The investigators noted in their analysis that among the study’s weaknesses was the fact that its predictions were short term and could be affected by unexpected events. Also, they wrote, "These predictions are based on the most recent trends in available data." However, "if a change, or even a reversal of trends, has taken place in the last 2 or 3 years," they cautioned, the regression model would not have picked it up.
The study by Dr. La Vecchia, Dr. Levi, and colleagues was funded by the Swiss Cancer League and the Italian Association for Cancer Research. The authors reported having no conflicts of interest.