Cancer Diagnosis (cancer + diagnosis)

Distribution by Scientific Domains
Distribution within Medical Sciences

Kinds of Cancer Diagnosis

  • breast cancer diagnosis
  • lung cancer diagnosis
  • prostate cancer diagnosis


  • Selected Abstracts


    Diet and Survival After Prostate Cancer Diagnosis

    NUTRITION REVIEWS, Issue 9 2007
    Susan E. Berkow PhD
    Prostate cancer is the most commonly diagnosed non-skin cancer in men in the United States. Among environmental factors, diet may play a particularly important role in its incidence, progression, and clinical outcome. This article reviews the findings of eight observational studies and 17 intervention or laboratory trials on the effect of plant-based diets and plant nutrients on both the progression and clinical outcome of prostate cancer as well as additional studies examining mechanisms that may explain dietary effects. While additional long-term therapeutic clinical trials are needed to further elucidate the role of diet, these early investigations suggest that a recommendation for individual patients to shift their diets toward plant foods may serve as an important component of the tertiary treatment of prostate cancer. [source]


    Effect of cancer diagnosis on patient employment status: a nationwide longitudinal study in Korea,

    PSYCHO-ONCOLOGY, Issue 7 2009
    Jae-Hyun Park
    Abstract Background: Cancer diagnosis may adversely affect employment status. Our aim was to investigate whether cancer diagnosis effects employment status by comparing employment status changes in cancer patients withto that of cancer-free workers over a 5,6-year period. Methods: All 25,55-year-old, non-self-employed, Korean workers who were diagnosed with cancer for the first time in 2001 were identified as first baseline study subjects (n=4991). Of these, those who lost their jobs within 1 year of cancer diagnosis were selected as second baseline subjects (n=1334). Sex- and age-matched cancer-free individuals from the general population were used as a reference group. We compared the time until job loss from the first baseline and the time until re-employment from the second baseline between these two groups during the 5,6-year follow-up period while adjusting for sex, age group, job-type, and equivalent household income using the National Health Insurance administrative database. Results: Cancer patients were more likely to lose their jobs after cancer diagnosis and were less likely to be re-employed than cancer-free individuals in almost all sex and age groups. Most major cancer sites were also associated with decreased employment status, with the exception of thyroid cancer. Conclusion: Cancer diagnosis adversely affects employment status in Korea, and the effects are widespread in almost all sex and age groups. Significant efforts are needed to improve the employment status of cancer patients in Korea, as well as in developing or newly developed countries that have similar social security systems. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]


    Population-based study of cancer among carriers of a constitutional structural chromosomal rearrangement

    GENES, CHROMOSOMES AND CANCER, Issue 3 2006
    Iben Bache
    We measured the occurrence of cancer in an unselected cohort of carriers of constitutional structural rearrangements in virtually complete nationwide registries for cancer and constitutional cytogenetic abnormalities. We identified 4,816 carriers of a constitutional structural rearrangement in the Danish Cytogenetic Registry and searched for cancer diagnoses by linkage to the Danish Cancer Registry. There was no overall increased risk for cancer among carriers (standardized incidence ratio [SIR], 0.96; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.84,1.10), and no significant difference from that expected was found in balanced and unbalanced rearrangements or in any subtypes of rearrangements. We found significantly lower risks for carriers with rearrangements involving chromosome 21 (SIR, 0.50; 95% CI, 0.22,0.99) and for paternally inherited rearrangements (SIR, 0.30; 95% CI, 0.06,0.88). Risk estimates for the observed type-specific cancers showed an increased risk for non-Hodgkin lymphoma (SIR, 2.11; 95% CI, 1.09,3.69). However, subgroup analyses were not guided by study hypotheses, and our statistical evaluation of the data should be looked upon as exploratory. In addition, we found 12 constitutional structural rearrangements with a breakpoint potentially associated with a cancer-related gene. Potential new loci associated with type-specific cancers were suggested by the findings of families with more than one affected carrier and by the involvement of the same cytogenetic bands in unrelated carriers. Molecular mapping of these breakpoints might provide new insight into cancer predisposition. © 2005 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source]


    Sperm DNA integrity in cancer patients: the effect of disease and treatment

    INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ANDROLOGY, Issue 6 2009
    O. Ståhl
    Summary As oncological treatment might impair the patients' fertility, male cancer patients are offered to cryopreserve semen prior to treatment. Impaired sperm DNA quality is associated with reduced fertility, and in case of assisted reproduction, sperm DNA integrity may have an impact on choice of method. Therefore, we have assessed sperm DNA integrity in cancer patients, comparing pre- and post-treatment quality. Sperm DNA integrity was investigated in cryopreserved semen from 121 cancer patients, the predominating diagnoses were germ cell cancer (GCC) and Hodgkin's lymphoma (HL). Post-treatment samples, with a median follow-up of 3 years, were analysed for 58 of the men, allowing a pre- and post-treatment analysis on an individual basis. Sperm DNA integrity was assessed using the Sperm Chromatin Structure Assay and expressed here as the DNA Fragmentation Index (DFI%). One hundred and thirty-seven fertile men served as controls. Before treatment, GCC (n = 84) and HL (n = 18) patients had higher DFI% than controls (n = 143) with a mean difference of 7.7 (95% CI 3.2,8.8) and 7.0 (95% CI 2,12), respectively. The same trend was observed for other cancer diagnoses, but without reaching statistical significance (mean difference 3.6, 95% CI ,1.2 to 8.4). No increase was seen in DFI% comparing pre- and post-treatment semen, regardless of treatment modality. A moderate elevation of DFI% was observed in cryopreserved semen from cancer patients. Oncological treatment, generally, did not induce any increase in DFI. These findings should be considered when discussing the utilization of pre-treatment cryopreserved semen vs. post-treatment fresh sperm in cancer patients undergoing assisted reproduction. [source]


