Cancer incidence and mortality in migrants from the Former Soviet Union in the region of Münster – a registered-based cohort study

Project team: Volker Winkler, Heiko Becher, Simone Kaucher

External collaborators: Hiltraud Kajüter, National Cancer Registry of NRW, Münster

Funding: „Deutsche Krebshilfe“

Funding period: 2015 - ongoing 

Resettlers (in German: (Spät-)Aussiedler) are ethnic German migrants from the Former Soviet Union (FSU) which form one of the biggest migrant group in Germany. Up to now there has been little research on the health status of this special migrant group in Germany. The objective of this study is to compare cancer incidence and mortality in resettlers of the region of Münster (North Rhine-Westphalia) with the general German population. The cohort consists out of 64,000 migrants who immigrated in Münster since 1990. Data follow-up will be performed until 2012 with local registry offices to identify the current city of residence and vital status of the migrants. Afterwards, cancer incidence will be ascertained by the national cancer registry of North Rhine-Westphalia with a record-linkage system, which enables an anonymised submission of incidence-data. Anonymised information on mortality will be provided by statistical offices and local health offices.

Previous smaller studies in other regions of Germany have been investigated differences in incidence and mortality patterns in resettlers compared to the German population.  However, a deeper look into cause-specific incidence and mortality of resettlers was so far difficult, due to small numbers of incident and deceased cases. The aim of this study is to contribute to a more precise consideration on cause-specific incidence and mortality. Hence, effective prevention interventions for this migrant group can be implemented in the future.