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Biomedical subjects

B Modan

Publications and source records attributed to B Modan.

At least 73 records · Page 4Linked to original sources
PubMed1997

Nutritional factors in the etiology of brain tumors: potential role of nitrosamines, fat, and cholesterol.

Several possible risk factors for brain tumors have been suggested in the past, including N-nitroso compounds, but with the exception of ionizing radiation, none has been consistently confirmed. The present study was aimed at assessing the influence of nutritional factors, including N-nitroso compounds, in the etiology of brain tumors, specifically gliomas and meningiomas. One hundred and thirty-nine cases with confirmed brain tumors diagnosed between 1987 and 1991 in central Israel and 278 controls matched according to age, sex, and ethnic origin were interviewed. Nutritional data were obtained using a semiquantitative food frequency approach. A significant positive association for both types of brain tumors was found with high protein intake (odds ratio (OR) = 1.94, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.03-3.63), while intake of sodium was inversely related to both types of brain tumors (OR = 0.52, 95% CI 0.31-0.87). Increased consumption of total fat and cholesterol was inversely related to gliomas (high intake of fat: OR = 0.45, 95% CI 0.20-1.07; high intake of cholesterol: OR = 0.38, 95% CI 0.14-1.01). However, neither fat intake nor cholesterol intake was significantly related to the risk of meningiomas. Although N-nitroso compounds were not found to be directly associated with brain tumors, the data suggested the presence of an interaction between the effects of N-nitroso compounds and protein intake and between N-nitroso compounds and cholesterol intake. The data suggest that dietary factors may play an important, though yet undefined, role in the development of brain tumors.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1997

Occupational risks for the development of brain tumors.

Occupationally related risk factors were assessed in a population-based, case-control study of 139 patients with primary brain tumors (BT), carried out in central Israel between 1987-1991. For each case, two control groups were matched by age (+/-5 years), sex, and ethnic origin. The interview schedule included questions about lifelong occupational history before diagnosis. Odds ratios (OR) for BT, according to industrial categories, showed a significantly increased risk among blue-collar workers, especially among those employed in the textile industry, and among drivers and motor vehicle operators. When histologic tumor types were assessed separately, a significantly increased risk for malignant BT was found among drivers and motor vehicle operator occupations, while for meningiomas, an increased risk was found among weavers and tailors. Our results may provide clues for etiology and prevention measures.

Adult↗
PubMed1997

FBL blood test as a predictive marker of breast cancer in high risk women.

The potential use of the ferritin bearing lymphocytes (FBL) blood test which enumerates oncofetal FBL as a biomarker for early breast cancer was explored. Analysis of the FBL positive test results carried out on high risk women who underwent biopsy in 1983-84 was found to be a significant predictor for early breast cancer (relative risk (RR) = 2.9, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.4-5.8). A group of 635 women from the above study diagnosed in 1983-84 as having no evidence of breast cancer was further traced 8 years later with the aid of the National Cancer Registry. We identified 35 malignancies, including 19 cases of breast cancer. The RR of breast cancer for the FBL positive group was 2.51; 95% CI = 1.04-6.07 while for the other malignancies it was 0.93, 95% CI = 0.30-2.84. All the breast cancer cases in the FBL positive group were of the infiltrative duct carcinoma category and 71% were in early stage. In contrast, in the FBL negative group, 60% of the cases were infiltrative ductal carcinoma and most of them were at stage III. Positive FBL is associated with early manifestation of breast cancer and may be considered as a tool for the screening of breast cancer in high risk women.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1997

A reduction in the number of unwanted pregnancies among female army draftees through a controlled intervention.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the possibility of reducing the risk of unwanted pregnancy through a controlled intervention program that was based on a sex education workshop. DESIGN: Educational intervention study. SETTING: Newly drafted women in a central absorption army base in Israel. PATIENT(S): One thousand seven hundred ninety-three female draftees in the Israeli Defence Force. INTERVENTION(S): A 2-day workshop on sex education at the beginning of army service. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Rate of unwanted pregnancy. RESULT(S): After 2 years of follow-up, there were approximately 40% fewer unwanted pregnancies among women with a lower socioeconomic and intellectual profile. CONCLUSION(S): Structured intervention programs may reduce significantly the rate of unwanted pregnancy in young women.

Abortion, Induced↗
PubMed1997

Radiation policy: a decision-making model.