    Incidence of myelodysplastic syndromes within a nonprofit healthcare system in western Washington state, 2005,2006,

    AMERICAN JOURNAL OF HEMATOLOGY, Issue 10 2010
    Anneclaire J. De Roos
    Myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) incidence is unclear because of historical lack of population-based registration and possibly because of underdiagnosis. We conducted a study to evaluate completeness of MDS registration in the Seattle-Puget Sound region of the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) program,which has reported the highest rates among the SEER registries since mandatory reporting of MDS began in 2001. We identified incident MDS cases of any age that occurred within a nonprofit healthcare system in western Washington State in 2005 or 2006 through the local SEER registry or by relevant diagnostic code followed by medical chart review to classify these patients as unlikely, possible, or definite/probable MDS. We calculated age-standardized incidence rates for all identified MDS cases and for case groups based on identification method, and we summarized medical histories of the MDS patients. MDS incidence in our study population was estimated as 7.0 per 100,000 person-years in 2005,2006 when combining MDS cases identified by SEER and definite/probable cases identified by chart review, which was similar to the rate of 6.9 reported by our local SEER registry. The addition of possible MDS cases identified from chart review increased the rate to 10.2 per 100,000. MDS patients frequently had previous cancer diagnoses (25%) and comorbidities such as high blood pressure and diabetes. Our investigation suggests that although reporting of confirmed MDS diagnoses in our region appears complete, MDS incidence is likely underestimated because of omission of cases who are symptomatic but do not receive definitive diagnoses. Am. J. Hematol., 2010. © 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source]


    The relationship between time since registration and measured incidence rates in the General Practice Research Database,

    PHARMACOEPIDEMIOLOGY AND DRUG SAFETY, Issue 7 2005
    James D. Lewis MD, MSCE
    Abstract Background The General Practice Research Database (GPRD) is widely used to study incidence rates. This study examines whether incidence rates are overestimated during the first year after registration, how long one needs to wait to obtain accurate incidence rates, and whether the time period of overestimation differs among disease types. Methods We measured incidence rates of nine acute, eight chronic, and eight neoplastic outcomes in 3-month intervals through month 36 after enrollment in GPRD. The incidence rates in months 13,36 were used to estimate baseline incidence rates for each diagnosis. Results For patients registering with practices that were already UTS, incidence rates were highest in the first 3 months after registration. In eight of nine acute diagnoses, the incidence rate was within 20% of baseline by months 4,6; and in seven of eight cancers, the incidence rate was within 20% of baseline by months 7,9. For chronic conditions, the incidence rate in months 10,12 differed from baseline by more than 20% for five of the eight outcomes, respectively. For patients registering prior to UTS, incidence rates during the first quarter were within 20% of baseline for all acute and cancer diagnoses and six of eight chronic diagnoses. Conclusions Reported incidence rates are highest in the first 3 months after registration with an UTS practice and decline to baseline over the first year, more quickly for acute conditions than chronic conditions. For patients who registered prior to UTS, incidence rates are near the baseline level at the start of follow-up. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]


    A randomized, controlled trial of mindfulness-based art therapy (MBAT) for women with cancer

    PSYCHO-ONCOLOGY, Issue 5 2006
    Daniel A. Monti
    Abstract The purpose of this study was to gather data on the efficacy of a newly developed psychosocial group intervention for cancer patients, called mindfulness-based art therapy (MBAT). One hundred and eleven women with a variety of cancer diagnoses were paired by age and randomized to either an eight-week MBAT intervention group or a wait-list control group. Ninety-three participants (84%) completed both the pre- and post-study measurements. As compared to the control group, the MBAT group demonstrated a significant decrease in symptoms of distress (as measured by the Symptoms Checklist-90-Revised) and significant improvements in key aspects of health-related quality of life (as measured by the Medical Outcomes Study Short-Form Health Survey). This investigation of MBAT provides initial encouraging data that support a possible future role for the intervention as a psychosocial treatment option for cancer patients. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]


    Examining the association between socioeconomic status and potential human papillomavirus-associated cancers,,§

