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Biomedical subjects

E Negri

Publications and source records attributed to E Negri.

At least 469 records · Page 26Linked to original sources
PubMed1990

Cancer mortality in young adults: Italy 1955-1985.

Although cancer mortality in young adults accounts for only a small proportion of all cancer deaths, it is important since it provides useful indications of the most likely future trends, and relevant information on the role of exposure to specific, or newer, carcinogens. We, therefore, analysed trends in cancer mortality between 1955 and 1985 among Italian men and women aged 20-44 years. In those three decades, overall cancer mortality declined steadily, by 27% in young women (from 33.8 to 24.7/100,000, world standard) but only by 3% (from 27.3 to 26.4/100,000) among men. The decline for men, however, was 16% from the peak rate of 31.5 reached in 1970-1974. The major underlying component causing the different trends in the two sexes was lung and other tobacco-related neoplasms, which had been considerably on the increase in young men up to the early 1970s, and levelled-off thereafter, while showing no appreciable change in women. The falls were about 50% for stomach cancer in both sexes, and over 80% for cervical cancer. A clear impact of improved treatment was reflected in the substantial declines in Hodgkin's disease, of testicular cancer in the last decade and, possibly, in the favourable trends in cancers of the breast, bone, brain and leukemias over the most recent calendar periods. Only two sites showed appreciable and persisting upward trends: oral cavity in men and skin melanoma in both sexes. They therefore constitute priorities for intervention in the near future.

Adult↗
PubMed1990

Descriptive epidemiology of thyroid cancer in the Swiss Canton of Vaud.

Although substantial decreases have been recorded, age-standardized mortality rates from thyroid cancer in Switzerland are still the highest in Europe in men (0.9/100,000), together with those from Austria, and the third highest (1.0/100,000) in women. Detailed analysis of 308 new cases registered between 1974 and 1987 in the Swiss Canton of Vaud revealed an overall incidence rate of 1.36/100,000 men (world standard) in 1974-1980 and of 1.74/100,000 in 1981-1987. Corresponding values for women were 4.28 and 4.51, respectively. Thus, women constituted the majority of all cases (76%). Papillary carcinoma was the most frequent histological type (53%) followed by follicular (27%), undifferentiated (5%) and medullary (2%); other morphologies and clinical tumours accounted for 13% of the whole series. In both sexes, most of the apparent increase over the calendar period was restricted to the papillary type. Overall 5- and 10-year survival rates were 71% and 57%. When various factors were introduced in a Cox proportional-hazard model, young age at diagnosis (hazard rate for greater than or equal to 65 years vs less than 45 = 14.7; 95% confidence interval = 7.5-29.1) and good histological differentiation (hazard rate for papillary and follicular vs undifferentiated = 0.4) emerged as strong favourable and independent prognostic factors. The reduced hazard rate for women, other factors being equal, was of borderline significance (0.7, 95% confidence interval = 0.5-1.0), whereas no significant difference was observed between follicular and papillary carcinomas, and calendar periods of diagnosis.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1990

Screening practices and invasive cervical cancer risk in different age strata.

Relative and population attributable risks for invasive cervical cancer in different age strata relative to screening practices have been estimated using data from a case-control study conducted since 1981 in the greater Milan area, northern Italy. A total of 548 women under 75 years of age with a histologically confirmed diagnosis of invasive cervical cancer were compared with 515 controls admitted to hospital for a spectrum of nongynecological, hormonal or neoplastic, acute conditions. The percentage of never-screened women increased with age: no Pap smear was reported in 34% of controls aged 44 years or younger and 63% of older women (greater than or equal to 65 years). A similar trend emerged in recency of Pap smear, with 14% of older controls and 52% of the younger group reporting a cervical smear within 3 years before the interview. The number of Pap smears was strongly and inversely related to cervical cancer risk at all ages. Compared with no Pap smear, three or more cervical smears decreased the risk of invasive cervical cancer by about 90%. Compared with women screened the last time 6 years before the interview or never, relative risks were about 60% lower in women reporting their last Pap within 2 years in all age groups. A slightly larger proportion of older cases were attributable to the absence or delay in the screening: population attributable risk estimates were 78% in women up to 55 years of age, and 86% in those 65 years or older. Thus, deficiencies in screening were greater at ages at which the incidence of disease was higher.

Adult↗
PubMed1990

Cigarette smoking and bladder cancer.