Priority setting in radiation policy is complex because it depends to a large extent on risk perception. It has been shown repeatedly that the public is much more sensitive to potential harmful sequelae of radiation than to those of other environmental pollutants. Thus, cancer risk, particularly at low doses, has become a sociopolitical issue. The principle that radiation causes cancer, is life shortening, and causes an array of other pathologic disorders, is well accepted yet the quantification of sequelae at the lower end point of the dose-response curve is still controversial. The presence of a significant carcinogenic effect at very low doses has strong financial implications. Sociopolitical and economic values play a major role in the interpretation of available data. Thus, the use of nuclear energy is a function of risk/benefit, pressures, available alternatives, and cost. Three case studies--nuclear plant workers, children irradiated for an essentially benign condition, and food safety--are used to illustrate polar policy decisions.

Humans↗
PubMed1996

High frequency of BRCA1 185delAG mutation in ovarian cancer in Israel. National Israel Study of Ovarian Cancer.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the role of BRCA1 185delAG mutation in ovarian carcinogenesis. DESIGN: Genetic testing of a subset of cases from an ongoing study of ovarian cancer and of controls. SETTING: A community-based case-control incidence study. SUBJECTS: Seventy-nine patients with ovarian cancer, 62 hospitalized women without cancer (controls), and 120 healthy women participating in a fragile X screening program (also controls), examined for the presence of germline BRCA1 185delAG mutation. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Polymerase chain reaction-amplified BRCA1 exon 2 fragments generated from patients' and controls' blood samples, analyzed by heteroduplex gel shift assay and direct sequence analyses. RESULTS: The 185delAG mutation was detected in 38.9% (7/18) of ovarian cancer patients with familial history, and 13.1% (8/61) of family history-negative ovarian cancer cases. Only 1 carrier was detected among the 120 healthy controls, and none in the hospital controls. A significant difference in mutation carrier rates between family history-negative cases and control groups of 120 and 62 subjects was identified (Fisher exact test, P=.001 and P=.003, respectively). The median age (+/-SE) at disease diagnosis was lower among both familial and family history-negative mutation carriers, as compared with mutation-negative, family history-negative cases--50 (+/-1.4) vs 60.5 (+/-3.5) years old, respectively (hazard ratio, 1.68; 95% confidence interval, 0.94-3.01). CONCLUSIONS: Our data are preliminary but suggest that BRCA1 185delAG germline mutation is frequent in Israeli ovarian cancer patients, irrespective of family history, and may confer an early-onset phenotype of ovarian cancer

BRCA1 Protein↗
PubMed1996

Second primary cancers in a cohort of Israeli women with primary gynecologic malignancies.

Second cancer in a women with a primary gynecological malignancy could reflect a common etiology or sequealae of a potentially carcinogenic treatment. The aim of the present study was to determine the incidence rate of second primary cancer in a cohort of women with primary gynecological cancer and patient characteristics, namely age, diagnosis, type of treatment, and duration of follow-up. The study cohort comprised 925 Israeli Jewish women with histologically confirmed gynecologic malignancies. The file was linked by computer matching to the Israel Cancer Registry for identification of second primary cancers. Standardized incidence rates (SIRs) for site-specific as well as for all cancer were computed. A significant excess for subsequent leukemia among ovarian (SIR 10; 95% CI 1.1-36.1) and uterine corporal cancer patients (SIR 10.0; 95% CI 2.7-25.6) was found. The significant increase in leukemia was treatment-related and limited to patients treated with radiotherapy. Age older than 60 years constituted a significantly unfavorable factor. The estimated probability of developing a subsequent cancer at 175 months is 6.1%. Physicians should be aware of the possibility of a second primary malignancy when prescribing treatment and during follow-up.

Cohort Studies↗
PubMed1996

A controlled intervention in reduction of redundant hospital days.

BACKGROUND: Inappropriate use of hospital services, in the form of unjustified hospital stay days (HSD), constitutes a major burden on a health budget. Reduction of unjustified HSD was achieved in a medical ward in a previous intervention study. METHODS: A controlled intervention aimed at reducing unjustified hospital stay was performed on 155 paediatric inpatients and 248 controls, by applying pre-set criteria for hospitalization and comparing to results in previous studies. RESULTS: Unjustified stay was decreased from 32.6% to 14.8% on the study ward, and from 25.7% to 19.3% on the control ward. The children on both wards did not differ significantly in rates of subsequent out of hospital mortality, re-admission, and the subjective evaluation of health by their parents one month following discharge. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates that despite the fact that the per cent of unjustified HSD on a paediatric wars is much lower than on medicine or surgery, a significant reduction in unjustified stay can be achieved by intervention programme.

Child↗