    CANCER, Issue S10 2008
    Vicki B. Benard PhD
    Abstract BACKGROUND. This study examined the association between county-level measures of socioeconomic status (SES) and the incidence rate of human papillomavirus(HPV)-associated cancers, including cervical, vulvar, vaginal, anal, penile, and oral cavity and oropharyngeal cancers. METHODS. The authors collected data from cancer registries for site-specific invasive cancer diagnoses between 1998 and 2003, inclusive, among adults aged >20 years at the time of diagnosis. County-level variables that included education, income, and poverty status were used as factors for socioeconomic status. Measures of rural-urban status, the percentage of the population that currently smoked, and the percentage of women who reported having ever had a Papanicolaou (Pap) test were also studied. RESULTS. Lower education and higher poverty were found to be associated with increased penile, cervical, and vaginal invasive cancer incidence rates. Higher education was associated with increased incidence of vulvar cancer, male and female anal cancer, and male and female oral cavity and oropharyngeal cancers. Race was an independent predictor of the development of these potentially HPV-associated cancers. CONCLUSIONS. These findings illustrate the association between SES variables and the development of HPV-associated cancers. The findings also highlight the importance of considering SES factors when developing policies to increase access to medical care and reduce cancer disparities in the United States. Cancer 2008;113(10 suppl):2910,8. Published 2008 by the American Cancer Society. [source]


    The utility of transbronchial (Wang) fine needle aspiration in lung cancer diagnosis

    CYTOPATHOLOGY, Issue 1 2001
    M. T. Siddiqui
    The utility of transbronchial (Wang) fine needle aspiration in lung cancer diagnosis We evaluated our experience with transbronchial fine needle aspiration (TBNA) in cancer diagnosis over a period of 1 year. A total of 51 aspirates were performed by specialist chest physicians in the presence of a cytopathologist who made on spot evaluation of Diff-Quik smears for adequacy and guided the aspirator for additional sampling if necessary. Two clusters of at least 10 malignant cells were required on the Diff-Quik smears to render an on the spot positive diagnosis of malignancy. Aspirates showing atypical cells or few malignant cells not fulfilling the above criteria were placed in a suspicious category and additional material was requested. The TBNA results were correlated with the transbronchial biopsy when available. [source]


    Alcohol consumption patterns and risk factors among childhood cancer survivors compared to siblings and general population peers

    ADDICTION, Issue 7 2008
    E. Anne Lown
    ABSTRACT Aims This study describes alcohol consumption among adult survivors of pediatric cancer compared to sibling controls and a national sample of healthy peers. Risk factors for heavy drinking among survivors are described. Design, setting and participants Cross-sectional data were utilized from the Childhood Cancer Survivor Study including adult survivors of pediatric cancer (n = 10 398) and a sibling cohort (n = 3034). Comparison data were drawn from the National Alcohol Survey (n = 4774). Measurement Alcohol consumption, demographic, cancer diagnosis, treatment and psychosocial factors were measured. Findings Compared to peers, survivors were slightly less likely to be risky [adjusted odds ratio (ORadj) = 0.9; confidence interval (CI) 0.8,1.0] and heavy drinkers (ORadj = 0.8; CI 0.7,0.9) and more likely to be current drinkers. Compared to siblings, survivors were less likely to be current, risky and heavy drinkers. Risk factors for survivors' heavy drinking included being age 18,21 years (ORadj = 2.0; 95% CI 1.5,2.6), male (ORadj = 2.1; 95% CI 1.8,2.6), having high school education or less (ORadj = 3.4; 95% CI 2.7,4.4) and drinking initiation before age 14 (ORadj = 6.9; 95% CI 4.4,10.8). Among survivors, symptoms of depression, anxiety or somatization, fair or poor self-assessed health, activity limitations and anxiety about cancer were associated with heavy drinking. Cognitively compromising treatment, brain tumors and older age at diagnosis were protective. Conclusions Adult survivors of childhood cancer show only a modest reduction in alcohol consumption compared to peers despite their more vulnerable health status. Distress and poorer health are associated with survivor heavy drinking. Screening for alcohol consumption should be instituted in long-term follow-up care and interventions among survivors and siblings should be established to reduce risk for early drinking. [source]


    Survivorship in cancer care

    EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF CANCER CARE, Issue 3 2010
    N. DOYLE msc, nurse consultant
    DOYLE N. (2010) European Journal of Cancer Care19, 284 Survivorship in cancer care An increasing number of people are living with and beyond a cancer diagnosis. Health professionals need to understand the complexity of cancer survivorship and develop skills to help support people living with cancer. [source]


    Breaking bad news , whose responsibility is it?

    EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF CANCER CARE, Issue 4 2009
    B. KALBER msc, onc. cert. matron for neurology
    This module considers different aspects of communicating a cancer diagnosis to the patient. Using a UK study, it looks at who breaks bad news in cancer care, frameworks for breaking bad news and the role of nurses. [source]


    Usage of Aplysia lectin interactions with T antigen and poly- N -acetyllactosamine for screening of E. coli strains which bear glycoforms cross-reacting with cancer-associated antigens