The relation between cigarette smoking and risk of bladder cancer was analysed in a case-control study in Northern Italy of 337 cases of histologically confirmed invasive bladder cancer and 392 controls admitted to the same network of hospitals with acute, non-neoplastic, non-urological conditions. Compared with never-smokers, the multivariate relative risk (RR) was 1.9 (95% confidence interval, CI 1.2-3.1) for ex-smokers and 3.3 (95% CI 2.2-5.0) for current smokers. The risk was directly and significantly related to duration of smoking (RR 3.5 for 30 years or more) and dose (RR 3.9 for 20 cigarettes per day or more), and consistent among strata of sex and age (though the RRs were systematically higher at older ages). Smokers of black tobacco only had a RR of 3.7, compared with 2.6 for smokers of blond cigarettes or mixed types. The interaction between tobacco and several occupations associated with bladder cancer risk fitted an additive rather than a multiplicative model: compared with non-exposed never-smokers, RR was 2.5 for exposed non-smokers, 2.8 for non-exposed smokers and 3.7 for occupationally exposed smokers.

Adult↗
PubMed1990

Breast cancer risk and history of selected medical conditions linked with female hormones.

The relation between history of several medical conditions and procedures and risk of breast cancer was evaluated in data from a hospital-based case-control study of 2663 cases of breast cancer and 2344 controls with acute conditions unrelated to any of the established or potential risk factors for breast cancer. Whereas previous diagnosis of diabetes mellitus, thyroid disease, hypertension at any age, hyperlipidaemia, cholelithiasis, pelvic inflammatory disease and physician-diagnosed subfertility were unrelated to cancer risk, history of severe obesity in postmenopausal women (odds ratio [OR] 1.4), benign breast disease (OR 1.8) and history of breast biopsies (OR 2.4) were associated with significant risk elevation. Conversely, lifelong history of menstrual irregularities (OR 0.6) seemed to confer some protection against onset of breast cancer. This study supports the hypothesis that, unlike endometrial cancer, breast cancer risk is not enhanced by medical conditions known or suspected to be linked with female hormones, with the exception of benign breast disease and severe overweight in postmenopausal women.

Adult↗
PubMed1990

Identification of high risk groups for breast cancer by means of logistic models.

In order to identify high risk groups for breast cancer, unconditional multiple logistic regression models based on 5 widely recognized and easily identifiable risk factors (age at menarche, at menopause and at first birth, family history of breast cancer and body mass index) were applied to a large dataset including 2085 cases and 1936 controls aged 50 or over derived from two unmatched hospital-based case-control studies conducted in Italy. Although various models provided an excellent fitting, both on the whole dataset and using a training-testing approach to a priori identified separate subset, the observed extent of variation in breast cancer risk between highest and lowest decile of the distribution was limited to a factor 2. This indicates that the 5 variables considered did not allow identification of subgroups with substantially elevated risk of breast cancer to have practical implications for screening/prophylactic treatment purposes.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1990

Calcium, dairy products, and colorectal cancer.

The relation between calcium intake, estimated from frequency of use of 29 food items, and colorectal cancer risk was analyzed using data from a case-control study conducted in Northern Italy. The study was conducted on 558 cases of colon cancer, 352 cases of rectal cancer, and 1,032 controls admitted to the hospital for acute, nonneoplastic, nondigestive tract disorders (39% with traumas, 17% nontraumatic orthopedic diseases, 25% acute surgical conditions, 19% other miscellaneous disorders). There was no appreciable trend in risk of colon or rectal cancer in relation to measures of calcium intake. The multivariate relative risk (adjusted for age, sex, education, area of residence, and consumption of selected indicator foods) for highest versus lowest quintile was 1.1 for colon and 1.0 for rectum. Likewise, there was no appreciable difference between cases and controls with reference to frequency of consumption of the two major calcium-containing foods (milk and cheese), with relative risk for the highest level of intake between 0.9 and 1.2. This study indicates that little or no protection on large bowel cancer risk is provided by dairy products or calcium intake in a range of 0.5-1.5 g per day.

Adult↗
PubMed1990

Salt preference and the risk of gastrointestinal cancers.

The relationship between the consumption of salt and the risk of gastrointestinal cancer was examined using data from a case-control study conducted in northern Italy. The study was conducted on 526 incident cases of gastric cancer, 621 of colon cancers, 382 of rectal cancers, and 1,223 controls admitted to hospital for acute, nonneoplastic, nondigestive tract disorders. Compared with those for people with low salt intakes, the relative risks (and 95% confidence intervals) for those with intermediate and high salt intakes were 1.3 (1.0-1.8) and 1.2 (0.8-1.7) for stomach, 1.0 (0.8-1.3) and 1.1 (0.8-1.5) for colon, and 1.2 (0.9-1.6) and 0.9 (0.6-1.3) for rectum. None of the trends in risk were statistically significant, and the risk estimates were not materially modified by allowance for major identified potential confounding factors. Thus, this study gives little support to the existence of any strong association between salt intake and gastrointestinal cancers. However, in view of the results obtained and of the uncertainties of salt intake measurement, the possibility exists of a real, although moderate, association of salt intake with gastric cancer.

