Prior Cancer (prior + cancer)

Distribution by Scientific Domains


Selected Abstracts


Exercise and dietary change after diagnosis and cancer-related symptoms in long-term survivors of breast cancer: CALGB 79804

PSYCHO-ONCOLOGY, Issue 2 2009
Catherine M. Alfano
Abstract Objective: Improving diet and exercise can reduce survivors' risk of cancer-related fatigue, poor physical functioning, and potential recurrence. A cancer diagnosis can represent a ,teachable moment', leading survivors to make positive changes in diet and exercise behaviors; however, little is known about how often this occurs or about factors that enhance or limit survivors' ability to make these changes. This cross-sectional descriptive study investigated both the prevalence and clustering of self-reported changes in diet and exercise and how these changes related to ongoing cancer-related symptoms, social support, and stressful life events among long-term breast cancer survivors. Methods: Survivors (n=227, response rate=72%) of a prior Cancer and Leukemia Group B treatment trial, on average 12 years post-diagnosis, completed a mailed survey assessing health behavior changes since diagnosis and current symptoms, social support, and stressful life events. Results: Over half of survivors reported making positive exercise or diet changes since diagnosis: over 25% reported making exercise and diet changes. Analyses of covariance models showed that survivors who reported increasing their exercise also reported lower fatigue. Trends were also found between increased fruit and vegetable intake and decreased fatigue and between increased exercise and increased social support. Conclusions: These results underscore the need for health promotion efforts among survivors. Exercise promotion is especially needed since more survivors attempted to change dietary behaviors than exercise on their own. Further, fatigue may limit survivors' ability to change their health behaviors; alternatively, survivors who increase their exercise may experience less fatigue. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]


Methylphenidate use in children and risk of cancer at 18 sites: results of surveillance analyses,

PHARMACOEPIDEMIOLOGY AND DRUG SAFETY, Issue 12 2007
Nina Oestreicher PhD
Abstract Purpose A recent report linked methylphenidate (MPH) use in children to cytologic abnormalities in plasma lymphocytes, a possible cancer biomarker. The purpose of this study was to investigate the association of MPH use and childhood cancer risk. Methods Using automated pharmacy databases and the SEER-affiliated cancer registry of the Kaiser Permanente Medical Care Program (KPMCP), we compared cancer rates at 18 sites among 35 400 MPH users who received it before age 20 to rates among KPMCP membership (age, sex, and calendar year standardized). Medical records of MPH exposed cancer cases were reviewed to identify the presence of established risk factors. Results There were 23 cancers among MPH users, versus 20.4 expected (standardized morbidity ratio, SMR,=,1.13, 95% confidence interval (0.72, 1.70)). Given the small number of cancers, site-specific SMR estimates were imprecise. Only one SMR was statistically significant at the p,<,0.05 level, which given the number of comparisons is consistent with the absence of a true association at any site. MPH use was associated with increased risk of lymphocytic leukemia (SMR,=,2.64 (1.14, 5.20)), based on eight observed cases). The medical records of these exposed cases did not reveal any lymphocytic leukemia risk factors (prior cancer, radiotherapy or chemotherapy, or Down syndrome). Conclusions Our results are consistent with no moderate or strong association between MPH use and cancer risk in children, although our ability to examine dose and duration of use or risk at specific sites was limited by small numbers. Further study of MPH use and lymphocytic leukemia risk is needed to determine whether our results are due to chance alone. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]


Human papillomavirus and WHO type I nasopharyngeal carcinoma,,

THE LARYNGOSCOPE, Issue 10 2010
Emily J. Lo BA
Abstract Objectives: Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is a rare cancer in the United States. An association between NPC and Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is well-established for World Health Organization (WHO) types II and III (WHO-II/III) NPC but less well-established for WHO type I (WHO-I) NPC. Given the rise in oropharyngeal tumors positive for high-risk human papillomavirus (HPV) and the unique biology of WHO-I NPC, we examined the relationship between HPV and WHO-I NPC. Study Design: Retrospective case-comparison study. Methods: A search of a large multidisciplinary cancer center tumor registry identified 183 patients seen from January 1999 to December 2008 with incident NPC and no prior cancer. Available paraffin-embedded tumor specimens (N = 30) were analyzed for oncogenic HPV status by in situ hybridization (ISH) and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for HPV-16 and HPV-18; EBV status by ISH; and p16 expression by immunohistochemistry. Demographic parameters, including race and smoking, were obtained from the medical records. Results: Among the 18 WHO-I NPC patients, 66% (N = 12) were smokers and 17% (N = 3) Asian; among the 165 WHO-II/III NPC patients, 44% (N = 73) were smokers and 24% (N = 39) Asian. Eight WHO-I NPC patients had available paraffin blocks; five of six were HPV-16-positive by PCR and four of eight were HPV-positive by ISH; only two of eight (25%) were EBV-positive. Twenty-two WHO-II/III NPC patients had available paraffin blocks; only 1 was HPV-positive by ISH, and 13 of 22 (60%) were EBV-positive. Conclusions: These results suggest that WHO-I NPC is associated with oncogenic HPV, although larger studies are needed to verify these findings. Laryngoscope, 2010 [source]


Identifying High Risk Groups and Quantifying Absolute Risk of Cancer After Kidney Transplantation: A Cohort Study of 15 183 Recipients

AMERICAN JOURNAL OF TRANSPLANTATION, Issue 9 2007
A. C. Webster
Transplant recipients have increased cancer risk, but data on risk variation across different patient groups are sparse. Rates and standardized rate ratios (SRR) of cancer (all sites, excluding nonmelanocytic skin and lip cancer) compared to the general population were calculated, using Australia and New Zealand Dialysis and Transplant Registry data. Within the transplant population, risk factors were identified (hazard ratios: HR; 95% CI) and absolute risk estimated for recipient groups. A total of 1642 (10.8%) of 15 183 recipients developed cancer. Risk was inversely related to age (SRR 15,30 children, 2 if >65 years). Females aged 25,29 had rates equivalent to women aged 55,59 from the general population. Age trend for lymphoma, colorectal and breast risk was similar; melanoma showed less variability across ages, prostate showed no risk increase. Within the transplanted population, risk was affected by age differently for each sex (p = 0.007), elevated by prior malignancy (HR 1.40; 1.03,1.89), white race (HR 1.36; 1.12,1.89), but reduced by diabetic end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) (HR 0.67; 0.50,0.89). Cancer rates in kidney recipients are similar to nontransplanted people 20,30 years older, but absolute risk differs across patient groups. Men aged 45,54 surviving 10 years have cancer risks varying from 1 in 13 (non-white, no prior cancer, diabetic ESKD) to 1 in 5 (white, prior cancer, other ESKD). [source]