    FEMS IMMUNOLOGY & MEDICAL MICROBIOLOGY, Issue 3 2001
    Nechama Gilboa-Garber
    Abstract Aplysia gonad lectin (AGL), which strongly agglutinates cancer cells, was found, in the present study, to bind to erythrocyte T antigen, in addition to its affinity to Ii system antigens. These antigens were reported to be overexpressed and to contribute to tumor progression and invasion. In healthy human sera, there are antibodies against them, stimulated by the normal intestinal microflora, which bear similar glycoforms. Since the levels of these antibodies were reported to be lower in most cancer patients' sera, we have examined the applicability of AGL to isolation of enteric commensal Escherichia coli strains which bear glycoforms cross-reacting with the cancer-associated antigens. Among 30 E. coli isolates examined, two were agglutinated by AGL. One of them was also agglutinated by certain related galactophilic lectins, which bind to the T and Tn antigens. The agglutination of the two bacteria by healthy human sera, as a group, was stronger than that displayed by the cancer patients' sera. These results indicate that AGL might be useful for identification of the desired bacteria, which could potentially serve for cancer diagnosis and therapy. [source]


    Clinical grading of oral mucosa by curve-fitting of corrected autofluorescence using diffuse reflectance spectra

    HEAD & NECK: JOURNAL FOR THE SCIENCES & SPECIALTIES OF THE HEAD AND NECK, Issue 6 2010
    Rupananda Jayachandra Mallia PhD
    Abstract Background Laser-induced autofluorescence (LIAF) and diffuse reflectance (DR) were collectively used in this clinical study to improve early oral cancer diagnosis and tissue grading. Methods LIAF and DR emission from oral mucosa were recorded on a fiber-optic spectrometer by illumination with a 404-nm diode laser and tungsten halogen lamp in 36 healthy volunteers and 40 lesions of 20 patients. Results Absorption dips in LIAF spectra at 545 and 575 nm resulting from changes in oxygenated hemoglobin were corrected using DR spectra of the same site. These corrected spectra were curve-fitted using Gaussian spectral functions to determine constituent emission peaks and their relative contribution. The Gaussian peak intensity and area ratios F500/F635 and F500/F685 were found to be useful indicators of tissue transformation. The diagnostic capability of various ratios in differentiating healthy, hyperplastic, dysplastic, and squamous cell carcinomas (SCCs) were examined using discrimination scatterplots. Conclusions The LIAF/DR technique, in conjunction with curve-fitting, differentiates different grades of dysplasia and SCC in this clinical trial and proves its potential for early detection of oral cavity cancer and tissue grading. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Head Neck, 2010 [source]


    Two distinct groups of colorectal cancer in inflammatory bowel disease

    INFLAMMATORY BOWEL DISEASES, Issue 1 2009
    Stephan Brackmann MD
    Abstract Background: The histological variability in colitis-associated colorectal cancer (CRC in inflammatory bowel disease [IBD]) and the association to clinical factors is unknown. Methods: In population-based material including 67 patients with CRC in IBD, histopathology of the cancers and tissue samples from different colorectal localizations were reevaluated, and relationships to clinical factors analyzed. Results: Forty-three of 60 patients (75%) showed dysplasia in the colorectum apart from the cancer, while 17 (25%) had no dysplasia at cancer diagnosis. Mean age at onset of IBD was 22 years in patients with and 34 years in patients without dysplasia (P = 0.01). The mean duration of colitis-CRC interval was 21 years in patients with and 16 years in patients without dysplasia (P = 0.02). The latter group included all patients with a colitis-CRC interval <10 years. Active inflammation was more likely to occur in patients with dysplasia (odds ratio [OR] 4.2). The 2 groups were not discriminated by gender, family history of CRC or IBD, diagnosis of PSC, medical treatment, active symptoms, or histological features like type of cancer and differentiation. In multiple logistic regression analysis the age at onset of IBD was the strongest predictive variable for dysplasia at cancer diagnosis (P = 0.025). Conclusions: Widespread neoplasia occurs in the majority of cases with CRC in IBD and is associated with early onset of IBD. Localized neoplasia occurs in about a quarter of the patients and shows an association with late-onset IBD. The 2 groups probably represent different pathogenetic entities of neoplasia in IBD. This might have consequences for surveillance strategies. (Inflamm Bowel Dis 2008) [source]


    Plasma microRNAs are promising novel biomarkers for early detection of colorectal cancer

    INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CANCER, Issue 1 2010
    Zhaohui Huang
    Abstract MicroRNA (miRNA) opens up a new field for molecular diagnosis of cancer. However, the role of circulating miRNAs in plasma/serum in cancer diagnosis is not clear. The aim of this study was to investigate whether plasma miRNAs can be used as biomarkers for the early detection of colorectal carcinoma (CRC). We measured the levels of 12 miRNAs (miR-134, ,146a, ,17-3p, ,181d, ,191, ,221, ,222, ,223, ,25, ,29a, ,320a and ,92a) in plasma samples from patients with advanced colorectal neoplasia (carcinomas and advanced adenomas) and healthy controls using real-time RT-PCR. We found that plasma miR-29a and miR-92a have significant diagnostic value for advanced neoplasia. MiR-29a yielded an AUC (the areas under the ROC curve) of 0.844 and miR-92a yielded an AUC of 0.838 in discriminating CRC from controls. More importantly, these 2 miRNAs also could discriminate advanced adenomas from controls and yielded an AUC of 0.769 for miR-29a and 0.749 for miR-92a. Combined ROC analyses using these 2 miRNAs revealed an elevated AUC of 0.883 with 83.0% sensitivity and 84.7% specificity in discriminating CRC, and AUC of 0.773 with 73.0% sensitivity and 79.7% specificity in discriminating advanced adenomas. Collectively, these data suggest that plasma miR-29a and miR-92a have strong potential as novel noninvasive biomarkers for early detection of CRC. [source]