Adult↗
PubMed1990

Oral contraceptive use and invasive cervical cancer.

The relationship between oral contraceptive use and the risk of invasive cervical cancer was investigated using data from a hospital-based case-control study conducted in the greater Milan area, Northern Italy. A total of 367 women under 60 years of age with a histologically confirmed diagnosis of invasive cervical cancer was compared with a group of 323 controls admitted for a spectrum of acute conditions, non-gynaecological, hormonal or neoplastic and apparently unrelated to oral contraceptive use. Cases had used oral contraceptives more frequently than controls, the age-adjusted relative risk (RR) being 1.53 (95% confidence interval 0.99-2.36). The risk increased with duration of use: compared with never users the age-adjusted RR was 1.48 for up to two years and 1.83 for more than two years (chi 2(1) = 5.28, p = 0.02). Allowing for major identified potential confounding factors, including sexual and reproductive habits, by means of multiple logistic regression, did not explain the association (multivariate RR 1.85 for ever use, 1.05 for up to two years and 2.47 for more than two years). When the interaction between oral contraceptive use and parity or sexual habits was analysed, the effects of various factors appeared independent: the point estimate for multiparous oral contraceptive users versus nulliparous never users was 8.01. There was no consistent influence on risk of invasive cervical cancer of age at first use, whereas the RRs were slightly greater for women who had first used oral contraceptives less than ten years before or had last used them less than five years before diagnosis: these findings, however, were far from significant.

Adult↗
PubMed1990

Occupation and the risk of bladder cancer.

The relationship between bladder cancer, occupation and exposure to a number of occupational agents was assessed in a case-control study conducted in the greater Milan area, Northern Italy. The case series consisted of 263 cases (219 males, 44 females) with histologically confirmed invasive bladder cancer, admitted to a network including major teaching and general hospitals in the area under surveillance. The controls were 287 patients (210 males, 77 females), admitted for acute, non-neoplastic or urinary tract diseases to the same network of hospitals. Cases more frequently reported occupation in dyestuff production (relative risk (RR) = 4.6), painting/spraying work (RR = 1.8), chemical industry (RR = 1.7), pharmaceuticals (RR = 1.7) and coal/gas production (RR = 3.1). Only for dyestuff production however, was the excess statistically significant. There was no association with agriculture or related activities, rubber manufacturing, printing, the petroleum industry, food processing and mechanics. In relation to exposure to occupational agents, significant positive trends in risk were observed for dyes/paints (RR = 4.8 for greater than ten years of exposure), herbicides (RR = 4.1), chemicals (RR = 2.4) and gases/fumes (RR = 4.8). No association was found with metals or metal dusts, plastic resins or glues, oil, wood dust, solvents or benzene, asbestos, electricity or radar and coal tar. Besides confirming the well known association between bladder cancer risk and dyestuff production and, to a lesser extent, a wide spectrum of chemical-related activities, this study provides statistically significant evidence of an independent role of herbicides on the risk of bladder cancer.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adult↗
PubMed1990

Maternal and paternal moderate daily alcohol consumption and unexplained miscarriages.

The relation between parental moderate alcohol consumption and the risk of miscarriage was analysed using data from a case-control study in Milan between January 1987 and June 1988. Cases were 94 women who had two or more 'unexplained' miscarriages (after exclusion of genetic, endocrine and Müllerian factors) and without full-term pregnancies, admitted or referred to the First Obstetric and Gynecologic Clinic of the University of Milan. A total of 176 women admitted for normal delivery on selected days to the same university clinic and without previous miscarriages were chosen as controls. Compared with non-drinkers the risk of recurrent miscarriage was 0.9 for regular drinkers. The point estimates were 0.9 for women reporting one drink per day and 0.8 for those reporting two or more. Compared with non-drinkers, the relative risk estimates for drinking by fathers were slightly above unity, being 1.7 for less than three drinks and 1.4 for three or more drinks per day, but the trend in risk was not statistically significant.

Abortion, Habitual↗
PubMed1990

An update of cancer mortality among chrysotile asbestos miners in Balangero, northern Italy.

