of biopsy‐confirmed, newly diagnosed EMPD patients from 2000‐2019 were analyzed across 7 institutions in Japan. Indeed, 544...

Hypopigmented mycosis fungoides (HMF) is a form of cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL), a heterogeneous group of extranodal non-Hodgkin’s lymphomas. HMF has a unique set of defining features that include light colored to achromic lesions, a predilection for darker skin phototypes, an early onset of disease, and predominance of CD8+ T-cells, among othe...

Background: Although the pathogenesis and epidemiology of endemic Burkitt lymphoma (bl) have been extensively studied, the epidemiologic landscape of sporadic and immunodeficiency-associated bl in North America remains poorly understood. Methods: We used 3 distinct population-based cancer registries to retrospectively study bl incidence and mort...

Background Penile invasive squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) is a rare disease with several known risk factors. However, few studies have assessed its incidence, mortality, and temporal trends. Objective Our objectives are to analyze the epidemiology of penile SCC in Canada and to examine patient distribution with this cancer across Canada in order to...

Background: Anal cancer is a rare disease, constituting 0.5% of new cancer cases in the United States. The most common subtype is squamous cell carcinoma (scc). Studies in several developed nations have reported on an increasing incidence of anal cancer in recent decades, and various risk factors pertaining to the pathogenesis of the disease have...

Background/purpose Breast cancer is the malignancy with the highest incidence rate excluding non-melanoma skin cancers, and the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths among Canadian women. Many modifiable risk factors have been linked to the pathogenesis of this disease. The purpose of this study is to analyze the epidemiology of breast canc...

Background: Esophageal cancer can be subdivided into two main histological subtypes with significant variability in their etiology and epidemiology. The incidence of esophageal adenocarcinoma (AC) is increasing across the developed countries, whereas the incidence of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) is declining. Several risk factors have...

Background: We recently reported a steady increase in the incidence and mortality of cutaneous malignant melanoma (CMM) in Canada during 1992-2010. Objectives: The objective of this article is to examine the distribution of Canadian CMM patients at the level of provinces, cities, and forward sortation area (FSA) postal codes. Methods: Using 3...

Background Multiple myeloma (MM) is a malignancy of mature plasma cells. Environmental risk factors identified for this malignancy, among others, include farming and exposure to pesticides. Methods Using 3 independent population‐based databases (the Canadian Cancer Registry, le Registre Québécois du Cancer, and Canadian Vital Statistics), this stu...