    Risk of cancer among children of cancer patients,a nationwide study in Finland

    INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CANCER, Issue 5 2010
    Laura-Maria S. Madanat-Harjuoja
    Abstract Cancer treatments have the potential to cause germline mutations that might increase the risk of cancer in the offspring of former cancer patients. This risk was evaluated in a population-based study of early onset cancer patients in Finland. Using the nationwide registry data, 26,331 children of pediatric and early onset cancer patients (diagnosed under age 35 between 1953 and 2004) were compared to 58,155 children of siblings. Cancer occurrence among the children was determined by linkage with the cancer registry, and the standardized incidence ratios (SIRs) were calculated comparing the observed number of cancers with that expected, based on rates in the general population of Finland. Among the 9,877 children born after their parent's diagnosis, cancer risk was increased (SIR 1.67; 95% CI 1.29,2.12). However, after removing those with hereditary cancer syndromes, this increase disappeared (SIR 1.03; 95% CI 0.74,1.40). The overall risk of cancer among the offspring of siblings (SIR 1.07; 95% CI 0.94,1.21) was the same as among the offspring of the patients with nonhereditary cancer. Risk of cancer in offspring, born before their parents cancer diagnosis, was elevated (SIR 1.37, 95% CI 1.20-1.54), but removing hereditary syndromes resulted in a diminished and nonsignificant association (SIR 1.08, 95% CI 0.93-1.25). This study shows that offspring of cancer patients are not at an increased risk of cancer except when the patient has a cancer-predisposing syndrome. These findings are directly relevant to counseling cancer survivors with regard to family planning. [source]


    New malignancies following childhood cancer in the United States, 1973,2002

    INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CANCER, Issue 10 2007
    Peter D. Inskip
    Abstract The objectives of our study were to quantify risks for developing new malignancies among childhood cancer survivors, identify links between particular types of first and subsequent cancer, and evaluate the possible role of treatment. A cohort of 25,965 2-month survivors of childhood cancer diagnosed in the U.S. during 1973,2002 was identified and followed through SEER cancer registries. Observed-to-expected ratios (O/E) were calculated, and Poisson regression was used to compare risks among treatment groups. Childhood cancer survivors were at nearly 6-fold risk of developing a new cancer relative to the general population (O/E = 5.9, 95% CI: 5.4,6.5). Most common were subsequent primary cancers of the female breast, central nervous system, bone, thyroid gland and soft tissue, as well as cutaneous melanoma and acute non-lymphocytic leukemia (ANLL). The greatest risks of subsequent cancers occurred among patients diagnosed previously with Hodgkin lymphoma (HL), Ewing sarcoma, primitive neuroectodermal tumor, or retinoblastoma. Risk of subsequent solid cancers was higher among persons whose initial treatment for childhood cancer included radiotherapy, whereas the excess of subsequent ANLL was strongly related to chemotherapy. The O/E for subsequent ANLL increased with increasing calendar year of initial cancer diagnosis among survivors of cancers other than HL, most likely due to increasing use of leukemogenic drugs for solid cancers and non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Childhood cancer survivors are at markedly increased risk of developing a variety of new cancers relative to the general population, but the magnitude of excess risk and specific types of second cancer vary widely by type of first cancer. © 2007 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source]


    Second malignancies among survivors of germ-cell testicular cancer: A pooled analysis between 13 cancer registries

    INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CANCER, Issue 3 2007
    Lorenzo Richiardi
    Abstract We investigated the risk of second malignancies among 29,511 survivors of germ-cell testicular cancer recorded in 13 cancer registries. Standardized incidence ratios (SIRs) were estimated comparing the observed numbers of second malignancies with the expected numbers obtained from sex-, age-, period- and population-specific incidence rates. Seminomas and nonseminomas, the 2 main histological groups of testicular cancer, were analyzed separately. During a median follow-up period of 8.3 years (0,35 years), we observed 1,811 second tumors, with a corresponding SIR of 1.65 (95% confidence interval (CI): 1.57,1.73). Statistically significant increased risks were found for fifteen cancer types, including SIRs of 2.0 or higher for cancers of the stomach, gallbladder and bile ducts, pancreas, bladder, kidney, thyroid, and for soft-tissue sarcoma, nonmelanoma skin cancer and myeloid leukemia. The SIR for myeloid leukemia was 2.39 (95% CI: 1.41,3.77) after seminomas, and 6.77 (95% CI: 4.14,10.5) after nonseminomas. It increased to 37.9 (95% CI: 18.9,67.8; based on 11 observed cases of leukemia) among nonseminoma patients diagnosed since 1990. SIRs for most solid cancers increased with follow-up duration, whereas they did not change with year of testicular cancer diagnosis. Among subjects diagnosed before 1980, 20 year survivors of seminoma had a cumulative risk of solid cancer of 9.6% (95% CI: 8.7,10.5%) vs. 6.5% expected, whereas 20 years survivors of nonseminoma had a risk of 5.0% (95% CI: 4.2,6.0%) vs. 3.1% expected. In conclusion, survivors of testicular cancers have an increased risk of several second primaries, where the effect of the treatment seems to play a major role. © 2006 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source]