The mortality experience of a cohort of chrysotile miners employed since 1946 in Balangero, northern Italy was updated to the end of 1987 giving a total of 427 deaths out of 27,010 man-years at risk. A substantial excess mortality for all causes (standardised mortality ratio (SMR) = 149) was found, mainly because of high rates for some alcohol related deaths (hepatic cirrhosis, accidents). For mortality from cancer, however, the number of observed deaths (82) was close to that expected (76.2). The SMR was raised for oral cancer (SMR 231 based on six deaths), cancer of the larynx (SMR 267 based on eight deaths), and pleura (SMR 667 based on two deaths), although the excess only reached statistical significance for cancer of the larynx. Rates were not increased for lung, stomach, or any other type of cancer. No consistent association was seen with duration or cumulative dust exposure (fibre-years) for oral cancer, but the greatest risks for laryngeal and pleural cancer were in the highest category of duration and degree of exposure to fibres. Although part of the excess mortality from laryngeal cancer is probably attributable to high alcohol consumption in this group of workers, the data suggest that exposure to chrysotile asbestos (or to the fibre balangeroite that accounts for 0.2-0.5% of total mass in the mine) is associated with some, however moderate, excess risk of laryngeal cancer and pleural mesothelioma. The absence of excess mortality from lung cancer in this cohort is difficult to interpret.

Alcohol Drinking↗
PubMed1990

Medical history, diet and pancreatic cancer.

The relation between various aspects of medical history, selected indicator foods and the risk of pancreatic cancer was analyzed in a hospital-based case-control study conducted in Northern Italy on 247 patients with cancer of the pancreas, and 1,089 controls in hospitals for acute, nonneoplastic or digestive conditions. There was a significant association with history of pancreatitis (relative risk, RR 3.2, 95% confidence interval = 1.3-7.9), which was however reduced when the condition was first diagnosed at least 5 years previously. The point estimates were slightly, but not significantly, above unity for diabetes (RR = 1.5), gastrectomy (RR = 1.1) and cholelithiasis (RR = 1.3), and no association was found with liver disease or drug allergy. In relation to diet, there was some tendency for the risk to decrease with more frequent fruit consumption, but the results were largely inconsistent in relation to various indicators of meat, animal protein or fat intake. Although no important associations were found in this study with various aspects of medical history or diet indicators and pancreatic cancer risk, on account of the size of the dataset and the statistical power, this study contributes usefully to the debate on a common cancer whose causes are still largely undefined.

Case-Control Studies↗
PubMed1990

Standard karyotype and chromosomal evolution of the fallow deer (Dama dama L.).

G-banding, C-banding and silver staining techniques were used to study the chromosomes of the fallow deer Dama dama (2n = 68, NF = 70). On the basis of G-banded metaphases a diagrammatic representation of banding patterns at the 350 band level is proposed. C-banding reveals constitutive heterochromatin in the centromeric regions of all the acrocentric chromosomes. Faint C-banding is present in the centromere of the Y chromosome, while the single pair of metacentrics are C-band negative. The nucleolus organizer regions (NORs) are terminally located near the satellites of the two largest pairs of autosomes. As revealed by a comparison between the G-banded karyotype of the fallow deer and the roe deer (Capreolus capreolus), there is a remarkable homology of most autosomes. The metacentric pair in the fallow deer retain the same band patterns of the two acrocentric pairs in the roe deer, while the X chromosomes of the roe deer differ by a pericentric inversion.

Animals↗
PubMed1990

Trend surface models in the representation and analysis of time factors in cancer mortality.

A method of graphic representation of time factors in cancer mortality is presented, based on different tonalities of grey applied to the surface of the matrix defined by various age-specific rates. It is illustrated using mortality data from cancers of the mouth or pharynx, oesophagus, larynx and lung in Italian and Swiss males. Progressively more complex regression surface equations are defined, on the basis of two independent variables (age and cohort) and a dependent one (each age-specific rate). General patterns of trends were thus identified, showing important similarities in cohort and period effects, but also noticeable differences in time-related factors in mortality from various neoplasms of the upper digestive and respiratory tract. For instance, there were declines in mortality from cancers of the mouth or pharynx in the oldest age groups, whereas rates were appreciably upwards at younger and middle age, particularly in Italy. Likewise, cancers of the oesophagus and, chiefly, of the larynx were substantially increasing, on a cohort basis, in oldest Italian males. Temporal pattern for laryngeal cancer in Italy was similar to that of lung cancer, thus suggesting that (cigarette) smoking has a greater impact on this cancer site as compared with alcohol. However, it is difficult to explain, on this basis alone, the totally diverging pattern for cancer of the larynx (downwards) and of the lung (upwards) observed among older Swiss males. These examples indicate that trend surface models are a useful summary guide to illustrate and understand the general patterns of age, period and cohort effects in cancer mortality.

Adult↗