    Germline mutations 657del5 of the NBS1 gene contribute significantly to the incidence of breast cancer in Central Poland

    INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CANCER, Issue 2 2006
    Jan Steffen
    Abstract Recent studies have demonstrated that heterozygous carriers of the NBS1 657del5 mutation have an increased risk for familial and bilateral breast cancer, but similar studies in consecutive breast cancer patients were inconclusive. Here, in a study of 562 nonselected breast cancer patients from Central Poland, we found 11 (1.96%) 657del5 mutation carriers vs. 3.47 expected (OR 3.21, 95%CI: 1.36,7.61, p = 0.0107) and only 9 (1.6%) carriers of the 5382insC mutation of the BRCA1 gene, most frequently found among breast cancer patients in Poland. No carriers of R215W, another pathogenic mutation of the NBS1 gene, were found in the present study. All carriers of the 657del5 mutation had sporadic breast tumors while 5 of 9 5382insC carriers had a family history of breast/ovarian cancer or bilateral breast carcinoma. In the pooled group of patients from the present and our previous study, carried out also in patients from Central Poland, we obtained the following risk estimates (OR) for 657del5 carriers, as related to the age at breast cancer diagnosis: <40 years: 8.36; (95%CI: 2.57,27.27) p = 0.0003; <50 years: 4.27 (95%CI: 1.67,10.89) p = 0.003; ,50 years: 2.40 (95%CI: 0.91,6.35) p = 0.1250; all ages: 3.13 (95% CI: 1.40,7.00) p = 0.0066. These findings demonstrate conclusively that NBS1 657del5 mutation carriers have a significantly, though moderately increased, age-related risk of breast cancer, and imply that in populations with a high 657del5 carrier frequency this mutation may contribute substantially to the overall incidence of breast cancer, particularly in younger age groups. © 2006 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source]


    A history of cancer in the husband does not increase the risk of breast cancer

    INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CANCER, Issue 12 2006
    Eva Negri
    Abstract Spouses share the home environment, and dietary and other lifestyle habits. Furthermore, a cancer diagnosis in the husband is a stressful event for the wife also. Thus, a history of cancer in the husband may be an indicator of breast cancer risk. We investigated the issue in a large Italian multicentric case-control study on 2,588 women with incident breast cancer and 2,569 female hospital controls, admitted for acute, non neoplastic diseases. The adjusted odds ratio (OR) was 1.0 (95% confidence interval, CI, 0.7,1.4) for a history of any type of cancer in the husband, 1.0 (95% 0.4,2.7) for stomach, 0.7 (95% 0.2,2.3) for intestinal (chiefly colorectal), 0.9 (95% CI 0.5,1.7) for lung, and 1.3 (95% CI 0.4,4.3) for prostate cancer. The OR was close to unity also when data were analyzed in separate strata of patient's or husband's age, patient's education, or vital status of the husband. This study suggests that women whose husband had a diagnosis of cancer are not at increased risk of breast cancer, although results for individual cancer sites should be interpreted with caution, due to small numbers. © 2006 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source]


    Reply to the letter of Rogers et al. entitled "Reproducibility of cancer diagnosis using hair"

    INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CANCER, Issue 4 2006
    Veronica J. James
    No abstract is available for this article. [source]


    Gold Nanocages for Biomedical Applications,

    ADVANCED MATERIALS, Issue 20 2007
    E. Skrabalak
    Abstract Nanostructured materials provide a promising platform for early cancer detection and treatment. Here we highlight recent advances in the synthesis and use of Au nanocages for such biomedical applications. Gold nanocages represent a novel class of nanostructures, which can be prepared via a remarkably simple route based on the galvanic replacement reaction between Ag nanocubes and HAuCl4. The Au nanocages have a tunable surface plasmon resonance peak that extends into the near-infrared, where the optical attenuation caused by blood and soft tissue is essentially negligible. They are also biocompatible and present a well-established surface for easy functionalization. We have tailored the scattering and absorption cross-sections of Au nanocages for use in optical coherence tomography and photothermal treatment, respectively. Our preliminary studies show greatly improved spectroscopic image contrast for tissue phantoms containing Au nanocages. Our most recent results also demonstrate the photothermal destruction of breast cancer cells in vitro by using immuno-targeted Au nanocages as an effective photo-thermal transducer. These experiments suggest that Au nanocages may be a new class of nanometer-sized agents for cancer diagnosis and therapy. [source]


    Prostate cancer: friend or enemy.

    INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF UROLOGICAL NURSING, Issue 2 2010
    Part one, the son
    The aim of the study was to investigate the daily life experiences of sons and daughters following the father's prostate cancer diagnosis. This paper is part one describing the sons experience of life. Research in this field to date has predominantly focused on the father's experiences in coping with the disease, and there is a lack of research on the adult children's experiences following the father's cancer diagnosis. The study assumes a phenomenological,hermeneutic approach, using Ricoeur's theories of narratives and text interpretation. The informants were six sons of men diagnosed with incurable prostate cancer. All participants were interviewed 3 and 10 months after the father was informed of the cancer diagnosis. Data analysis was done in three stages according to Ricoeur: naïve reading, followed by a structured analysis, and concluded with critical interpretation and discussion. Results showed in the experience of worry and dilemma after the father's diagnosis, the son gradually adapted to the new life situation. The adaptation was conscious/unconscious and could be characterized as a personal transition. It is concluded that nurses need to include the son more in the care for the parents. [source]


    Correlates of mood disturbance in women with breast cancer: patterns over time

    JOURNAL OF ADVANCED NURSING, Issue 6 2008
    Diane Von Ah
    Abstract Title.,Correlates of mood disturbance in women with breast cancer: patterns over time Aim., This study examined factors associated with mood disturbance prior to, during and after adjuvant therapy. Background., Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women worldwide. Mood disturbance affects between 20% and 30% of women with breast cancer and is associated with other debilitating symptoms. However, factors associated with mood disturbance across the breast cancer diagnosis,treatment trajectory are not clearly understood. Method., A stress-coping framework guided this longitudinal study. A convenience sample of 49 American women with newly diagnosed breast cancer aged 37,77 years completed questionnaires assessing age, optimism, disease stage, type of adjuvant therapy, lymph node status, emotional support, aid (tangible) support, perceived stress and mood disturbance. Data were collected over an 18-month period in 2002,2003 at three time points: prior to, during and after adjuvant therapy. Descriptive statistics, Pearson's correlation and multiple regression were used. Findings., At all three time points, higher stress was significantly related to greater mood disturbance. Perceived stress mediated the relationship between (1) emotional support and mood disturbance prior to and after adjuvant therapy and between (2) aid support and mood disturbance during adjuvant therapy. In addition, the type of support that was most important to mood disturbance varied over time. Emotional support was related to reduced mood disturbance prior to and after adjuvant therapy, whereas aid support was most important during adjuvant therapy. Conclusions., Nurses may use this information to develop interventions that bolster appropriate types of support to reduce stress and ultimately lower mood disturbance. Further research across cultures is needed. [source]


    Pattern recognition as a caring partnership in families with cancer

    JOURNAL OF ADVANCED NURSING, Issue 3 2000
    Emiko Endo RN PhD
    Pattern recognition as a caring partnership in families with cancer The purpose of this study was to address the process of a caring partnership by elaborating pattern recognition as nursing intervention with families with cancer. It is based on Newman's theory of health as expanding consciousness within the unitary-transformative paradigm and is an extension of a previous study of Japanese women with ovarian cancer. A hermeneutic, dialectic method was used to engage 10 Japanese families in which the wife-mothers were hospitalized because of cancer diagnosis. The family included at least the woman with cancer and her primary caregiver. Each of four nurse-researchers entered into partnership with a different family and conducted three interviews with each family. The participants were asked to describe the meaningful persons and events in their family history. The family's story was transmuted into a diagram of sequential patterns of interactional configurations and shared with the family at the second meeting. Evidence of pattern recognition and insight into the meaning of the family pattern were identified further in the remaining meetings. The data revealed five dimensions of a transformative process. Most families found meaning in their patterns and made a shift from separated individuals within the family to trustful caring relationships. One-third of them went through this process within two interviews. The families showed increasing openness, connectedness and trustfulness in caring relationships. In partnership with the family, each nurse-researcher grasped the pattern of the family as a whole and experienced the meaning of caring. Pattern recognition as nursing intervention was a meaning-making transforming process in the family,nurse partnership. [source]


    Assessment and Interpretation of Comorbidity Burden in Older Adults with Cancer

    JOURNAL OF AMERICAN GERIATRICS SOCIETY, Issue 2009
    Siran M. Koroukian PhD
    OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the associations between comorbidities, functional limitations, geriatric syndromes, treatment patterns, and outcomes in a population-based cohort of older patients diagnosed with colorectal cancer and receiving home health care. DESIGN: Retrospective study. SETTING: Data from the Ohio Cancer Incidence Surveillance System, Medicare claims and enrollment files, and the home health care Outcome and Assessment Information Set. PARTICIPANTS: Ohio residents diagnosed with incident colorectal cancer in 1999 to 2001 and receiving home health care in the 30 days before or after cancer diagnosis (N=957). MEASUREMENTS: Outcome measures included receipt of cancer treatment and survival through 2005. RESULTS: Not having surgery was associated negatively with comorbidities but positively with functional limitations and geriatric syndromes. Receipt of chemotherapy was negatively associated with comorbidities and functional limitations. The presence of two or more geriatric syndromes was significantly associated with unfavorable survival outcomes when analyzing overall survival and disease-specific survival (DSS). Having limitations in two or more activities of daily living was associated with unfavorable overall survival but not with DSS. Comorbity was associated with favorable DSS at borderline level of statistical significance but not with overall survival. CONCLUSION: The findings highlight the importance of incorporating functional limitations and geriatric syndrome data in geriatric oncology outcomes studies. [source]


    Epidemiology of Medicare Abuse: The Example of Power Wheelchairs

    JOURNAL OF AMERICAN GERIATRICS SOCIETY, Issue 2 2007
    James S. Goodwin MD
    OBJECTIVES: To determine the effect of neighborhood ethnic composition on power wheelchair prescriptions. DESIGN: The 5% noncancer sample of Medicare recipients in the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER)-Medicare linked database, from 1994 to 2001. SETTING: SEER regions. PARTICIPANTS: Individuals covered by Medicare living in SEER regions without a cancer diagnosis. MEASUREMENTS: Individual characteristics (age, sex, ethnicity, justifying diagnosis, and comorbidity), primary diagnoses, neighborhood characteristics (percentage black, percentage Hispanic, percentage with <12 years education, and median income), and SEER region. RESULTS: The rate of power wheelchair prescriptions was 33 times greater in 2001 than in 1994, with a shift over time from justifying diagnoses more closely tied to mobility impairment, such as strokes, to less-specific medical diagnoses, such as osteoarthritis. In multilevel, multivariate analyses, individuals living in neighborhoods with higher percentages of blacks or Hispanics were more likely to receive power wheelchairs (odds ratios=1.09 for each 10% increase in black residents and 1.23 for each 10% increase in Hispanic residents) after controlling for ethnicity and other characteristics at the individual level. CONCLUSION: These results support allegations that marketers promoting power wheelchairs have specifically targeted minority neighborhoods. [source]


    Patterns and Predictors of Smoking Cessation in an Elderly Cohort

    JOURNAL OF AMERICAN GERIATRICS SOCIETY, Issue 3 2006
    Heather E. Whitson MD
    OBJECTIVES: To identify subject characteristics that predict smoking cessation and describe patterns of cessation and recidivism in a cohort of elderly smokers. DESIGN: Prospective cohort study. SETTING: Piedmont region, North Carolina. PARTICIPANTS: Five hundred seventy-three subjects enrolled in the North Carolina Established Populations for Epidemiologic Studies of the Elderly who responded "yes" to question 179 on the baseline survey (Do you smoke cigarettes regularly now?) and survived at least 3 years, until the next in-person follow-up (1989/90). Subjects were classified as quitters (n=100) or nonquitters (n=473) based on subsequent smoking behavior. MEASUREMENTS: Reported smoking behavior, demographic characteristics of the smokers at baseline or subsequent interviews, 7-year mortality. RESULTS: After controlling for all characteristics studied, subjects who quit smoking were more likely to be female (P=.03) and showed a trend toward greater likelihood of a recent cancer diagnosis (P=.11). Recidivism was observed in only 16% (19/119) of subjects who reported no smoking in 1989/90. The percentage of subjects who died during 7 years of follow-up was 44.0% of quitters, compared with 51.6% of nonquitters. Smoking cessation was not associated with a statistically significant decrease in risk of death after controlling for other variables (odds ratio=0.78, 95% confidence interval=0.48,1.26). CONCLUSION: Smoking cessation in this elderly cohort was associated with different subject characteristics from those that predict successful cessation in younger populations, suggesting that older smokers may have unique reasons to stop smoking. Further study is needed to assess potential motives and benefits associated with smoking cessation at an advanced age. [source]


    Comparison of Fracture, Cardiovascular Event, and Breast Cancer Rates at 3 Years in Postmenopausal Women with Osteoporosis

    JOURNAL OF AMERICAN GERIATRICS SOCIETY, Issue 9 2004
    Stuart L. Silverman MD
    Objectives: To compare event rates for osteoporotic fractures, cardiovascular events, and breast cancer in postmenopausal women with osteoporosis. Design: A prospective, observational study of the placebo group in the double-blind, randomized Multiple Outcomes of Raloxifene Evaluation trial. Setting: One hundred eighty clinical research centers in 25 countries. Participants: Postmenopausal women (n=2,565, mean age=67) with osteoporosis were given calcium (500 mg/d) and vitamin D (400,600 IU/d) supplements. Measurements: The occurrence of at least one new fracture, cardiovascular event, or breast cancer diagnosis at 3 years was identified and adjudicated. Results: The occurrence of any fracture was the most common event in these women. In women without prevalent vertebral fractures (n=1,627), the event rates per 1,000 patient-years were 45.4 for any fracture, 15.2 for vertebral fracture, 4.7 for clinical vertebral fracture, 0.9 for hip fracture, 8.3 for any cardiovascular event, and 5.2 for all breast cancer. In women with prevalent vertebral fractures (n=938), the event rates per 1,000 patient-years were 117.4 for any new fracture, 77.1 for new vertebral fracture, 25.7 for clinical vertebral fracture, 5.8 for hip fracture, 15.1 for any cardiovascular event, and 2.6 for all breast cancer. The effect of prevalent fracture status on event rates was not dependent on whether women were older or younger than 65, but women aged 65 and older had a 3.6 times greater occurrence of cardiovascular events than younger women, irrespective of prevalent fracture status. Conclusion: These data on the relative incidence of clinically significant skeletal and extra-skeletal outcomes may be useful in choosing an agent for health maintenance for postmenopausal women with osteoporosis. [source]